2016
PORSCHE 911 FACELIFT
Porsche’s 911 is set
for a major overhaul later this year ahead of the introduction of an all-new
generation in 2018.
These pictures,
supplied by Porsche, reveal various prototypes of the refreshed 991-series
model being put through their paces by a team of Porsche engineers on roads
around Cape Town, South Africa.
Key among the changes
to the iconic German sports car is the adoption of a new turbocharged flat
six-cylinder engine in place of the 911’s traditional naturally aspirated flat
six unit.
Technical details
remain scarce, although information obtained by Autocar confirms that the new
engine shares its architecture, including its individual cylinder volume, with
the smaller turbocharged horizontally opposed four-cylinder powerplant that
Porsche boss Matthias Müller has already confirmed will see service in
facelifted versions of the Boxster and Cayman when they are launched in 2016.
In the facelifted 911
Carrera, the turbocharged flat six has a capacity of 3.0 litres and a claimed
365 bhp at 6500rpm. By comparison, the outgoing model runs a naturally
aspirated 3.4-litre flat six with 345 bhp at 7400rpm.
In the facelifted 911
Carrera S the capacity of the new turbocharged engine achieves a power output
of around 414 bhp, with 369 lb-ft of torque at just 1700rpm.
This is up by 20 bhp
and 44 lb-ft on the naturally aspirated 3.8-litre of its predecessor, which
produces 394 bhp and 324 lb-ft.
Porsche engineers say
the new engine provides a big improvement in low-end tractability and enhanced
flexibility across the rev range, which peaks at 7500 rpm.
This results in a 0.4
sec reduction in the 0-62 mph time for the 911 Carrera at 4.2 second, with the
911 Carrera dropping 0.5 second at just 4.0 second with the optional
seven-speed dual clutch automatic gearbox. Top speeds are said to remain the
same as for the outgoing models, at 180 mph and 189 mph respectively.
A tuning kit to be
made available through Porsche’s Exclusive division will hike power to 444 bhp
– just 70 bhp shy of the turbocharged 3.8-litre flat six used by the existing
911 Turbo.
Along with the power
and torque gains, the new turbocharged engines used by the facelifted 911
Carrera and 911 Carrera S are claimed to return significantly better fuel
economy. Nothing is official just yet, although the latter is now said to boast
combined cycle fuel consumption figure of 37.7 mpg.
This represents an
improvement of 5.2mpg over the outgoing naturally aspirated powerplant when in
combination with an optional seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. A sound
symposer, which directs the exhaust noise into the body structure, has also
been adopted to enhance the aural qualities of the 911’s new turbocharged
engine.
Also seen is a new
steering wheel-mounted driving mode control offering the choice between four
programs. Similar to the drive mode control of the 918 Spyder, it is among a
myriad of detailed interior modifications made to the facelifted 911.
Along with the
engine, Porsche has focused on improving the already haughty handling qualities
of its iconic sports car with the adoption a four-wheel steer system on the 911
Carrera S.
Similar to the
systems already used on the 911 Turbo and 911 GT3, it provides three degrees of
counter steer on the rear wheels at speeds below 31 mph and three degrees of
parallel steering at speeds above 31 mph.
Exterior styling
changes include a revised front bumper which features active air ducts that
close at speeds above 9mph and then open again at 105 mph. The basic headlight
shape remains but the internal graphics and standard Xenon projectors are new.
The door mirrors
receive an LED blinker function, the tail-lights get revised LED graphics and
the rear bumper features cooling slits to help extract hot air from the engine
bay.
With the facelifted
911, Porsche is also making available a hydraulic lift function for the first
time. It provides a 50mm increase in clearance at the front of the car.
Further developments
include a lane change warning function that eschews the steering wheel
vibration feature of most similar systems for an acoustic alarm.
Meanwhile, Porsche’s
new flat four-cylinder engines, which are rumoured to support 2.0 and 2.5-litre
capacities, are currently under development at Porsche’s Weissach R&D
centre on the outskirts of Stuttgart in Germany. They will first be seen in the
upcoming facelifted Boxster and Cayman.
They are not planned
for the facelifted 911, although Müller indicates they are being discussed for
the successor model due in 2018.
