Porsche engineers testing the new 911 due in late 2011 were caught up in a snowstorm this week in the Swedish wastelands where they’re writing the next chapter of 911 history. Dubbed 991, Porsche’s new sports car family will be topped by this 4wd 911 Turbo model.
It makes for a picturesque set of spy photos – the black disguise ironically making the car stand out more in a white-out.
I see the next Porsche 911 looks exactly like the current one!
No change there then. Porsche has steadily chiseled away at the classic 911 form over the years, and it’s not about to throw the baby out with the bathwater. This prototype has the side air scoops and body addenda denoting the blown Turbo spec.
Under that cladding lie Zuffenhausen’s latest active aero developments. Our sources say there will be a pop-up rear spoiler and flaps dotted around the bodywork opening and closing to manage airflow and cooling requirements. Remember the malleable fins on the Ferrari 458 Italia’s nose? Expect more of that thinking on the new 2011 Porsche 911.
What’s new under the skin?
No great shakes here. Porsche is under ever increasing pressure to cut CO2, so there will be numerous fuel-saving measures, including a switch to electro-hydraulic power steering. Our information suggests the engine line-up will continue with the flat-six engine, in 3.4 and 3.8-litre iterations for Carrera and Carrera S models.
Higher up the food chain come the usual Turbo, GT3 and GT2 iterations. Some Porsche types nudge and wink and suggest a wild 600bhp GT1 could be on the cards too.
The 911 will again share parts with the next-generation 981-family of Boxster and Cayman models.
Wolfgang Dürheimer, Porsche tech boss, speaks
CAR has already published an interview with Porsche’s R&D director – and it’s worth repeating some of his musings on the 991 project. ‘It [the new 911] will be even more competent, even sexier, even more unique,’ says Dürheimer. ‘The design can of course only be evolutionary, but beneath the skin, almost anything is possible.’
How will we spot the next 911?
‘There is no more need for old-fashioned protruding door mirrors, the pending pedpro [pedestrian protection] requirements will force us to make relatively obvious alterations to the nose of the car, and for aerodynamic reasons we are also going to reshape the rear end,’ says Dürheimer. Hence the ducktail disguise on this prototype.
‘But apart from these must-dos, we won’t tamper with the proportions of a true classic.’
What about material advances on the 991?
‘In this discipline, we learned a lot from the Carrera GT,’ says Dürheimer. ‘The supercar taught us plenty about carbonfibre, so that composite materials can soon be a serious alternative to aluminium. The secret to feasibility is automation, an area where we still have a bit of work to do.
‘Together with other changes, the much more sophisticated material mix should help to reduce the kerbweight by 10% and with it the fuel consumption – no mean feat in view of the more powerful engines and the more complex chassis set-up.’
How will the new 2011 Porsche 911 drive?
‘It’s not as straightforward as it sounds,’ says Dürheimer. ‘On the one hand, I still want purism like the feel of every loose chipping through the rim of the steering wheel. But on the other hand, marketing urges me to fit a parking aid complete with rear-mounted camera and beeper.’