Porsche 911 Carrera S: First Drive

Porsche 911 Carrera S

What we liked
>>Pure boxer six soundtrack and performance
>>Cabin design hints of glory days
>>Efficacy of new steering and chassis

OVERVIEW
-- All-new... almost
All-new 911s don't come along every day. In fact, this is only the third all-new 911 chassis in the 48-year history of the model.

And most of the rest of Porsche's latest Carrera is new too. Main engine parts might be carryover, but in total the company says around 90 per cent of components have been redesigned or redeveloped. The car features a world-first seven-speed manual gearbox.

It even gets a new nomenclature -- not 998 as was logically expected but 991.

Porsche says it is its best 911 yet -- faster, more wieldy, yet environmentally better than ever. The entry-level Carrera model still pumps out 257kW and a 0-100km/h sprint in 4.4sec with PDK and optional tweaks. At the same time it returns small car fuel economy -- 8.2L/100km combined cycle.

Need more conclusive proof of the level of improvement in this generation of 911?

Porsche claims, equipped with PDK, sports suspension and the new Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control, the new 294kW 911 Carrera S can lap the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife in 7min40sec.

That's around 14 seconds faster than the previous model and almost a match for both the 997 Series Turbo and GT3 hotties. QED!

PRICE & EQUIPMENT

The seven-speed double clutch PDK automated manual box adds $5950 and the popular Sports Chrono pack another $3890 when matched to the manual and $4700 with PDK. These prices are both reduced from 997, says PCA.

The same increments apply with the powered-up 3.8-litre Carrera S priced from $263,100, for the manual variant.

On the launch drive in Santa Barbara, 100 miles north of Los Angeles only S models were available to test. The base model Carreras are only now just starting to roll out of Porsche's Zuffenhausen factory.

But now things are cooking: over the next 12-18 months expect a welter of further 991 Series 911 variants -- the Cabrio is first, expected in early 2012... Then will come the all-wheel drive Carrera 4s, the race-replica GT3 and co (with PDK for the first time), a Targa (probably) and the big daddy Turbo variants.

In total Porsche produced 23 variants of the 997 Series. We'll find a prize for the first reader who can correctly list them.

Back to the 991, as before, the Sports Chrono pack is substantially more than its signature piece -- a dashtop analogue clock. In addition to reprogramming throttle and damper curves, it includes, for the first time, adaptive engine mounts (see MECHANICAL) and on PDK-equipped cars delivers launch control and gearbox tweaks to maximise performance. It also interfaces with the bi-model exhaust -- also standard on the S.

Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV) is standard on the S and a $3190 option on the entry-level car.

The new Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) active antiroll compensation is a $9660 on the Carrera including Porsche Active Suspension Managament (PASM) active dampers and $7690 on the S (which this generation includes the PASM dampers as standard equipment.

Other high profile options include Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB); a snip at just $19,690 on the S.

PCA says Aussie 911s arrive with a much higher level of standard equipment than cars in European and US marketplaces (cue emails to our feedback pages!). Local Carrera and Carrera S therefore share the following standard features: auto stop/start, Sport function, auto hill hold, BOSE 12-speaker audio system, 7-inch touch screen satnav with Bluetooth phone module and universal audio interface, rear park assist and keyless entry.

The Oz-spec 991 Series delivers bi-xenon headlamps standard but they are fixed -- the dynamic system is extra. Redesigned LED daytime running lights are as featured.

There's now a colour 4.6-inch multifunction screen incorporated into the traditional five-gauge instrument cluster which also incorporates a gear indicator, with gear select function for economy.

To get paddles on PDK equipped cars you'll need to specify the sports steering wheel (the unloved push-pull changers remain as standard -- yuck!) but the good news is it's a no cost option. Cruise control and two-zone climate control are also standard. The former is plain old set a speed and moniter – ie: not adaptive.

Front sports seats have 14-way electrical adjustment but no heating, nor ventilation -- features which should be included in a $200K-plus car. You can choose an 821W Burmester sound system if you so desire -- though you'll probably have to offer your first born as a down payment.

Four solid colours are offered -- Carrara White [no 'e'], Racing Yellow [my pick], Guards Red and Black. Metallic colours are included at no extra cost -- the safe pick is probably a 'dark' silver that looks almost like liquid aluminium. Yum!

The Carrera gets 19-inch wheels standard -- 8.5-inch front and whopping 11-inchers at the rear. Carrera S steps up another inch in diameter. A range of styles will be offered. We can't give you details yet, but we can guarantee they will not be cheap.

PACKAGING
-- Longer, wider but lighter...
Porsche was never going to change the silhouette of the 911, but it's simplistic to suggest the car is the same that has gone before. The body-in-white and every panel are new -- and the car's basic proportions, if not dimensions, have changed substantially.

The 911's wheelbase has grown 100mmm but it's only 56mm longer overall. Front track and width has grown almost 50mm but the rear stats are virtually unchanged. Overall width is not changed either.

In comparison to the 997, the 991's front axle is 30mm further forward. Porsche's PDK twin-clutch gearbox was designed with the dimensions of the 991 in mind -- thus what was effectively a 70mm 'spacer' between gearbox and engine core in the 997 has now disappeared (the new seven-speed manual is also based on the PDK). The result: the rear axle is now 70mm further rearwards.

Extra room in the engine bay has been designed into the car so Porsche can explore exotic drive options in the future: Electrification, smaller turbo engines... The engineers are not specific but wanted to 'futureproof' the new platform to some extent.

Thus the wheelbase stretch has hardly affected cabin space. With just 7mm extra in terms of the couple distance between the front and rear seats, this is still very much a marginal 2+2. Don't expect to use the rear seats for anything other than small children, pets or parcels. And not necessarily in that order.

The wheelbase change is intended to improve stability and has helped Porsche re-craft the body proportions to be longer and lower. And from most angles, sexier... Perhaps the writer's only grizzles are the proliferation of brand and model badging on the rear, and the Aston-ish rear lamps.

To compensate for a 15mm drop in roof height, the seats have been lowered 10mm. A sunroof that slides external to the body also yields valuable extra headroom.

Almost half the new body-in-white, including doors, front and rear deck lids, wings and roof, is aluminium. High-strength and hot formed steel makes up the rest.

Vigorous attention to detail ensures that instead of an estimated extra 60kg being lumped on the 997 in its evolution to 911 (thanks to extra equipment, driver aids extra crash structure), the new car has actually hit the road up to 45kg lighter (depending on model) than the car it replaces.

Porsche claims the new car has a cd value of 0.29. And for the first time, thanks to the new integrated full-width pop-up spoiler (the angle of which changes whether you have the sunroof open or not!), even the stock Carrera has a measure of downforce at high speed.

Inside the new 911 is a development of the traditional themes that Porsche re-introduced in the 997. There are strong nods to the shapes and surfacing of early 911s which to the writer's opinion are spot-on. Of course, the finishes, the fit and functionality are in a different league from the early cars – befitting the positioning of the 911 at the top end of town.

Porsche says the new interior also takes cues from the Carrera GT. A new centre console rises to meet the dash GT (and Panamera) style and on the manual cars the shifter is mounted high "especially close to the steering wheel in typical motorsport fashion."

Porsche has simplified the centre stack and satnav system is easier to use. 'Galvano Silver' is the standard interior highlight theme but there are myriad interior decor options offered.

As noted above, you sit marginally lower in the new car, but the biggest change is the view through the windscreen.

No longer is the world 'channelled' up the front decklid towards you by the traditional "cannon tubes" that house the headlights. Instead the profile across the front of the car is flatter.

It's not better or worse -- just different... This is a theme that repeats itself many times as you get to know the new 991 better.

What is better is the view in tight corners -- thanks in part to the reprofiling of the A-pillar and new external mirrors. Instead of being coupled with the pillars these are now door-mounted. Porsche says this not only aids vision, but is better in terms of noise abatement, aero efficiency and for keeping the side glass clear in poor weather.

On foreign roads, viewed from the 'wrong' side of the car, the excellent through-corner visibility afforded by the new set-up was appreciated.

MECHANICAL
-- Seven 11
Engines in both the Carrera and Carrera S are developments of the direct-injected boxer sixes introduced halfway through the 997's lifecycle.

It almost goes without saying they sit at the rear of the car, driving, in the case of the Carrera and Carrera S, the rear wheels only. Rear suspension is a five-link independent design. At the front are McPherson struts -- shorter and stiffer than the previous generation's design. PTV and PDCC are both new to 911 in this generation.

Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control is an active anti-roll system that uses four individual hydraulic actuators to effectively couple, decouple and preload front and rear antiroll bars. Though similar in concept to the system used on Cayenne and Panamera, the 911's execution is unique and substantially lighter.

Porsche Torque Vectoring is actually one term for two different styles of locking differential. PTV is matched with 991's manual gearbox and is a mechanical locking differential (22 per cent locking effect in traction and 27 per cent in overrun). PTV Plus in PDK equipped-vehicles features an electronically controlled, fully variable locking diff. The system is featured as standard in the Carrera S and is available as an optional extra for the basic Carrera.

Essentially, when driving hard the system 'brakes' the inside rear wheel on entry to a corner to help 'point' the car and effectively increase the steering yaw. Porsche says PTV Plus also has high-speed stability benefits as it can be electronically coupled with the 911 advanced, and switchable, stability control system.

The Carrera's six has shrunk from 3.6 to 3.4-litre in this generation thanks to a reduction in stroke (was 97 x 81.50, now 97 x 77.5). The S's 3.8-litre engine's internal dimensions are unchanged at 102 x 77.5.

Significant efforts have been made to increase valvetrain efficiency. Special coatings, lighter valve springs and camshafts, etc, allow a higher redline. A new thermal management system means engine and gearbox are optimally cooled -- and in the case of the gearbox on start-up, heated!

Thus despite the downsizing, the Carrera now produces 257kW at 7400rpm and 390Nm at 5600rpm (previously 254kW at 6500rpm and 390Nm at 4400rpm). The Carrera S produces 294kW at 7400rpm and 440Nm at 5600rpm -- previously 283kW at 6500rpm and 420Nm at 4400rpm).

Though the S can certainly rev, the traditional 911 midrange oomph is retained. The manual version will accelerate cleaning from 60km/h at 1200rpm in seventh gear and performance is sparkling from 2500rpm up.

The new 911 Carrera is the first passenger car in the world to feature a seven-speed manual transmission as standard. The gearbox is based on the PDK and is essentially a close-ratio six-speeder with seventh gear overdriven.

Porsche changes third and seventh gears in the manual version to better suit the characteristics of a manual drive cycle. Seventh is shorter to deliver better top-gear overtaking performance at highway speeds. In the case of the PDK this is not necessary, as the box shifts down and you're away.

There is a clever mechanical lockout on seventh that prevents a mis-shift from fourth. You must first select a gear in the five-six plane before you can get to top. You can, however, downchange from seventh to fourth (or indeed second) if you wish.

The gearbox demands a measure of extra concentration but our guess is owners will soon find dealing with the added plane second nature. Overall changes are crisp and there's always an added degree of pleasure in properly matching revs and roadspeed -- now you can do that during an extra downchange.

PDK returns and for the first time in 911 features a coasting function to improve fuel economy. Based on a set of carefully mapped parameters, this system disengages the drive and drops the engine to idle automatically when the driver lifts off.  Both the manual and the PDK version get auto stop-start.

Arguably the most controversial change to the 991 is the adoption of electric power steering. It's Porsche first foray into the field in a street car, though, critically it has used a system very similar to that used on the new 991 on racing models for some time.

Porsche says the system is "vastly more efficient and precise than every other system on the market". It features a helper motor on what is essentially a mechanical system and delivers fuel consumption improvements as well as packaging opportunities (in previous generations of 911 the engine-driven hydraulic system needed to send fluid all the way to the front of the car).

Key to the benefits in the 911 is the steering's ability to filter out unwanted feedback from the 'real' feedback sports driving requires. We're pleased to be able to say Porsche has achieved this goal -- in the face of plenty of attempts from others around the globe that have failed.

It does so in part by regulating the electric helper motor's torque output rather than (is the case with most other system) controlling the motor by varying current input. Based on frequency, the system is 'smart' enough to filter out 'bad' feedback in contrast to 'good'.

Brakes are essentially carried over from the 997 -- no bad thing. On the S they have 'grown' just a touch. While the Carrera gets 330mm vented discs and four-piston monobloc calipers front and rear, the 991 S upgrades the front discs to 340mm and front calipers to six-piston.

Ceramics brakes are optional, but only regular track stars will really need them. The standard brakes are still among the benchmarks of the industry.

Finally a word on the active engine mounts. Pioneered on GT3, the system is part of the Sports Chrono package. It uses magneto-rheological material to vary the stiffness and damping characteristics of the engine mounts. In sports driving they are stiffer for precision location of the whole drivetrain. When you're cruising they are softened to absorb vibration and increase comfort levels.

Our man in Europe, Michael Taylor, prepared a detailed technical look at the new 991 just a few weeks ago. It's worth a read...

SAFETY
-- Quiet achiever
Porsche is not vocal in terms of safety, though that doesn't mean the 911 isn't up to par. Front airbags, Porsche Side Impact Protection System (POSIP), a full suite of active safety aids and vault-like body-construction all count for something.

And a motorsport background doesn't hurt when seeking to understand what works and doesn't in a crash.

Porsche Stability Management incorporates a high-spec antilock braking suite. The traction control and anti-skid systems function at a very high level. In Sport Plus mode the car is track day ready and allows for a reasonable level of enthusiasm. It can, however, be turned all the way off.

COMPETITORS
Bigger is better?
There's little doubt that Porsche intends the new 991 to be attractive to a wider group of prospective buyers. The changes to the steering, the wider acceptance of PDK and the larger, more curvaceous body are all measures that push the 911 closer to the GT category -- though fortunately without any reduction of its sporting credentials.

Thus we'd expect buyers of vehicles like the Bentley Continental GT, Mercedes-Benz SL and even BMW 6 Series to consider the new 911 more seriously.

In the sportscar ranks, PCA says the key competitors are the Aston Vantage V8, Maserati Granturismo and selected AMG models. They include the (much) cheaper BMW M3, but rule out Jaguar XKR. With the new XK-RS on the way, we're not so sure.

And what about GT-R? PCA spokesperson Paul Ellis says: "GT-R is not a rival. People who buy the Nissan do so because they want our car and can't afford it."

Meow!!!!

ON THE ROAD
-- Sighs of relief and pleasure
Purists weren't happy when Porsche increased the wheelbase when the 901 evolved into the big-bumpered G Series. They said the company would go broke when it moved from 993 to the watercooled 996. And the rumblings regarding the latest changes have been just as strong.

The elephant in the room was an extra 100mm of wheelbase and electric steering. It could have gone so very, very wrong...

Cutting to the chase, sentimentality and absolute purists aside, any concerns are misplaced.

Though we weren't quite sure ten minutes into our test drive of the new Carrera S, after a couple of laps of Porsche's purpose-built airfield handling circuit and many more miles of bumpy, slippery and sinuous canyon and mountain roads, the decision was clear. Yes, it's very different in many ways, but the quintessential abilities, performance potential and vitality that define a 911 have been retained. Or indeed, improved.

The 991's steering does not have the constant and at times bewildering feedback of 'proper' 911s since the year dot. Nor does the car follow road cambers like an obedient hound.

This absolute layering of feedback was seen as one of the 911 strengths but it also meant there was a technique required to drive them quickly. The electric steering system of the 991 is designed to filter out the unnecessary 'static' and leave what the driver really needs. For once the hype is right.

Our track session soon showed that in extremis there is the true feedback you need to drive fast. It's easy to sense when front traction is on the wane -- probably more so than previous generation cars. And there's no question of the steering system lacking the speed and precision to counter this loss or in fast changes of direction. Porsche engineers say the motor can cope with 1000 degrees of rotation per second.

In fast changes of direction, such as a cone slalom, the car simply goes where and when you point it. On bumpy roads you can place it with a precision that early generation 911s simply can't match.

Need more proof that this system is up to the full rigours of performance driving? The fact Porsche has race-proven the system on the current 911 GT3 RSR should give you some comfort, even if my words do not.

That doesn't mean the 991 is not a 911. You still need to be aware of the balance of the car. It's important to settle the front end or you'll be fighting understeer. Traction down out of corners is excellent. Power oversteer available -- at least with the safety nannies reined in.

The rest of the new 911 performs as you'd expect. The cabin is beautifully wrought even if there's a distinct lack of places to put phones, camera, notebooks and the like. Ride is firm but rarely crashy and the trademark engine sound is magnified by the extra attention Porsche has given to the induction system.

Indeed, Porsche now actually channels engine noise to the cabin via a switchable system. It's music to any enthusiast's ears, though not so loud as to be wearing. In fact, at freeway speeds thanks to reduced tyre roar and wind noise the new 911 seems a quieter car overall... It's a good'un.

As with any all-new car, it will take some familiarisation to really be able to deliver a fulsome verdict. A day's drive on foreign roads is rarely enough, though in this case we'll chance our arm...

The King is dead. Long Live the King...

Read the full story on the History of the Porsche 911

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