Over the past few years, we have reported several times that Porsche would kill the naturally aspirated flat-six in the 911 as of this fall. Now Porsche confirms the move—by means of a prototype drive of the facelifted model, which appeared in the German magazine Auto Bild.
We take away a few things from our colleague Jürgen Zöllter’s ride-along in the updated 911. First of all, visual changes are kept to a relative minimum: There are minor tweaks to the head- and taillights, and on the Carrera and Carrera S, the two exhaust pipes move to the center. A protruding black sphere up front hints at the inevitable assistance systems, which now include lane-departure warning for those distracted sports-car drivers.
The big news, of course, is under the hood: In the interest of efficiency and to fall into a more favorable tax bracket in China, Porsche has downsized the Carrera’s 3.4-liter engine and the 3.8-liter unit in the Carrera S to 3.0 liters. Thanks to turbocharging, however, output grows from 350 to 370 horsepower, and from 400 to 420 horsepower (Carrera and Carrera S, respectively). Maximum torque rises to 369 lb-ft, available from 1700 rpm. According to Porsche’s August Achleitner, the low-rpm torque peak means that it is far less often necessary to shift out of the manual transmission’s ultra-tall seventh gear. Fuel economy in the notoriously optimistic European cycle increases to 33.6 mpg; it was rated at 29.4 mpg in the standard Carrera before.
While top speed remains unchanged and the factory’s acceleration figures drop by 0.1 second, the sound-enhanced engine exhibits different driving characteristics. Zöllter reports that acceleration drops off beyond 5000 rpm, and if the driver wants to use the tail to help steer the car, boost pressure must be kept up meticulously.
A four-wheel-steering system will join the options list, as will a front lift system to protect the 911’s protruding snout from curbs and road bumps. The drive mode selector for the costly Sport Chrono package moves to the steering wheel.
With its softer soundtrack and added assistance systems, the 911 will appeal to a wider set of buyers. On the track, it should do at least as well as its predecessor. But the general trend is undeniable: Purity makes way for digital enhancement.
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