Porsche 911

The 2019 Porsche 911 is on sale in India with prices starting at Rs. 1.82 crore for the Carrera S, while the Carrera S Cabriolet is priced at Rs. 1.99 crore (all prices, ex-showroom India).This is the eighth generation of the venerable sportscar, which made its first public appearance at the 2018 LA Auto Show. One of the things which make the 911 iconic is its design which has remained somewhat relatable since its inception. Even now the exterior design is not drastically different from its predecessor as the silhouette remains the same. That said, it’s quite an upgrade under the hood. The biggest updates are to the engine and the frame. The new-generation Porsche 911 now gets horizontally opposed six-cylinder petrol engines which have a new fuel-injection system offering better combustion and performance. Still mounted at the rear, the 3.0-litre motors pump out more power and are paired with either a 7-speed manual or the new 8-speed dual-clutch automatic.

The total power output on both variants, the 911 Carrera S and the 911 Carrera 4S is about 444 bhp, which is an increase of about 30 bhp over the previous model. With the new 8-speed automatic gearbox, the Carrera 4S does the 0-100 kmph sprint in 3.7 seconds and the all-wheel drive Carrera 4S takes 3.6 seconds to breach the 100 kmph mark from standstill. Porsche has extensively worked on the platform, using more Aluminium at the rear for better weight distribution and for the first time, both variants of the new 911 get rear-wheel steering for better agility and cornering. Porsche will also offer the optional Sport Chrono package which includes launch control, new software for the gearbox and of course, it reduces the 100 kmph sprint time by about 0.2 seconds. The Carrera S has a top speed of 307 kmph while the 4S has a top speed of 305 kmph.

As far as exterior design is concerned, the new 911 now features larger wings at the rear, which are even wider than the old 911s with a wider rear track which is now standard in all Porsche cars. The lines flow gracefully, accentuating the musculature of the 911 and keeping the whole affair classy and aggressive at the same time. The bonnet though is longer and gets two creases running down the middle. The front bumper gets a new splitter and three air ducts which feeds air to the radiators. The front end gets slim-line LED lamps on the bumper, which also works as turn indicators. The headlamp design stays the same and Porsche might offer matrix LED lighting as an option.

The new 911 gets significantly wider wheel housings arch over the 20-inch front wheels and 21-inch rear wheels. At the front, the body is 45 mm wider and it also gets electric door handles which fit flush when the car is moving. The rear is characterised by new OLED tail lamps which are connected to each other by an LED strip, similar to other Porsche models. The rear bumper is new and gets a black housing for the oval exhaust pipe outlets.

The insides too get significant updates with the dashboard design being more angular. The multi-function steering wheel is new and the instrument console is also new, with an analogue rev counter and two digital pods on either side. The dashboard also houses a new 10.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system which gets Porsche Communication Management as standard on both variants. The centre console features a new gear knob along with other controls for different functions.

The new Porsche 911 rivals against the likes of the Audi R8 and the Mercedes-AMG GT range.