The new Porsche 911 has been getting a bit of a hard time in the media recently. It appears to boil down to the fact that the 991 series (I’ve never got the hang of the numbering system. What’s wrong with Mk 6?) has ditched the electro-hydraulic steering system of the previous generation models, replacing it with a lighter and more fuel efficient electro-mechanical assisted setup.
Message board commentators, crowds at motoring events and even Top Gear say this has deprived the driver of some 911 magic. Specifically the feel that comes from the road, through the steering column and in to your arms has been tamed.
What that really means is you’re no longer fighting two front wheels that want to turn in whatever direction they feel like, squabbling with the road surface while resolutely ignoring your instructions to just calm down. The very slight detachment that’s been introduced just means that you can still tell that you’re driving over a leaf, but you’re no longer able to tell not only what kind of tree the leaf fell from but also how long ago it fell.
From what I’ve read I can only imagine that 911 drivers also complain that the climate control system removes some of the purity of the air that would come through an open window, wish that their radio would only tune in to long wave and ignore this new fangled FM thingy, and that in the unfortunate event of an accident require that the car simply folds up around the driver until they’re completely dead.
The switch in 1998 from air cooled to water cooled engines must have caused uproar. Oh, wait…
Make no mistake; the new Porsche 911 is a glorious machine. Even if the purists are offended by a more efficient power steering system, the car as a whole is sublime. The balance in the bends is incredible, with the car tending to understeer gently unless provoked, which is realistically the preferred way for those without racing driver skills and experience. That’s an awesome achievement when you consider the engine is hung over the rear axle in exactly the wrong place to ever place an engine.
By extending the wheelbase slightly, the rear seats now become slightly more usable. Children actually fit, although the convertible model will still make access a lot easier, while there’s more room in the front enabling you to see that Porsche have put more buttons on the dashboard.
The boot, such as it is, is up front and carpeted, with space enough for two squashy bags. However, the rear seats fold down to create more storage space, meaning you can now take the 911 to the airport without arranging for your luggage to arrive by courier.
The 3.4 litre six cylinder engine produces 350 bhp that powers the standard Carrera model from 0-60 mph in around 4.5 seconds before going on to hit close to 180 mph. Those figures are quicker than the old model, despite it being a bigger car. A liberal use of aluminium means the weight is reduced by 50 kg or so from the outgoing model and that, combined with engine and gearbox tweaks means it also manages to get a combined mpg figure of just 34.4. To put that into perspective, that’s better than a seven year old Audi A4 2.0 litre can manage and the CO2 figures are better too.
So as a brief recap, the new 911 is bigger, lighter, more powerful, faster, more spacious, more economical, more comfortable, more usable yet still maintains the poise and handling that 911’s are famous for.
That’s progress and if perceiving that a car has lost a tiny bit of steering feel is the price to pay for progress of this nature then I’m all for it. It’s going to continue, too. There’s a finite oil supply (regardless of which oil reserve numbers you believe, none of them say ‘infinite’) and manufacturers are faced with no other choice but to make their offerings more efficient, more relevant.
The folk at Stuttgart have turned out a car with near supercar performance levels that you can happily commute to work in, take the family out at weekends (assuming you’ve got small children) and enjoy trackdays at Silverstone in.
I have no doubt that the next 911 will be another jump forward, going faster still while using less fuel, a pattern that will be repeated across every manufacturer, from Alfa Romeo with their TwinAir engines to Volvo and their forthcoming V60 plug in hybrid. Some even joke about an electric 911…
Well, independent specialists RUF, who build cars from bare Porsche chassis’, have already produced a range of eRuf prototypes, including an all-electric 911 capable of reaching 155 mph with a driving range of up to 120 miles. That future may not be as far away as some think.
In the meantime, if you’re one of the millions that has made up your mind about the new 911 following Top Gear’s review but have yet to drive one, take a trip to the Porsche Experience Centre at Silverstone and find out just how little difference the switch from hydraulic to electric steering assistance has made. You’ll get 90 minutes to play with the car and, if you’ve got £75,000 spare, I guarantee you’ll order one there and then.
Phil drives a Corvette that he wishes achieved half the efficiency of the 911.
[button link=”http://www.contracthireandleasing.com/car-leasing-news/time-to-appreciate-the-new-porsche-911/” rel=”nofollow” color=”orange”]This article was first published at ContractHireAndLeasing.com on 12 April 2012.[/button]