The 2017 Porsche 911: A Technological Masterpiece
With a few notable exceptions (like the removal of air cooling in 1997 or the arrival of the Sportomatic automatic gearbox in 1968), the evolution of the Porsche 911 has been gradual. Each passing year brings a few improvements and a few small touch-ups that hoist the sports car even higher up the performance ladder.
2017 is no exception, but it is nevertheless a significant year in the history of the coupe from Stuttgart: for the first time, the Carrera—that’s the basic version—has a factory-standard turbocharger.
And that’s not the only novelty from which the 911 Carrera (and its sportier variant the S) will benefit. To explain exactly what’s hidden beneath the 911’s easily recognizable silhouette, the manufacturer called us to a technical workshop on the edge of one of Germany’s most famous circuits: Hockenheim.
More than just an engine
Before discussing what’s under the hood, we first have to talk about everything around it. Although the chassis and body are unchanged, many of the suspension components have been reworked. First of all, the front end is made almost entirely of aluminum and there’s a pair of adjustable dampers attached to it. While these components aren’t new, Porsche’s engineers spent a lot of time refining the settings so that there would be a bigger difference between them. The short ride that I took in the passenger seat of a pre-production 911 was enough to notice the difference between the shocks regulated for everyday driving and shocks calibrated to keep the Porsche nailed to the ground.
There’s also a steering system on the rear wheels. As with the 911 Turbo (while we’re on the subject, Porsche’s nomenclature is becoming more and more complicated now that the Carrera also has a turbo engine), the rear wheels can pivot 2 degrees to help the car take turns. When parking, the rear wheels pivot in the opposite direction of the front wheels, allowing the 911 to pivot on itself. The engineers claim that this system reduces the turning circle by 50 cm. At higher speeds, the wheels follow the movement initiated by the steering wheel, which means the car will move laterally—a little like a crab—rather than turn. The 2017 911 can also be equipped with a system that raises the front end by 40 mm to help get over urban obstacles like speed bumps.
Finally, there are two types of brakes. The Carrera features disc brakes that are 34 mm thicker, while the S versions have aluminum discs for the first time and also six-piston calipers.
The 911’s passenger compartment features a few improvements. For starters, the much-maligned infotainment system has been replaced by a brand new version of the Porsche Communication Management (PCM) system and includes a seven-inch screen as well as a few buttons and dials. The screen offers the multi-touch display, which means that it can be used like a smart phone (pinch to zoom in on the map, turn to change the angle...). Speaking of smart phones, PCM comes with Apple CarPlay, so you can use some iPhone applications directly on the car’s central screen. The module also has a fast processor, meaning its response time is immediate.
PCM recognizes handwriting (so you can trace letters with your finger on the screen), accepts a SIM card for Internet access and can even open Google Maps.
Finally, there are two available steering wheels. The basic unit measures 375 mm, but you can opt for the smaller, 360-mm one instead. Whichever one you choose, there’s a small module within reach to allow you to change driving modes, just like on the 918 Spyder.
Under the hood
But the most significant change is the arrival of the six-cylinder turbocharged flat engine in all Carreras. With a 3.0-litre engine capacity (compared to the old 3.4-litre or the 3.8-litre in the Carrera S), it develops 370 horsepower in the Carrera and 420 in the S. That’s an increase of 20 horsepower in both cases. Even better, this power is now more easily used since it’s available between 1,700 and 5,000 rpm.
And since today’s sports cars have to be fuel-efficient, the Carrera uses just 7.4 litres per 100 km (7.7 for the Carrera S). In the case of the Carrera S, the 50 extra horsepower comes from a less restrictive exhaust, a different compressor and modified computer programming. As you can imagine, Porsche didn’t only attach a pair of turbos to the engine; the air intakes had to be modified along with the hood to accommodate the compressors. By the way, a good way to distinguish a 2016 911 from a 2015 is to look at the direction of the bars in the grille on the rear panel: they’re vertical now, but they were horizontal last year.
The future will tell if Porsche made the right decision by giving its legendary 911 turbochargers. Even if this newcomer is undeniably more powerful, more efficient and generally better than ever, there will always be a handful of diehards who will be nostalgic for the era when 911s had naturally-aspirated engines.