Next Porsche 911 spied

By Tom Phillips

05th November 2010

Porsche’s next 911 is coming on strong! Our spies have captured the best pictures yet of the new coupe and convertibles testing together in secret. Codenamed 991, the new cars represent another significant evolution in Porsche 911’s iconic history.

The newcomer certainly looks similar to the old one, but it is a completely new model. And these pictures show a number of styling tweaks for the first time. For a start, the 991 model is a little longer and wider than the car is replaces, giving a little extra space in the 911’s snug cabin.

New design details include larger front wing pontoons which house all-LED headlights, slightly deeper side sills and door-mounted wing mirrors, and a more significantly sculpted rear end, with design cues borrowed from the 918 Spyder concept.   

On the inside, the 911 benefits from a hike in quality, with an interior inspired by the Panamera. Expect top-spec Burmester stereos, improved sat-nav with better integration for mobile devices and quality leather trim to feature.

But just like previous 911s, its what’s underneath that counts. The new 911 shares its front suspension and steering with the next Boxster, to cut costs. However, the rear suspension, and calibrations for the PASM adjustable dampers remains unique.

The engine range follows the current cars, with the 3.6-litre flat-six Carrera model’s power and torque rising 20bhp and 20Nm respectively, to 365bhp and 400Nm. The 3.8-litre unit in the Carrera S boasts the same gains, taking power to 415bhp and torque to 440Nm.

Despite the power increase, tweaks to the direct injection system and the addition of brake regeneration and stop start reduce fuel consumption by 12 per cent.

A six-speed manual gearbox will be standard, and the seven-speed PDK will be an option. Most buyers are likely to opt for the auto though, as around 80 per cent of current 911’s feature the PDK dual clutch gearbox.

The 991 911 will make its debut at next September’s Frankfurt Motor Show, and goes on sale in the UK the following month. More powerful 911 Turbo, GT3 and GT2 models will follow in 2012.