RE: Next Porsche 911 spy shots
Wednesday 29th March 2017
Spy shots of a new 911 testing at the Nurburgring aren't on the face of it something to break the internet. And, indeed, from the front and three-quarter views there's little to suggest more than just a new 991 variant out for a shakedown.
Our friends at the spy photo agency seem a little more excited by this one though; indeed they reckon they've bagged their first shots of the all-new 911 out for its initial Nordschleife test session. If so that IS a rather big deal. What do we know about it?
Seemingly based on a C4 widebody shell with GTS rear bumper vents, the test mule gets more interesting at the back. Here we have a thin lighting strip in keeping with the more radical looks of the new Panamera. Above it is a deployable rear wing - nothing new for 911s given this was introduced on the 964 but much bigger than any we've seen before and running the full-width of the car. There's a hint of McLaren 675LT or 720S about the wing's shape in fact - difficult to say from this batch of shots whether it'll do a full range of movement like the McLarens or just switch between open and closed as before but it's clearly going to be a major styling and technical feature of the new 911. And difficult to hide on the mules. Some lengths have been devoted to disguising the area between the two paired exhausts too, suggesting further aero work to the rear of the car. The front deck, meanwhile, looks to have a more 'textured' surface and a return to a square-fronted hatch flush with the top edge of the bumper - retro nods AND new Panamera influence in one there.
Next Porsche 911 spy shots
Business up front, party at the back - is the next Porsche 911 actually a mullet on four wheels?
Um, not a lot. Given how early we are in the car's development it's perhaps not surprising it looks at first glance rather like a 991 with a few bits of black tape stuck on. Not that we'd be expecting a drastic departure from the familiar 911 face either - time may have dulled the shock value of the 996's 'fried egg' lights but Porsche won't have forgotten the outcry in a hurry so expect business as usual up front. In one of the shots it's even lifting an inside front wheel in the classic rear-engined Porsche style, though we'll put that down to the camber change entering the mini-Karussell rather than a return to more traditional 911 dynamics.
Beyond that hard to say but the size of the radiators up front say turbocharging (no great surprise given we've already made that leap) and we'll take a punt on the taped over access panel behind the passenger door being for plug-in charging of some sort, it being widely tipped that the next 911 range will in some way benefit from electrical assistance. Good news if horsepower is your measure of interest, at least going by the 680hp Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid. Bad news if you prefer your sports cars simple, light and back to basics. But perhaps inevitable given the way things are going.
Bit early to say what the GT3 version might look like or whether it will remain the sole torch bearer for naturally-aspirated 911s. Experience shows it might be worth dropping a letter of intent off at your local OPC just in case though.
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[Photos: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien]
Discussion
It is in the top of its segment because the demographic (older men or middle aged men with small kids) who like the idea of a sports car but don't actually want one so they buy VW levels of quality, four seats and the winner cache that goes with that Porschar.
Porsche have been working for 50 years to banish its roots in the Beetle. The latest RSR yet again admits the engine config is wrong but sales would plummet if they moved the engine forward and had to take the rear seats out.
The big question for this year is what the rear intake slats are vertical, horizontal or hexagonal.
Porsche have been working for 50 years to banish its roots in the Beetle. The latest RSR yet again admits the engine config is wrong but sales would plummet if they moved the engine forward and had to take the rear seats out.
The big question for this year is what the rear intake slats are vertical, horizontal or hexagonal.
smilo996 said:
It is in the top of its segment because the demographic (older men or middle aged men with small kids) who like the idea of a sports car but don't actually want one so they buy VW levels of quality, four seats and the winner cache that goes with that Porschar.
Porsche have been working for 50 years to banish its roots in the Beetle. The latest RSR yet again admits the engine config is wrong but sales would plummet if they moved the engine forward and had to take the rear seats out.
The big question for this year is what the rear intake slats are vertical, horizontal or hexagonal.
I wouldn't call any of the 'standard' modern 911 variants sports cars any more. They're more sporting GT cars IMO.Porsche have been working for 50 years to banish its roots in the Beetle. The latest RSR yet again admits the engine config is wrong but sales would plummet if they moved the engine forward and had to take the rear seats out.
The big question for this year is what the rear intake slats are vertical, horizontal or hexagonal.
GT models are different but the issues in actually getting your hands on a new one of those are well documented (moaned about) on here.
sidesauce said:
This will simply continue the line Porsche walks - making the 911 sit at the top of its segment.
I'm not so sure about that these days. They are certainly pushed harder than in previous years. Their steering feel isn't as good as it was, they're facing competition higher up the order of the 911 range with McLaren, Mercedes are bringing out some very good cars too, the new R8 is also very good too.....Jaguar have the Ftype. Whilst some may not perform as well or as sharp, one cannot deny that these new-comers have definitely taken a few 911 sales.Picture the future,
- 911 continues to get bigger and more expensive [By the way, I'd get an AMG GT or McLaren instead]
- Boxster/Cayman continue up market with 6-pot engines from 911
- New, smaller, cheaper, 4-pot, mid-engined sportscar introduced at the bottom of the range. Possibly shared with VW or Audi.
E65Ross said:
sidesauce said:
This will simply continue the line Porsche walks - making the 911 sit at the top of its segment.
I'm not so sure about that these days. They are certainly pushed harder than in previous years. Their steering feel isn't as good as it was, they're facing competition higher up the order of the 911 range with McLaren, Mercedes are bringing out some very good cars too, the new R8 is also very good too.....Jaguar have the Ftype. Whilst some may not perform as well or as sharp, one cannot deny that these new-comers have definitely taken a few 911 sales.I agree the newcomers will have eaten a little into the 911 sales, but look at the R8 as your example - they are a tonne of money and (personally) I'm not convinced they are as good a residual gamble as a 911 Turbo for example (FWIW - I would love an R8+ for that V10...but not sure I would want to pay my own money for what is now thick end of a £150k car). The F-Type you could argue is not a 911 competitor as it's a LOT lower in price than the 911 - really, a comparison to the Cayman is more appropriate. Once you start talking about McLarens etc, you are talking a different segment again.
I would still enter into any discussion about the 911 by saying I still don't see any truly direct competitors that exist across the (regular) range. Is that because the 911 is an 'every day' car? Possibly. Is it the extra seats? Possibly. If anything, the 911 runs the risk of being the boring or predictable choice for people without imagination. Again, I'm not so sure. I spent a lot of time shopping (including F-Types etc) and still landed on the Cayman. Mind you, I chose my Cayman over a 911, so perhaps I'm not the best judge.
Ha ha.Standard 911 (i.e. Carerra or S) is a fantastic car, and honestly, nothing else really fits the niche. I had a C4s TT from Porsche when I was having my Cayman serviced last year, and it has a fantastic ability to be fun, fast, practical and useable as a daily. Low speed it drives like a Golf, on an A Road it comes alive, and on a motorway it feels stable, quiet and comfortable.
As cool as a McLaren is, it just doesn't come close (yet). I also think that, much like the Range Rover, a 911 looks as at home turning up to a Tesco car park as it does a Gala Dinner somewhere. It manages to pull off the ability of being classless like very few other cars.
I suspect the 992 (if that's what it ends up being) will probably be a more subtle change from the 991, but to suggest it's 'lost it's way' or 'isn't relevant' etc, etc, is rubbish. It'll be a fantastic car and will continue to be bought by the same buyers who see it is a daily sports car....
As cool as a McLaren is, it just doesn't come close (yet). I also think that, much like the Range Rover, a 911 looks as at home turning up to a Tesco car park as it does a Gala Dinner somewhere. It manages to pull off the ability of being classless like very few other cars.
I suspect the 992 (if that's what it ends up being) will probably be a more subtle change from the 991, but to suggest it's 'lost it's way' or 'isn't relevant' etc, etc, is rubbish. It'll be a fantastic car and will continue to be bought by the same buyers who see it is a daily sports car....
With a lot of the German manufacturers having a tendency to be a bit quiet at the Geneva Motor show in the odd years, 2013,2015 I wouldn't be at all surprised to see this new 911 make an appearance at the Frankfurt Motor show in September. Making a big splash on home turf seems to be the prefered option.
If the spy shots are the new 911 it doesn't look that far off in terms of camouflaging etc..
We know it'll change very little on the outside, on the inside I'd expect it to have the centre console/ screen set up of the new Panamera and a couple of new twiddle knobs on the steering wheel. In every other area it will probably be faster, handle better,be more comfortable and a fair bit more expensive than the last one.
If the spy shots are the new 911 it doesn't look that far off in terms of camouflaging etc..
We know it'll change very little on the outside, on the inside I'd expect it to have the centre console/ screen set up of the new Panamera and a couple of new twiddle knobs on the steering wheel. In every other area it will probably be faster, handle better,be more comfortable and a fair bit more expensive than the last one.
woollyjoe said:
I hear this is built on a shared Audi R8 platform too?
I heard Continental GT. Likely shares a plaform with all three, like the Bentayga/Q7/future Cayenne.Front fascia and shut lines remind me of the 993. Wonder where they'll fit the batteries for the inevitable hybrid, bye frunk?
I find myself more excited for the "Mission-E" than any future 911.
Edited by EricE on Wednesday 29th March 14:04
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