What’s the new Porsche 911 like inside?
The interior’s been given a serious injection of class, but the clear driver focus remains. For example, Porsche steadfastly sticks with an analogue rev counter, flanked by digital instruments rather than a fully digital panel.
The driving position is nearly perfect and endlessly adjustable, with comfortable seats that hug your body just enough without being too tight – although full adjustability is a £2,000 option.
Meanwhile, the additional technology draws the ideal line between being intrusive and useful. The central screen is large, super-responsive and crystal clear, and although the removal of the large button panels from the centre console will rile some people, there’s no denying it tidies up the cabin.
To be picky, the tiny gear selector feels rather fragile considering it’s holding back 444bhp, and the outer edges of the digital instrument panel are obscured by the steering wheel unless you move your head. But those are really small issues.
What’s under the bonnet?
The only choice customers will have to make at launch is whether they’d like two- or four-wheel drive – as there are only the Carrera S and Carrera 4S to choose from for now. Both use the same rear-mounted flat-six engine, producing 450hp and 530Nm of torque.
A seven-speed manual gearbox won’t arrive until next year, so an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic is all that’s available at the moment. That sound you can hear is the grating of purists’ teeth, but the simple reality is that the auto is the dominant choice of actual customers.
As for performance, it’s as impressive as the numbers suggest – 0-60mph is dispatched in as little as 3.3 seconds in the rear-wheel-drive Carrera S, and top speed is 191mph.
It’s a superb engine. Despite the turbochargers, throttle response is really crisp and there’s ample power nearly up to the 7,400rpm redline. The metallic roar of the flat-six sounds great, too, and there’s more than enough poke to have some truly exciting moments in the bends.
What’s the new Porsche 911 like to drive?
The Porsche 911 has always been one of the most capable, rewarding and satisfying cars to drive. The way the steering responds so crisply and instantly is what the 911 is best known for, and it’s at its best in this new 992 model – which features both a wider track for greater stability and rear-wheel steering for improved agility.
String together a series of sweeping bends, slam it into a hairpin and put your foot down on the exit and you’ll struggle to feel anything but joy. So good are the driver aids that the 911 never appears to be anything but unflappable, yet the whole experience is wonderfully analogue in feel. It may be a cliché, but the driver really does feel in harmony with the machine.
Slip onto a motorway, though, and the 911 will cruise happily with the best of them – the ultra-long eighth gear makes for a superbly refined long-distance cruiser.
Opting for a ‘4’ will undoubtedly bring extra grip in wet scenarios, but the rear-drive models feel so secure we wouldn’t bother paying the extra. They feel lighter over the front wheels too, making that steering even more joyous to use.
Verdict
Getting the 911 just right is something Porsche has managed time and time again, and we’re thrilled to say it’s pulled it off once more.
Making the 911 a better, more refined cruiser could easily have taken away from its ability as a sports car, but technology applied with a light touch means it enhances rather than overpowers.
Some aspects of the interior, as well as the stingy options list, do irritate – but from a driving perspective, this is an incredible car.
Similar cars
Aston Martin Vantage, Audi R8, Mercedes-AMG GT
Key specifications
Model as tested: Porsche 911 Carrera S
Price (on-road): £93,110
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged flat-six
Gearbox: Eight-speed dual-clutch automatic
Power: 450 hp
Torque: 530 Nm
Top speed: 191 mph
0-60mph: 3.5 seconds
Fuel consumption (combined): 31.4 mpg
CO2 emissions: 206 g/km