The all-new Porsche 911 has been officially revealed at the Frankfurt motor show today.
Penned under Porsche design boss Michael Mauer, the latest 911 — codenamed 991 — sticks with the tried and trusted formula of subtle design changes rather than a ground-up rethink. The two launch models will be the Carrera and Carrera S.
At the front, the car gets a cleaner, sleeker new look for the bumper, air intakes and headlights, designed to boost aerodynamic efficiency. New LED detailing inspired by the 918 Spyder concept also features.
On the sides, door mirror housings now sit outboard on the doors rather than in the blanked-off quarter panel at the base of the A-pillar.
Read Autocar's first ride in the new Porsche 911
The biggest changes are at the rear. There is a sleeker design for the slimmed-down tail-lights. The electrically operated rear wing is reshaped for improved aerodynamic efficiency and to increase downforce above 75mph. Elsewhere, the number of openings in the engine cover has been reduced from five to three.
While the 911’s basic design philosophy remains unchanged, its proportions have been tweaked to improve safety and stability, and to improve interior space, chiefly rear legroom. The wheelbase has been lengthened with the front and rear overhangs reduced to minimise the increase in overall length. At 4491mm long, 1873mm wide and 1299mm high, the new 991 will be 56mm longer, 65mm wider and 11m lower than the 997.
The new model retains the rear-engined layout of every 911 since the original was introduced in 1963, albeit with modifications to the engine mounting points, which have been optimised for improved weight distribution.
See the leaked pics of the new Porsche 911
As with today’s 911, the front-end structure, complete with its MacPherson strut suspension, has been designed to be shared with the third-generation Boxster, due in 2013. The new 911’s rear end, with its reworked multi-link suspension, remains largely unique, however, while the steering uses an electro-mechanical set-up for the first time.
The chassis is mainly made from aluminium, another 911 first, with high-tensile steels featuring in the crash structures. The bodywork is also chiefly made from aluminium, with steel used at the rear. The result of its extensive aluminium construction is a 45kg reduction in kerb weight, despite the car having larger wheels, tyres and brakes.
Read Autocar's first ride in the new Porsche 911
The S models will be powered by an updated, 400bhp version of the 3.8-litre flat six found in today’s 380bhp Carrera S. The entry-level Carrera model, however, is now powered by a 3.4-litre flat six rather than a 3.6. It produces more power than today’s 997, going from 341bhp to 350bhp. Carrera models feature twin exhaust pipes at the rear; Carrera S models get quad pipes.
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