We got to be up close with the new 992 Porsche 911 in New Zealand!



We’re here in chilly New Zealand, compliments of Sime Darby Auto Performance, official distributors of Porsche vehicles in Malaysia, to be the first few in the region to check out the new Porsche 911 in the flesh at its regional launch.

As Adrian said it, it’s not easy to recreate an icon. Some might consider Porsche lazy for its stubborn approach to the 911’s design, but on the flip side, it’s actually harder to make a car look new despite having to stick with the very basis of the car’s design – a long front hood with a sloping roof design and long rear overhangs.

But that’s the beauty of the 911 isn’t it? It simply doesn’t need a radical new design but is instead built on the previous success of its predecessor.

Aesthetically, 911s may not shout and scream as much as a Ferrari or Lamborghini would, but you get the feeling that that’s how Porsche wants it – preferring to reveal its magic on the move.

And this new 992 generation 911, as we will drive and drive hard, is already assuring an absence of disappointment even on paper.

The 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged flat-six has been given a 30 hp and 30 Nm bump from before, now making 450 hp with 530 Nm of torque. This power increase is primarily down to the relocated intercoolers that now rests just below the rear bonnet for better cooling and revised turbocharger flow.

0 to 100 km/h now takes just 3.7 seconds in the rear-wheel drive Carrera S, while the all-wheel drive Carrera 4S does it in 3.6 seconds with both cars 0.4 seconds quicker than the models they replace.

To put things in perspective, that’s Mercedes-AMG GT R (3.5 secs) or even Ferrari Enzo (3.6 secs) rivalling performance and they’re not even the Turbo models! As for top speed, both cars will exceed in excess of 300 km/h – 308 km/h on the Carrera S and 307 km/h on the Carrera 4S.

You might point your fingers at the car’s construction, which is now 70% made of aluminium with only 30% of steel used – unlike 63% steel used before – but the car’s actually slightly heavier before. Porsche magic? Maybe.

Maybe it’s down to the car’s science of wind, or more commonly known as aerodynamics – something Porsche has elevated in the 992. The front vents can now open and close on its own – either for better cooling performance or reduced drag.

Under 70 km/h, the flaps are wide open for better cooling but from 70 km/h and beyond, these front vents completely shut for reduced drag. At 170 km/h, these flaps open up again into a “Performance position”, along with the adaptive rear spoiler.

Rear wheel steer is now available, along with an 11% quicker steering rack, larger vents on the rear bumper comparable to that in the previous generation 991 Turbo. For the first time, the new 992 is fitted with mixed sized wheels – 20-inch in the front and 21-inch at the rear.

The 911 Carrera S now features the wide body – a privilege previously conferred only to the Carrera 4S and Turbo models – also another first along the Wet Mode drive setting catered to driving on wet and slippery road conditions.

As for the other more elaborate details, be sure to check out our Vlog coming up real soon along our first impressions of the new car – can’t wait for it to arrive in Malaysia!


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