We all knew the next generation Porsche 911 was never going to stray far from the last, in terms of design. This is the 911 after all. It’s always been about evolution, not revolution. What Porsche has done, however, is tacked on $8,000 to the current base price. This new 992 generation broke cover at this year’s LA Auto Show in Carerra 4S guise, sporting a $120,000 price tag; the two-wheel-drive Carrera S slots in at $113,000.
Porsche hasn’t revealed the true base (non-‘S’) Carrera model or its price yet, but last generation’s entry-level 911 commanded a price tag $14,000 under the S. If the same holds true for the new 992 generation that means you’ll need around $100,000 to taste 911 life.
Once you get past the 911’s general price hike, performance stats on the S and 4S are just as jaw-dropping, especially considering they’re still two of the more ‘affordable’ trim levels. The 3.0-liter twin-turbo flat-six in the Carrera S now cranks out 443 horsepower and will do 0-60mph in an eye-watering 3.3 seconds — the AWD 4S shaves another tenth of second off that. And, the consensus is Porsche is pretty conservative when they quote 911 sprint times, so expect them to be even quicker. Three-point-two seconds. Porsche will likely be rewriting the laws of physics when they announce the stats for the Turbo and Turbo S – nevermind what’s going to happen when the GT department gets a hold of it.
As for design, again, it’s a 911, so not much changed. The front air dam stretches across the entire front of the car — something mimicked out back, where GT3-esque exhaust tips now live. The front trunk and fender body panel lines now intersect in front of the headlights. Slightly reminiscent of the 993 generation of the ’90s as is the full-width taillight bar. It would seem Porsche learned its lesson from the 996 “fried egg” headlight fiasco in the early-2000s because while the front end of a 911 never seems to change, the designers now go all in on changing up the backend. The 911’s iconic sloped silhouette is present and accounted for in profile, but look at the rear dead-on and its tail lights and badging both look six-inches too high.
As for significant changes to the interior, the traditional shifter in the PDK (dual-clutch automatic) models is gone and in its place is a scaled-up toggle switch, matching the smaller switchgear on the center console. A seven-speed manual option will still be available, because, well, it’s a 911 and the three-pedal option will probably always be available.
We’ll have more info on the inevitable multitude of 911 trim levels as the news breaks. Pricing and performance for the future 911 models will definitely warrant attention in the coming months.