New Porsche 911 here next March from $229,900

THE latest incarnation of Porsche’s iconic 911 sportscar will be larger but lighter, faster and more efficient than its 997 predecessor while costing up to $10,300 more.

Responding to official images leaked last week, the Stuttgart sportscar specialist has rushed out performance specifications and further images for its rear-drive 991-series range-openers ahead of the planned September 1 date.

The new 911 will make its public debut at the Frankfurt motor show on September 13 with Australian sales of the 991-series Carrera and Carrera S commencing in March priced from $229,900 and $263,100 respectively – a three and four per cent price hike over the outgoing model.

Porsche claims the 991 is the first completely new 911 in the model’s 48-year history and has redesigned its flagship sportscar from the ground up while retaining the unmistakable silhouette.

A longer wheelbase, lower height, improved aerodynamics and torsional rigidity promise greater agility. Porsche has also redesigned the rear axle and widened the front track to aid stability and precision while the Carrera S will debut an optional roll-stabilisation system and the range will offer the world’s first seven-speed manual car transmission.

The 3.4-litre flat-six petrol engine in the entry-level Carrera produces 257kW, 3kW more than the 200cc-larger outgoing unit.

More power and a weight-loss of up to 45kg mean the Carerra’s 0-100km/h sprint is quicker than the outgoing Carrera S, at 4.6 seconds with the dual-clutch PDK transmission, dropping to 4.4 seconds if the optional Sports Chrono package is selected and its Sport Plus button activated.

Fuel-saving measures including electro-mechanical power steering, idle-stop, friction-reducing ‘sailing’ mode in the PDK transmission and thermal management help reduce the 911’s fuel consumption by up to 16 per cent.

The smaller displacement engine of the Carrera sees fuel usage fall to 8.2 litres per 100 kilometres on the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), achieving a CO2 output of 194 grams per kilometre – a record low for any Porsche sportscar.

The Carrera S stays with a 3.8-litre displacement engine but now delivers 294kW, an 11kW boost complemented by a 14 per cent improvement in efficiency, with consumption down to 8.7L/100km.

A full-bore standing start in the S sees 100km/h come up in a claimed 4.3 seconds, with the Sport Plus mode reducing that to 4.1 seconds.

While retaining a typical Porsche layout, the interior is inspired by the limited-run Carrera GT hypercar, especially the centre console’s rise towards the dashboard that enables the gear shifter to be located closer to the steering wheel.

Porsche will offer the usual array of active chassis control acronyms on the 991 to “further enhance the driving dynamics”.

As if to reassure the 911 purists, Porsche claims the car’s thorough redevelopment enables it to build upon the 911’s hallmarks of offering performance and efficiency plus sportiness and practicality – traditionally mutually exclusive qualities that make “the new 911 more of a 911 than ever”.

As time progresses, Porsche will no doubt trickle-feed cabriolets, all-wheel drive Carrera 4 variants, glass-roofed AWD Targa 4 and 4S models, rear-drive GT3 and GT3 RS road-racers, AWD Turbo and Turbo S and a rear-drive GT2 RS turbo flagship into the market.

2012 Porsche 911 pricing:
Carrera	$229,000
Carrera S	$263,100