An all-new 911 is always big news – they only come around every seven years or so after all – and this seventh-generation 991 is no different. Even sitting next to new Bentleys and Bugattis, it drew the biggest crowds by far at the Frankfurt show's VW Group preview evening.
It was joined on stage by all six previous generations of the 911. This really highlighted not only how much the new car has grown (it's longer, wider and lower, and has a 10mm longer wheelbase, than the outgoing 997), but also how true to the original shape every iteration has stayed.
Porsche CEO Matthias Muller summed it up when he said: "When you think of a Porsche or even a sports car, this silhouette is burned into the retinas of every performance car fan."
Still based on a steel platform, but now with predominantly aluminium body panels, the newcomer is not only bigger, but 45kg lighter than the car it replaces. It's faster, too, and greener – the entry-level Carrera gets a smaller but more powerful 345bhp 3.4-litre engine and is the first 911 to break the 200g/km barrier.
The interior is inspired by the Porsche Panamera, but with noticeably fewer buttons. The car on display featured the much-talked-about seven-speed manual transmission – a first in any road car.
For an alternative review of the latest Porsche 911 Convertible visit our sister site carbuyer.co.uk
