Model Review
In 1963, one of the most iconic cars of all time began production — the Porsche 911. Known for being rear-engined and air-cooled, the 911 quickly became a success.
There have been many variations over the car’s 56 years of history, ranging from laid-back convertibles to stripped-out examples with a focus on track use.
Now in its eighth generation, the 911 has changed a lot without deviating too heavily from its roots. The car is still rear-engined, and it’s iconic sleek silhouette remains intact.
2019 sees an all-new 911—the 992—come to market, sporting an updated yet recognisable design and a generous helping of tech and features.
Latest Model
For the first time ever, all 911 models are turbocharged, which aids both performance and economy across the range.
What’s more, the 992’s bodyshell is 70 per cent aluminium. In comparison, its predecessor’s bodyshell was just 37 per cent aluminium. This, of course, means that the new car has lightness in its favour.
While the front is largely unchanged, the rear is noticeably different. One of the stand out design features of the new 911 is the wide light bar running across the back of the car.
Two launch models are available — the Carrera S and Carrera 4S. The 4S is the all-wheel drive version, while the S remains rear-wheel drive only. You can currently order your 911 in either coupe or cabriolet body styles, though more variations on the popular sports car are set to come in due course, such as Turbo and GT3 versions.
Value for money
Porsches don’t often come cheap, and the 911 is not an exception. The new model starts at £93,110—and remember, that’s without any of the optional extras you’ll most likely want on top.
Options you may want to tick are park assist which includes a reversing camera and Lane Keep Assist. If you’re a music buff, you’ll also want either the Bose or Burmester surround sound system as well.
There are specialised packages on offer too; take Sport Chrono as an example. This spec adds a drive mode selector and stopwatch, and is therefore ideal for those who enjoy their track days.
The 911, while pricey, does offering some good equipment here. We believe that in this particular case, the requirement to pay such a premium price does reflect the product. Everything has a good quality feel, a good quality look, and is in fact, good quality. Porsche hasn’t cut corners anywhere, sparing no expense in the development of this upmarket vehicle. However, you will have to pay an upmarket price to acquire it.
If you happen to be looking for a used 911, prices start at around £12,000 for a 996 (1998-2004), £19,000 for a 997 (2005-2012) and £48,000 for the outgoing 991.
Looks and image
The new 911 isn’t very different from its predecessor in terms of looks. From the side, you can still see the silhouette of the 1963 car.
911s are often criticised for carrying over design from previous models, but others disagree, saying the car evolves with each iteration, instead of becoming something totally new. We think the latter; the classic look helps to retain the iconic character of the 911, even in the face of numerous up to date features.
The new 992 is delightfully retro on the surface, but complex and modern underneath. For an example of this combination of new and old, just look at the interior.
In front of the driver’s seat there is the instrument cluster which blends analogue parts with modern screens very well. The classic rev counter is placed in the middle, and beside it are two touchscreens capable of displaying different information. The rest of the inside of the 911 follows the same formula, with just the right mix of great tech and acknowledgements of what came before.
Driving a new 911 follows in the footsteps of the car’s design, and that’s not a bad thing. Poise, balance and predictability are all things the modern 911 has bucket loads of. It has excellent dynamics that will easily please any driving enthusiast, and every part of the car feels in tune with everything around it — in short, it is truly effortless.
Is it more of the same then? Well, not exactly. While it does drive similarly to any other 911 from the past ten years, everything has been turned up to 11. By that we mean that it’s that bit faster, more agile, precise, and enjoyable than before. All the small changes Porsche has made add up to make for a near perfect driving experience — and one that is incredibly well rounded. The new 911 is just as good at giving you sports car thrills as it is providing luxury car comfort and sophistication.
Space and practicality
One of the advantages of mounting the engine in the rear of the car is increased cabin space. This allows for some tight, but useable back seats that are a bit of a squeeze for adults, though fine for children. What’s more, there’s a good-sized boot offering 132 litres of room. Naturally, because the engine is in the back, the boot is up front.
At the time of writing, there has been no Euro NCAP safety rating issued to the 992 — though, being a Porsche, it will likely never be tested. However, the car does have some good safety tech, even if not all such examples come as standard. There’s autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, night vision assist, and a 360-degree camera, to name a few.
Engines
The 911 is powered by a 444bhp 3.0-litre twin-turbo flat-six in both its Carrera S and 4S guises. The twin-turbo part of that sentence may scare a few Porsche traditionalists, but don’t worry, it hasn’t affected the engine’s character.
It seems that great efforts have been made to minimise the impact of turbocharging. The power is instant and linear, with minimal turbo lag.
For those who like performance figures, the Carrera S does 0-60mph in 3.6 seconds and will hit 191mph, while the 4S accelerates from 0-60mph in 3.7-seconds and will hit 190mph. Both cars are aided by launch control and Porsche’s fantastic PDK 8-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The optional Sport Chrono Package drops each 0-60mph time by 0.2 of a second.
Upcoming models like the GT3 and Turbo may differ in terms of displacement and the use of those twin-turbos, but they will most definitely be flat-sixes. We’ll see how they turn out in due course.
Running costs
As mentioned in the beginning, the fact that all 911s are turbocharged aids performance as well as economy.
Both the Carrera S and 4S claim a combined 31mpg and CO2 emissions of just over 200g/km. For a sports car with a 3.0-litre engine, those figures are rather good. Road tax wise, the 911 costs £140 per year, with the addition of £310 per year for years two to six of ownership, this is because of the high price tag Porsche demands for this car.
Environmentally conscious buyers will be pleased to hear that plug-in hybrid and all-electric variants are speculated to join the 911 range in the coming years.
Things to look out for
Being such a new car, reliability is currently unknown to a certain extent. Going off previous models, it’s pretty safe to assume the 992 shouldn’t cause you too many issues in the long run. Furthermore, the car comes with a three-year unlimited-mileage warranty that will cover you if something does happen to go wrong. Overall though, there isn’t anything to suggest you need to worry about the 911’s reliability.
Rivals
Other cars to consider in this segment include sports cars and supercars such as the Aston Martin Vantage, Mercedes–AMG GT and Audi R8. Every one of these cars offers a great driving experience and a premium interior, just like the Porsche. Some offer more performance. For example, the R8’s V10 and all-wheel-drive system helps it accelerate from 0-60mph in less than 3.5 seconds. But, given it wears a higher price tag, that is to be expected.
Depreciation
Being a new Porsche, the 992 should hold value very well, possibly even appreciating a little in its first year or so of being on sale due to demand and waiting lists for new cars.
Used prices for the outgoing 991.2 generation Carrera begin at around £72,000 for a 2016 model, so it’s safe to assume that the first 992s will be worth similar money in three years time.
It’s worth noting that the spectrum of values for used 911s is wide. Some examples like the GT3 RS are only appreciating, and are unlikely to face any significant decline.
