CAR reader Andy Milton has supplied us with an excellent set of photos of the ‘991’, the next-generation 911 which goes on sale in 2012.
Sunny weather in March? It’s not Europe then!
Andy was on holiday in South Africa when he spotted this convoy of three 991 coupes, a 991 cabriolet and a Boxster parked at Long Beach, 30 miles south of Cape Town, near the Chapman’s Pass scenic road.
Is that massive side-vent meant for production?
Only if Porsche enters Nascar – it’s a sticker. If you look closely you’ll also see that they are false headlight and driving light stickers on the front end, all designed to make it look like… a 911. Actually, the current 997 model.
Here’s hoping the real 991 finally moves the needle a little on the design front.
So remind me what’s going to be new on the 2012 edition of the 911?
Under that familiar uniform is where the major changes occur at Porsche’s long-serving sports car approaches 50 years in production. The Carrera gets a 100mm wheelbase stretch, and grows by 70mm overall in length. It’s rumoured to have dropped 50kg in weight too.
Under the ‘wrong end’ of the car, the flat-six engine downsizes to 3.4 litres but offers an improved 350bhp, while the Carrera S packs a 400bhp sting in the tail from its 3.8-litre engine. Expect transmissions to sport a seventh gear in both PDK and conventional manual forms. In the quest for efficiency and eco-friendliness there will also be stop-start, intelligent decoupling alternator and electric power steering.
When do the bin-bags come off?
We will stop peppering you with spy shots once the new 911 is unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show in September. Until they start testing that car’s replacement…