Car News

2019 Porsche 911 revealed

THE wide-body 2019 Porsche 911 is now the standard 911, following the release of the 992-generation supercar from Stuttgart at the Los Angeles motor show.

Previously reserved for all-wheel drive (dubbed 4) and motorsport-focused (GT2/GT3 etc) model grades of the iconic two-door coupe and convertible, the wide track and beefy guards now debut on the all-new 911 Carrera S while carrying over to the 911 Carrera 4S – the only new-generation model grades launched so far.

The new Porsche 911 takes its styling cues from the Panamera, inside and out, with a wide, square jaw, more chiselled bonnet detailing and wrap-around tail-lights of a more slimline design before. The glasshouse looks vaguely retro, too, with the smoother curves of the 991-gen replaced by taut and upright lines for the 992.

The 3.0-litre turbocharged ‘boxer’ six-cylinder engine, carried over but heavily updated in these ‘one up from base’ S model grades, now makes an addition 22kW and 30Nm. That’s 331kW at 6500rpm and 530Nm of torque from 2300rpm until 5300rpm, linked to an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic, one gear up on before.

And it’s good for a staggering 3.5-second 0-100km/h claim for the 911 Carrera S rear-wheel drive, if equipped with optional Sport Chrono launch control. Without the option, it’s a 3.7sec slow-poke. Academically, the top speed is now 308km/h, while fuel consumption starts at 8.9 litres per 100 kilometres for the 911 Carrera S, 0.1L/100km under the 50kg-heavier, 1565kg 911 Carrera 4S.

Thanks to the traction advantage of all-wheel drive, though, the latter model grade can slash both of the above times by a tenth, making it the fastest 992-gen so far at 3.4sec to triple-digit speed.

Speaking of digits, Porsche has gone big on technology. The wider cabin gets an enormous 10.9-inch screen, though thankfully it doesn’t follow the confusing, touch-sensitive-tab path of its Panamera sibling and incorporates physical buttons that allows the driver to feel around for them on the run.

There’s ‘swarm-data-based’ traffic guidance for the satellite navigation, and a smartphone app with roadtrip curation help, a 360+ personal lifestyle assistant and even an emissions calculator that absolutely no Porsche 911 driver will use.

Underneath the car, there’s a Wet Mode that can apparently detect soaked roads and adjust its electronic safety systems to better suit them, or warn the driver, plus a whole array of adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane-keep assistance features and Night Vision thermal imaging previously dialled down on 911.  The tagline for the new model? “More powerful, faster, digital.”

When the all-new Porsche 911 Carrera S and 4S arrive in Australia mid next year, they will each cost about $10,000 more than before. That’s $265,000 and $281,100, respectively, with the forthcoming manual transmission likely to drop those figures back a bit – but no word on its arrival, as yet.


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Dan DeGasperi

Dan DeGasperi