Setting aside several decades of accidents and crashes, the 911 line has helped establish Porsche as a top contender in the high-performance car industry. The classic shape, which remain unchanged since the 911 was first introduced back in 1963, has become an icon that is synonymous performance and quality that gets car enthusiasts' skip a beat everytime a new one is released.
"This shape is primeval; part of the landscape. And just as the caveman got the jitters when he saw the outline of a saber tooth tiger, I'm preprogrammed when I see this," elaborated Richard Hammond, former Top Gear presenter, when he introduced a variant of the Porsche 911.
However, the shape is not the only one that remains unchanged by the times. The German car manufacturer has committed itself to putting to a rear-engine design for the 911 line. And instead of solving the reported oversteering problems by moving the engine closer to the middle, Porsche engineered around them, kept the engine in the rear and produced some of the highly sought after cars in the recent years that have passed.
The same car outline and rear-engine setup greeted the public when the new Porsche 911 Carrera was unveiled during the 2015 Frankfurt motor show. Some subtle changes to the headlamps, which are equipped with four-point facing daytime LEDs, and air intakes can be observed together with the redesigned rear engine cover and rear lamps.
The car's interior comes packed with updated versions of Porsche's standard features that were packed with latest 911 releases, as well as some added features that affect performance and safety. The PCM (Porsche Communication System) is now available with Wi-Fi together with Apple CarPlay. The Sport Chrono package, which is optional, has also been updated to have four configurable modes, which adjusts the suspension through the PASM, the PDK transmission and exhaust.
Perhaps the biggest tweak is Porsche's decision to equip the car with a 3.0 L twin-turbo flat-six engine, replacing the previous 3.4 L, which was what powered the previous entry-level versions of the 911. The new engine gives the new 911 Carrera a total of 365 bhp, 20 bhp more than the previous ones. The Carrera S is also packed with the same engine but, through several tweaks, gets a total of 414 bhp.
As expected, the new engine did not only boost the top speeds for both cars but also reduced the time it took for them to get from 0-62 mph. The Carrera hit 62 mph in 4.2 seconds while the Carrera S did the same in 3.9 seconds.
Needless to say, some 911 purists were not happy with Porsche's decision to go with the new engine. However, the company insists that the traditional flat-six engine is still reflected on the new one with the 7,500 rpm limit.
Better fuel economy and less emissions are the key factors that the new engine brings to the table.
"Traditionally, a new 911 offers enhanced performance and efficiency compared to the predecessor. Depending on the model variant, the new engines are almost twelve percent more efficient compared to the previous generation according to the New European Drive Cycle (NEDC)," Porsche stated through a press release.
According to the same press release, the new Porsche 911 models will be available in the US in March 2016. Prices will start at $89,400 dollars for the 911 Carrera and $115,700 dollars for the 911 Carrera S Cabriolet.
