Porsche almost killed the 911 in the 1980′s – they saw the 928 and other models as the future of the brand instead of the rear-engined 911. However, a few insiders grew enough support to keep it going and saved the 911 from the history books. Now, Porsche acknowledges the 911 as the identity of the brand – as shown in this video released last week as part of their marketing campaign for the new 911. It arrives in dealers this spring.
If you’re wondering why there’s so much Porsche content in my blog, it’s probably because I recently retired from Porsche Report, my focused blog on the subject =)
YouTube’s Drive Channel is delivering some great car content. In their latest video, Chris Harris takes his GT3 4.0 out for one last drive before storing it for the winter season.
While there have been a lot of test drive videos lately, this is the first head-to-head video I’ve seen. The R8 does admirably for an older car, and while people might not cross-shop the R8 against the 911, it’s probably people are considering a used R8 vs. one of the new Carreras which are the same price.
Porsche has been letting journalists drive the new 911 in California. EVO finally got their hands on the car with Chris Harris in the driver’s seat and here is the video:
Porsche unveiled the new 911 at the Frankfurt Auto Show. In the past week, a number of auto journalists were given a chance to drive it for the first time. The reviews are in, and are mostly positive. While many people wonder if the increased wheelbase and track affect the handling, I think the most controversial change is the switch to electric steering instead of hydraulic. Having driving BMW’s new electric steering and not liking it, it remains to be seen if Porsche can make it work as well as the older system did in the 997.
I spent a few too many hours playing with the configuration tool on the Porsche website for the new 911 (internal codename 991). I stumbled upon these CGI pictures of the new aerokit for the 911. I looks like the Aerokit only consists of new front lip and rear spoiler – the side skirts remain stock.
Porsche unveiled the new Porsche 911 today ahead of it’s debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show. Much has changed, yet little has changed. The new car has grown in overall length and wheelbase length. It’s shorter and 100kg lighter due to the use of more aluminum in the structure. Outside the car, new lighting and door mounted-mirrors are the most noticeable change. A strong character line runs across the lower profile of the entire car starting from the front bumper and ending in the rear bumper. Both engines are more powerful than the previous versions and both are more economical on fuel that the last.
One thing to note is the dramatic rise in price for the new 911, the Carrera starts at $82,100 and $96,400 for the Carrera S. This is a $4000 and $6000 increase, respectively from the 2011 models. This is no doubt a response to the much lower US Dollar. Canadian prices are not out yet, but will post about it as soon as I find out.