Spot the difference on revised 911

By James Disdale

11th June 2008

Evolution, not revolution – that has always been Porsche’s approach with its legendary 911.

And the latest revised version of the famous rear-engined supercar is no different.

Official pictures of the new Carrera and Carrera S show a subtly reprofiled front bumper and grille, revised xenon headlamps, plus indicators and tail-lights that use LED bulbs.

There’s bigger news under the skin, because for the first time, the German company is offering a rapid-shifting dual-clutch transmission as an option.

The seven-speed PDK (which stands for Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe, or double-clutch gearbox) is a development of a system that was first used 20 years ago in the company’s race entries at the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Drivers can change ratios with either the gearlever or paddles mounted on the redesigned steering wheel. The system promises shifts that are around 60 per cent faster than with the Tiptronic semi-automatic set-up on the previous generation. To make the most of the clever new transmission, engineers have increased the power output of the car’s trademark flat six-cylinder engine.

A range of tweaks, including the addition of direct -injection technology, has seen the Carrera’s 3.6-litre motor gain 20bhp – taking it to 345bhp – while the 3.8-litre in the S is boosted by 30bhp to 385bhp.

As a result, performance is even more impressive. The power hikes have shaved three-tenths-of-a-second off both cars’ 0-62mph sprint times: the Carrera covers the benchmark in 4.7 seconds and the Carrera S in 4.5 seconds.

What’s more, the revisions have reduced fuel consumption by around 12 per cent.

Both coupé and convertible versions benefit from the range of upgrades, while the higher-performance Turbo, GT2 and GT3 remain unchanged.

The first cars will arrive in Porsche showrooms later this year. Prices will rise by around £1,500 across the new line-up, so it ranges from £63,070 to £77,650.