Porsche is just five months away from the launch of its fastest and most technologically advanced 911 yet, so its engineers are out in force at the Nürburgring to put the upcoming model to the test.
The eighth-generation 911, which uses the internal codename 992, has just been spotted in Carrera 4S form by Automotive Mike (YouTube video below) with very light camouflaging.
It offers further insight into the look of Porsche's new model, which isn't due for reveal until the Los Angeles motor show in November. Sales will kick off in the UK early next year.
Initially, the car will come in rear-wheel-drive Carrera and Carrera S guises. Further new 911 models will follow throughout 2019, including an advanced new Porsche four-wheel-drive Turbo, which insiders at Porsche’s Stuttgart headquarters suggest will make as much as 600bhp in range-topping S form, giving it the same output as the limited-edition 911 Turbo S Exclusive launched last year.
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The 20bhp increase in output over the current 911 Turbo S is said to combine with developments to the four- wheel-drive transmission and improved aerodynamics to give the new model a 0-62mph time of less than 2.9sec and a top speed beyond the 205mph of its predecessor.
The new 911, which is claimed to offer a significant advance in structural engineering, introduces a newly developed platform that has been conceived to provide the basis for the third-generation Audi R8 and the successor to the Lamborghini HuracaÃn.
There have been conflicts between the three companies concerning the mounting of the fuel tank, which sits up front in the 911 but at the rear of the cabin in the R8 and HuracaÃn. However, it is understood that the new platform consists of a series of interchangeable modules in an overall matrix that will allow the three Volkswagen Group models to share a number of key components and enjoy greater economies of scale.
In a development aimed at keeping the kerb weight close to the 1430kg of the manual version of today’s 911 Carrera, the new model also adopts an inner structure possessing a greater percentage of aluminium than that of its predecessor, most notably within the side sections.
Although not made up exclusively of aluminium, the structure uses a new generation of hot-formed high-strength steel employed in varying thicknesses, a process known as tailored blanks, within the floorpan for increased strength.
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So my mate down the street wins the lottery
So my mate down the street wins the lottery, and says he will buy me this 992 Carrera on account of our lifelong frienship. Anyone here saying "no thanks mate, I much prefer the old one's"? I thought not.
We can't live in the past!
To be fair to Autocar, until they've driven the next-gen 911 themselves, all they can do is tell us the numbers. I'm sure once they get behind the wheel, they will tell us what it feels like, looks like and sounds like.
I don't think Autocar is out of touch with its readers - I think that some people are out of touch with reality. We can't live in the past - life progresses whether we like it or not. If you're upset by that then you should read classic car magazines instead of modern ones.
Image darling image!
It’s had a nip here a tuck there and in that nice shade of Blue it looks good, it’s a Porsche!