Zee Germans say ‘goodbye’ to naturally aspirated engines in the 911.
It finally happened. After rumors of Porsche going to an all-turbocharged, lower-displacement engine lineup in the 911 swirled for the past few years, it was made official by the German automaker. The new Porsche 911 Carrera and Carrera S variants will see their naturally-aspirated flat-six engines replaced with smaller, more powerful, and more efficient 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged flat-six units.
With fuel economy and emissions standards getting stricter, it was only a matter of time before the sweet-sounding naturally-aspirated flat-six song of the 911 was replaced by the whirring of turbochargers feeding each cylinder to create more efficient power.
The 3.4- and 3.8-liter engines that powered the 991-generation Porsche 911 Carrera and Carrera S models, respectively have each been replaced by new 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged units with a 20-horsepower bump and lower fuel consumption.
In the 911 Carrera, the new 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged flat-six engine produces 370 horsepower and 331 lb-ft. of torque from 1,700 to 5,000 RPM. The Carrera S gets boosted to 420 horsepower and 368 lb-ft. of torque from 1,700 to 5,000 RPM. Both engines are limited to 7,500 RPM and still retain much of the classic sound from the flat-six engines that have powered the cars from Stuttgart.
With more power comes greater performance. The 911 Carrera Coupe with PDK and the Sport Chrono Package makes the 0-62 mph sprint in 4.2 seconds – 0.2 seconds faster than its naturally-aspirated predecessor. The 911 Carrera S with the same packages does the same sprint to 62 mph in just 3.9 seconds – the first 911 Carrera to break the four-second mark. The top speeds also increase to 183 mph for the Carrera and 191 mph for the Carrera S.
While the new turbocharged engines are the story of the new 911 Carreras, they both come with a subtle nip-and-tuck. New headlights with four-point daytime running lights, door handles without recessed covers, a rear engine cover with vertical louvres, and new LED rear lights with four-point brake lights make up some of the visual changes.
New 911 Carreras with the optional Sport Chrono Package are now fitted with a steering wheel-mounted rotary switch inspired by the unit found in the 918 Spyder. The switch allows drivers to choose between “Normal”, “Sport”, “Sport Plus”, and “Individual”, the latter of which gives drivers to create their own driving setup using the range of standard and optional vehicle controls. A special “Sport Response Button” gives the car a pre-programmed maximum acceleration of 20 seconds in which the optimum gear is engaged and engine management software is adjusted for improved responsiveness.
Other areas of the 911 Carrera and Carrera S were re-engineered for better performance. The rear-engined sports cars receive a PASM chassis that is lowered by 10 mm and comes standard on all Carrera models. New shock absorbers improve comfort and body connection during driving. Porsche was also able to use new tires with lower rolling resistance and performance on the new five slim twin-spoke wheels that have a width that’s increased to 11.5 inches at the rear axle.
The rear axle and its wider wheels utilize a rear-axle steering system as an optional on Carrera S models, borrowed from the 911 Turbo and GT3 variants. The system improves turn-in, enhances stability at high speeds, and makes for more nimble city driving. For greater everyday drivability, a hydraulic lift system can raise the front axle by 40 mm to prevent damage from obstacles.
Inside, a new steering wheel faces drivers drawing upon the design of the unit in the 918 Spyder. The standard unit has a 375 mm diameter while the four options of GT sports steering wheels measure 360 mm. The cockpits of each Carrera model comes standard with the Porsche Communication Management multi-touch display unit with online navigation module and voice control. Smartphones can be charged in the center armrest while iPhone users can connect using Apple CarPlay.
The new Porsche 911 Carrera and 911 Carrera S models with their turbocharged engines, styling, and performance updates will be available in December of 2015 in Germany. The new engines may signal an end to an era, but opens up a new chapter of innovative performance for the German sports car.
Porsche 911 Carrera and Carrera S Specifications
911 Carrera:
Displacement: 3.0 liters
Number of Cylinders: Flat-six
Aspiration: Twin-turbocharged
Maximum Horsepower: 370 at 6,500 RPM
Maximum Torque: 331 lb-ft. from 1,700 to 5,000 RPM
Performance:
Acceleration 0-60 mph: 4.4 seconds (manual), 4.2 seconds / 4.0 seconds (PDK/PDK with Sport Chrono)
Top Speed: 183 mph (manual) / 182 mph (PDK)
911 Carrera S:
Displacement: 3.0 liters
Number of Cylinders: Flat-six
Aspiration: Twin-turbocharged
Maximum Horsepower: 420 at 6,500 RPM
Maximum Torque: 368 lb-ft. from 1,700 to 5,000 RPM
Performance:
Acceleration 0-60 mph: 4.1 seconds (manual), 3.9 seconds / 3.7 seconds (PDK/PDK with Sport Chrono)
Top Speed: 191 mph (manual) / 190 mph (PDK)
Porsche 911 Carrera and Carrera S Gallery
Source: Porsche
Are you excited for the new turbocharged engines for the Porsche 911 Carrera and Carrera S models?
