911 (991) Porsche 911 (991) - First Drives/Test Thread

[Centurion]

I know everything is rose tinted concerning Porsche, but the 911 is not large

Well it's larger than other strict two seaters like the Z4, SLK and Nissan 350Z. Surely I might have exaggerated a bit, but hey the car is awesome That comparison against the R8 is a very interesting one. Despite the longer wheel base there was hardly any mention of the car behaving more like a mid-engined car. The slalom speed and G forces sustained with traction control off inspire confidence in me that the GT3 will match the Italia in performance and that the Turbo might not even be far off the Avantador.

 

[Soup]

 

[DeDe]

Road&Track testresults - 911 Carrera S PDK

0-30mph (with/without rollout): 1,2 s / 1,4 s
0-60mph (with/without rollout): 3,5 s / 3,7 s
0-100mph (with/without rollout): 8,4 s / 8,6 s
0-120mph (with/without rollout): 12,1 s / 12,3 s
Quarter mile (with/without rollout): 11,8 s / 12,0 s (@118,4mph)

0-50 km/h (estimated): 1,5 s
0-100 km/h (estimated): 3,9 s
0-160 km/h (estimated): 8,5 s
0-200 km/h (estimated): 13,1-13,2 s

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

^^^Crikey! That's damn impressive. I think Centurion recently said it best when summing up Porsche, "Brains before brawn." Epic.

 

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[Soup]

IL Track Tested: 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S PDK vs. 7-Speed Manual



Vehicle: 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S PDK
Odometer: 3,905
Date: 1/31/2012
Driver: Mike Monticello
Price: $126,750



Specifications:
Drive Type: Rear engine, rear-wheel drive
Transmission Type: Seven-speed auto-clutch manual
Engine Type: Direct-injected, DOHC, 3.8-liter horizontally opposed six-cylinder
Displacement (cc/cu-in): 3,800/232
Redline (rpm): 7,500
Horsepower (hp @ rpm): 394 @ 7,400
Torque (lb-ft @ rpm): 325 @ 5,600
Brake Type (front): 13.4-inch ventilated and cross-drilled carbon-ceramic discs with six-piston fixed calipers
Brake Type (rear): 13-inch ventilated and cross-drilled carbon-ceramic rotors with four-piston fixed calipers
Steering System: Electric-assist, speed-proportional rack-and-pinion power steering
Suspension Type (front): Modified MacPherson strut, coil springs, electrically adjustable dampers, active stabilizer bar
Suspension Type (rear): Multilink, coil springs, electrically adjustable dampers, active stabilizer bar
Tire Size (front): 245/35ZR20 91Y
Tire Size (rear): 295/30ZR20 101Y
Tire Brand: Pirelli
Tire Model: P Zero Nero
Tire Type: Summer, asymmetrical
Wheel size: 20-by-8.5 inches front, 20-by-11 inches rear
Wheel material (front/rear): Aluminum alloy
As tested Curb Weight (lb): 3,332 (38.5% front)

Test Results:

Acceleration:
0-30 (sec): 1.5 (2.2 w/ TC on)
0-45 (sec): 2.6 (3.4 w/ TC on)
0-60 (sec): 3.9 (4.9 w/ TC on)
0-60 with 1-ft Rollout (sec): 3.7 (4.5 w/ TC on)
0-75 (sec): 5.5 (6.5 w/ TC on)
1/4-Mile (sec @ mph): 12.0 @ 116.5 (12.7 @ 113.3 w/ TC on)

Braking:
30-0 (ft): 25
60-0 (ft): 98

Handling:
Slalom (mph): 71.4 (71.0 w/ ESC on)
Skid Pad Lateral Acceleration (g): 1.03 (1.03 w/ ESC on)

Sound:
Db @ Idle: 49.2
Db @ Full Throttle: 89.2 (94.2 with sport exhaust button activated)
Db @ 70 mph Cruise: 73.2
RPM @ 70 mph: 1,900

Tester's comments:

Acceleration: Press the Sport Plus button, left foot on brake, right foot to the floor in Drive and launch control gets activated, bringing the revs to 6,500 rpm. Then it drops the clutch and the 911 just takes off without any fuss and zero wheelspin, but way quicker than the seven-speed manual. In D or M the PDK shifts for you when at full throttle. In launch control mode, shifts are ultra-quick and abrupt, shifts at redline. Manual shifting is via steering wheel paddles. Blips throttle on downshifts, will hold gears to rev limiter as long as not at full throttle.

Braking: Ultra-short stopping distances and very consistent. Stops are incredibly stable, near zero nosedive and zero wiggle. Firm pedal, no fade. First stop was 102 feet, which was also the longest. Shortest stop was the third at 98 feet.

Slalom: Very precise steering, excellent suspension tuning and good grip from the tires. It flicks around the cones with ease and feels very natural. Changes direction very well. Could get significant oversteer at slalom exit, but controllable. Stability system wasn't intrusive, actually, more helpful than hindering by cutting throttle slightly near the same point I would.

Skid pad: As Walton noted in his test of the seven-speed-manual 911, you steer this car with the throttle around the skid pad more than any car I've ever driven. It's a terrific sensation: car feels so very capable and controllable. And the grip is over 1G. And this is just a "regular" 911.

Vehicle: 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S
Odometer: 4,593
Date: 11/20/11
Driver: Chris Walton
Price: $104,935 (estimated)



Specifications:
Drive Type: Rear engine, rear-wheel drive
Transmission Type: Seven-speed manual
Engine Type: Direct-injected, DOHC, 3.8-liter horizontally opposed six-cylinder
Displacement (cc/cu-in): 3,800/232
Redline (rpm): 7,500
Horsepower (hp @ rpm): 394 @ 7,400
Torque (lb-ft @ rpm): 325 @ 5,600
Brake Type (front): 13.4-inch ventilated and cross-drilled rotors with six-piston fixed calipers
Brake Type (rear): 13-inch ventilated and cross-drilled rotrs with four-piston fixed calipers
Steering System: Electric-assist, speed-proportional rack-and-pinion power steering
Suspension Type (front): Modified MacPherson strut, coil springs, electrically adjustable dampers, active stabilizer bar
Suspension Type (rear): Multilink, coil springs, electrically adjustable dampers, active stabilizer bar
Tire Size (front): 245/35ZR20 91Y
Tire Size (rear): 295/30ZR20 101Y
Tire Brand: Pirelli
Tire Model: P Zero Nero
Tire Type: Summer, asymmetrical
Wheel size: 20-by-8.5 inches front, 20-by-11 inches rear
Wheel material (front/rear): Aluminum alloy
As tested Curb Weight (lb): 3,277 (38.8% front/61.2% rear)


Test Results:

Acceleration:
0-30 (sec): 1.9 (2.2 w/ TC on)
0-45 (sec): 3.0 (3.3 w/ TC on)
0-60 (sec): 4.6 (5.0 w/ TC on)
0-60 with 1-ft Rollout (sec): 4.4 (4.6 w/ TC on)
0-75 (sec): 6.3 (6.5 w/ TC on)
1/4-Mile (sec @ mph): 12.7 @ 113.2 (13.0 @ 111.7 w/ TC on)

Braking:
30-0 (ft): 25
60-0 (ft): 102

Handling:
Slalom (mph): 71.3 (70.3 w/ ESC on)
Skid Pad Lateral Acceleration (g): 1.04 (1.03 w/ ESC on)

Sound:
Db @ Idle: 47.6
Db @ Full Throttle: 92.8 (93.7 with sport exhaust button activated)
Db @ 70 mph Cruise: 68.4
RPM @ 70 mph: 2,100

Tester's comments:

Acceleration: Biggest news here is that the 911 no longer produces its trademark axle-hopping launch. Instead, it merely hazed the rear tires and resisted bogging down the engine once the tires hooked up. Shifter feels a little vague in that I rarely trusted my 2-3 shift, yet it always went in. Tall gearing -- needed 3rd for quarter-mile. (All runs in Sport Plus with exhaust open.) Also felt some sort of shift-shock reduction with each upshift that wouldn't allow chirp. Shifts were smooth but slightly delayed.

Braking: Medium-firm pedal with moderate jump-in, but amazing power and effectiveness toward the end of the stop. Very little dive (firm suspension setting), no wiggle, and distances grew shorter with some heat in the brakes. No fade at all.

Slalom: Quick turn-in but a small delay in yaw reaction. Tracks very true to steering input but requires a little patience for the chassis to catch up. Never felt threatening or apt to spin -- even with drop-throttle. Had to be prudent with throttle at exit, but it sure feels like there's an LSD back there making sure all the power is used effectively.

Skid pad: One of a handful of cars that oversteers comfortably, confidently, precisely all the way around the circle. Steering weight comes and goes with front grip level, but the graininess/feel is no longer there. I could steer with the throttle all the way around.

 

[martinbo]

Suffice it to say that the ‘991’ handles with supreme stability and composure, even when goaded

What is it?

The most important new sports car of the year – the new Porsche 911. This is the Carrera S, the headline ‘991’-generation car – for the time being. And, after test drives at the car’s international launch in Santa Barbara late last year, we’re now in a position to report on what this remarkable sports coupe is like in right-hand drive form, and on UK roads.

So does it ride as well as handle? How much bigger does it feel on narrow cross-country roads – and how much faster? And does it still look, sound and generally behave like a 911 as we know it?

What’s it like?

Entirely familiar. And, at the same time, quite daring. Revolutionary, almost. Under the sheet metal, this car differs from the last in myriad and telling ways. Longer wheelbase, wider front track, a standard seven-speed manual gearbox, aluminium-rich construction, electromechanical power steering, active anti-roll cancellation, automatic engine stop-start; was even the water-cooled ‘993’ this different from the car that preceded it?

Although it’s 56mm longer at the kerb, the ‘991’ is no wider. So says Porsche; it certainly feels wider when you lower yourself in. The front passenger seat seems that bit further away from your hip; the centre console that bit wider, too. And when you adjust the steering wheel for ideal reach, the relative position of the gearlever – from memory, within a hand’s span of the bottom left quadrant of the steering wheel in a ‘997’ and a ‘996’, but a less easy grasp now – seems to confirm the suspicion.

The base of the windscreen is further from your seating position, too. There’s little if any pedal offset. The rear seats remain for kids’ use only. But the rest of the cabin is a drastic improvement. With swish aluminium trim accents, neat and consistent switchgear design and chunky material feel, this is a proper ‘premium’ fascia. It does Porsche considerable credit, and stands up to comparisons with the very best.

Power for the 3.8-litre Carrera S is up 15bhp to 395bhp, and torque up 15lb ft to 324lb ft. Small improvements, but channelled through a closely stacked seven-speed gearbox, they make the new 911 a very fast and responsive car indeed across the ground.

Its performance is delivered in layers. The car kicks like a full-blooded hot hatch at 3500rpm – then harder still between 4500- and 5000rpm – before erupting into an awesome crescendo of noise and focus-testing urgency above 6500rpm.

Peak power doesn’t materialise until 7400rpm – but more impressive still is the car’s gargling, linear mid-range. Flat out through there, ‘Sport’ mode engaged, Porsche’s flat six sounds even more idiosyncratic than ever; spiky and yet silken. Like a well-oiled chainsaw chewing through the confines of its padded cell – you might say.

Flaws? Well, getting used to a seven-speed manual change takes time. Top is only accessible from 5th and 6th gears. Knock the lever out of 7th and it’ll return naturally to the middle of the gate, ready to engage 3rd or 4th – so dropping from 7th down a gear or two requires a bit of practise. But once you learn to ignore top gear for all but motorway cruising, the ‘box becomes much easier to use.

What about the UK ride and handling? A subject we could devote thousands of words to and still leave questions unanswered.

Suffice it to say that the ‘991’ handles with supreme stability and composure, even when you goad it. Gone, mostly, is the old car’s tendency to nod over its front axle when its vertical equilibrium is disturbed. And likewise addressed is the steady power-understeer that could sometimes spoil the car’s cornering manners. You can power your way out of bends with confidence now, and tackle crests and dips with as much commitment as you like; body control isn’t in question at either end of the car’s chassis.

Road width is never an issue in the new 911. It remains a compact car amongst peers like the Audi R8 and Aston Vantage, and can easily be threaded along an exact cornering line, or a narrow lane.

And sure enough, when you probe and prod that bit deeper, the 911’s special underlying dynamic character – the same motive DNA that has been bringing owners back for more for almost half a century – is there to be unearthed in the ‘991’. Pile fast into a corner, brake late up to the apex, and that light front-end drags you in while the rear pivots around behind, enhancing steering response.

Accelerate hard as the road opens out and you’ll feel that heavy tail hunker down, squidging the car’s rear wheels into the road and transmitting power into pure traction instantly. Hit a bump and you’ll feel it through the steering wheel; a slippery patch of road, too. But neither will undermine the car’s basic composure. Brake hard and the front wheels refuse all but the most determined attempt to lock.

Not to like? There’s the slightly mushy centre feel of that electric power steering. Being very picky indeed, you could also say that the shift quality of the manual gearbox leaves a smidge to be desired, and may wonder why Porsche still hasn’t made its direct injection engines respond to millimetric throttle adjustments with the same creamy smoothness of its older lumps. But we don’t think you’d wonder for very long.

Should I buy one?

I can’t honestly think of a new driver’s car due out in 2012 that’s likely to be better. A Lotus Evora may be a purer, more sweetly balanced thrill, but it lacks complexity next to the 911. An Aston Martin Vantage is a much duller drive; an Audi R8 closer, but no match.

On the face of it, the new Porsche 911 may seem like a softened, sanitised option. In fact it’s just more competent; better riding, better handling, more usable, more refined – and at the end of the day, just as wonderful as ever. Its vibrancy of character is buried a little deeper than it used to be, sure. But taking the time and effort to tease it out, on road or track, remains a singularly enthralling and rewarding pleasure.
Matt Saunders

Porsche 911 Carrera S

Price: £81,242; Top speed: 188mph; 0-62mph: 4.5sec; Economy: 29.7mpg; CO2: 224g/km; Kerbweight: 1395kg; Engine: 6 cyls horizontally opposed, 3800cc, normally aspirated; Power: 395bhp at 7400rpm; Torque: 324lb ft at 5600rpm; Gearbox: 7-spd manual[/QUOTE]

This car is monumentally desirable!

 

[-=Hot|Ice=-]

The 2012 Porsche 911 has been soaking up its share of plaudits, now its ready to soak up its share of your bank account. The "longer, lower, wider, 100-pounds lighter, faster" 911 has finally reached dealerships in its two initial guises: 350-horsepower Carrera and 400-horsepower Carrera S.

The entry model will need $82,100 of your hard earned cash, which is a $4,300 premium over the 2011 Carrera MSRP. It takes another $14,300 to affix an S to the rear end. Those prices don't include the $950 destination charge, but you wouldn't let such a tifle stand between you and history anyway, right? You'll find a press release with a few more details after the jump, then we can all turn our attention to the 911 Turbo.

2012 Porsche 911 hits U.S. dealerships

 

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2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S Cabriolet First Drive

 

[Guibo]

Further notes by Autocar's Sutcliffe.

New 911 – too good for its own good?

As you can read in the mag this week and watch on video by following this link, we’re rather impressed with the all-new Porsche 911. In just about every department, it improves upon a predecessor that wasn’t exactly wracked with problems in the first place.

It’s so good to drive in so many ways, in fact, you wonder if Porsche really needed to go to quite so much trouble. After all, how many owners of regular 911s – and by that I mean not the uber-versions like the GT3s or the various Turbo models that will arrive in due course – are ever likely to use even half as much performance as the new car can summon on the public road?

The Carrera S model that we filmed on Monday is so rapid in a straight line yet so well resolved in its ride, handling, steering and braking etc, it’s hard to think of any car, at any price, that could leave it behind in give and take conditions. Even the mighty Nissan GT-R, you suspect, would struggle to do so unless there was a complete and utter maniac at the wheel.

Yet at the same time, the new 911 has a maturity to its cruising refinement, allied to a brand new level of noise insulation, that makes it a genuine long distance touring car as well. Which is where the Nissan, in particular, begins to fall apart.

In light of which, the £81k asking price no longer seems quite so outrageous as it did when Porsche first announced what the new 911 would cost. The more time you spend with the car, in fact, the more apparent its worth and value become.

Even so, and to play the heretic, I still think it’s massively over-engineered for its target audience. How many times have you seen a regular 911 being properly lent on in the UK in the last 10 years, let alone in the USA, which remains one of the car’s key markets? Not often, I’d wager, yet the latest 911 has been engineered to beat pretty much all comers from A to B.

That makes it one heck of a car, of course, but also one that most of its owners will never get to fully appreciate on the road. T’was ever thus in the world of ultra high performance motor cars, I suppose. And the funny thing is, I’m happy to admit that another part of me hopes it always will be.

But what do you folks think? Is the new faster-than-ever 911 maybe, whisper it, a 911 too far? Or is it actually just another shining example of how far, and how fast, things have progressed in the last 10 years?

http://www.autocar.co.uk/blogs/stillatthewheel/archive/2012/02/08/new-911-too-good-for-its-own-good.aspx

 

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[DeDe]

Just a quick tech-question: what is the launch-rpm for the 991's LC?
Quattroruote says it's 5500 rpm, while all the videos I've seen on the net shows starts from 6500?

Is it has to do something with the PSM ON and Off?

 

[Soup]

 

[Human]

Most will find Start-Stop obtrusive and even intimidating on all new cars fitted with the system. Most will never get used to it and where applicable switch it off. A system develop to keep legislators (or is it dictators!?) happy. There is no democracy as far as the green thing goes.

Nice review!

 

[Soup]

New Porsche 911 vs Jaguar XKR | Group Tests | Auto Express



Age catches up with everyone – but not everything. The Porsche 911 can trace its roots back to 1963, but a process of constant evolution and development has maintained its status as one of the most desirable and capable sports cars that money can buy.

The latest incarnation promises to be the best yet; bigger, faster, more powerful and more economical than ever before. It has the potential to raise the bar even higher, but trying to improve on a winning formula is fraught with difficulties. Will the changes attract new customers or upset die-hards?

We’ve been eager to find out, and see how the new 991 version rates on British roads. This test of the new Carrera S should provide the answers. Its rival has home advantage, as the Jaguar XKR Coupé is designed, engineered and built in the UK.

At £78,550, the Jag also has price on its side, as it undercuts the £83,629 Porsche. The XKR is the consummate grand tourer, with a supercharged V8 that delivers instant and effortless performance.

If the Porsche 911 has indeed grown up, this is the car it needs to beat.

1st Porsche 911 Carrera S
Has iconic car been improved by its most radical redesign yet?

2nd Jaguar XKR-S Convertible
This supercharged V8 grand tourer takes the fight to Porsche’s new thoroughbred


Verdict:

This was always going to be a bruising encounter. The Porsche 911 is a sports car legend, while the sleek and powerful Jaguar has the performance to humble much more expensive supercars. So, which one of our duo takes the spoils?

The Jaguar is certainly in with a shout. Its characterful V8 provides unrivalled real-world performance, while its sleek looks still have the ability to turn heads. Further boosting its chances are a classy and well equipped cabin, impeccable manners on the motorway and a hair-raising soundtrack from the exhaust.

Even a short drive in the 911 is enough to confirm that the rear-engined model’s magic remains. The iconic looks and familiar howl from the flat-six engine are both present and correct. But it’s the way the Porsche drives that sets it apart.

Its controls are beautifully weighted and full of feedback, while staggering grip and beautiful balance make it a rapid and rewarding choice for back-road blasts. But it’s the 911’s ability to mix this dynamic superiority with comfort, reasonable refinement and a dash of practicality that gives it the edge over the Jaguar in this contest.

It’s expensive, and we’d like more standard kit, but that isn’t enough to deny the Porsche victory.

Winner
Porsche 911 Carrera S ★★★★★

Fans of the 911 can rest easy, as the latest model picks up the baton from its predecessor. It’s better than the car it replaces and its character has survived intact. While the PDK model is expected to account for the lion’s share of sales, we’d be tempted to stick with the manual – but the Carrera S is all the performance car you’ll ever need.

2nd
Jaguar XKR Coupe ★★★★

Dramatic straight-line speed is only part of the XKR’s appeal. The Jaguar matches effortless performance to a cosseting cabin and suprisingly practical hatchback body. It’s a fine GT, at its best cruising on motorways and sweeping A-roads, but it doesn’t provide enough B-road thrills to rival the Porsche as a genuine sports car.

 

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[Cashmere]

Video review from Auto Express

 

[Cashmere]

GRIP review of the cabrio. NB: NSFW