Can Porsche save the sports car?

Wheels Magazine
August, 2008

There is nothing quite as delicious as getting something for nothing. In engineering terms, it means increasing efficiency, or fine-tuning a device or system so that what you get out of it is vastly improved without having to shovel extra energy into the other end. In the case of the updated Porsche 911, the aim has been to generate even more performance while reducing fuel consumption - no easy feat. Quite simply, making cars like the 911 more efficient consumers of hydrocarbons is vital to ensure the survival of the sports car.

Think about it. It's not too difficult to increase engine power; just make the bang bigger by increasing engine capacity. Who cares if it uses more fuel or produces more carbon dioxide and other tailpipe toxins? Well, people are indeed starting to care, whether it be legislative bodies forming emissions targets, the owner filling a tank with more expensive fuel, or the millions who look at global warming and its consequences. And if you're talking of conspicuous consumption, then nothing is more obvious than a $200,000-plus performance car. Which is why Porsche has decided to do something about it.

On a corporate level, we know Porsche has a petrol/electric hybrid Cayenne coming, and a similar drivetrain planned for the Panamera four-door. Talk to the sharply intelligent director of research and development, Dr Wolfgang Durheimer, and he lets other things slip, such as the likelihood of a diesel in the Cayenne SUV - probably a Volkswagen sourced V6, not a full-on performance version aimed at the Audi Q7 V12 TDI - and the possibility of mild stop-start hybrid technology or energy regeneration systems in the sports car range.

But there will be no diesel engine or full hybrid powertrain happening in any foreseeable 911, which, for performance enthusiasts, is surely a relief. So what Porsche has done is come up with a totally new drivetrain for the second generation of the 997, which is still conventional in that it is petro-mechanical. But in all other manners, this car is so blindingly efficient it makes other big-capacity performance cars look old hat.

The two core pieces of technology used are direct injection and a new seven-speed dual-clutch automated manual transmission to replace the old five-speed Tiptronic S. But it's the numbers that tell an even more compelling story. Take the 911 Carrera S fitted with the seven-speed PDK gearbox. Capacity is down 24cc to 3800cc but the engine pumps out an extra 22kW (now 283kW). It will now hit a Vmax of 300km/h (up 15km/h on the old Tip - 7km/h over the old manual). It rips to 100km/h in 4.3 seconds, which is a full second quicker than the old auto and almost half a second quicker than the latest manual C2S.

Combined fuel consumption has dropped from the Tiptronic's 11.7L/100km to 10.2L/100km, and CO2 emissions are down 15 percent from 283 to 240g/km. Maybe that isn't so surprising, given the torque converter has been binned in favour of two automatic clutches, but the truth is that manual 911s are also quicker, use less fuel and produce less CO2. Balance performance against environmental responsibilities then, and it's difficult to find a better set of figures.

The best news is that this latest 911 is also a cracking drive, either in standard or Carrera S form. We've driven both but will concentrate on the latter, especially the PDK version with the optional Sports Chrono Plus (SCP) pack.

There's a good reason for this, because any 911 with PDK and SCP not only has a couple of extra buttons to alter shift programs and damper rates, but the gearbox software also includes launch control. Unlike some systems, which require a damnable number of pre-set moves to activate, in the 911 you hit the sport plus button on the dash, hold the brake pedal with your left foot, mash the right one to the firewall - or whatever it's called on a rear-engined car - and within milliseconds, revs have escalated to 6500rpm. Lift off the brakes and a clutch connects, electronics and plenty of weight over the rear wheels sort out the motive force and the 911... well, it launches.

The thing is, that despite the availability of gearshift buttons on the steering wheel rim and the natural horror of driving a 911 in no-brain auto mode, that's exactly what you end up doing. This gearbox and its actuation are a brilliant achievement. Driven lightly, it will spool up a higher gear for economy's sake with up-changes as smooth as any auto. Get stuck into it and ratios are held to the redline, especially if the highest mode of attack is driver-selected. There's the tiniest bit of shunt at low speeds if the throttle is really provoked, but certainly no more than an average driver in a conventional manual would invoke.

And then there's the engine, which has a few hundred extra revs to play with and virtually no drop-off in power getting to the redline. The Carrera S's 3.8-litre in particular has extraordinary reserves of torque in its mid-range and yet has a primal bark up high that is simply thrilling. Near Stuttgart, where Porsche launched the car, the traffic finally cleared on the autobahn north and it's difficult to forget the manic scream as my Carrera S kicked back from seventh to fifth, hovered on the redline just below 250km/h and then fired through sixth on its way to 290-plus.

The increase in performance has called for slight tweaks of both front and rear suspensions, and brake sizes on the 3.6-litre now match the Carrera S at 330mm discs fore and aft. And it's still as lively a beast as you could ask for. The front end fidgets and follows imperfections in the road like 911s of old.

The ride is acceptable in the standard suspension mode, more worryingly choppy and harsh with the PASM set to stun. Fortunately, the manual override allows full-sports gearshifts of the PDK with the softer suspension setting, so the driver can pick and choose. Those brakes haul the Carrera S down from speed, but don't mind squirming across bumps when the front end is on full compression, and even locking the front wheels before ABS kicks in.

What the driver can forget is that the 911, and particularly the Carrera S with PDK and Sports Chrono, is as sophisticated technologically advanced as any supercar. Yes, it is smart and safe, with the usual 997 traits of usable luggage space, visibility and even a back seat, well priced against its opposition, and now with an even higher degree of environmental responsibility. But it's still an animal to drive: noisy, squirrelly under brakes, and, best of all, extremely fast. Technology may have given the beast a respectable face, but the beast is far from tamed.

EXTRA DOLLARS
The updated 911 is due to hit Australia around October, yet even Porsche's sales team has no idea how much it will cost. That's because of the Federal Government's new luxury car tax which, if implemented, will add a fair slug. What we can tell you is that the base price (pre tax rise) will go up by a substantial $10,000 or so. Yes, that covers the power increase, but not the optional PDK gearbox, which will be another $6000 or thereabouts. 911 Carrera and S buyers will also get as standard other goodies including bi-xenon headlamps and Bluetooth connectivity. Best of all there's a new touch screen on the centre console for the stereo and the like.

More research
Porsche 911 (997 2nd gen) -- Carsales Network launch review: here
Porsche Carrera 2 & Carrera 2S -- Carsales Network launch review: here

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