A new 911 might not attract quite the amount of attention that some of its glitzier, showier concept brethren achieve, but there's little doubt the new 911 (getting it show debut in Frankfurt today) is one of the most significant new performance cars of the year.
The new 991-generation 911 is still unmistakably a 911, but with a lower, longer, wider stance, more distinctive front lights and slimmer, more sleek tail lamps. The wheelbase is also 100mm longer, though both front and rear overhangs have been reduced.
Engine-wise, the rear-mounted, flat six cylinder engine in the Carrera is a 3.4-litre, 350hp affair, while the S version gets 3.8 litres and 400hp. The 3.4-litre Carrera with PDK accelerates from 0-62mph in 4.6 sec, 0.1 sec quicker than the old car (cut to 4.4secs with the Sport Plus button on the optional Sport Chrono Pack). The 3.8-litre Carrera S with PDK can accelerate from 0-62 mph in 4.3 sec (Sport Plus 4.1 sec), 0.2sec quicker than its predecessor.
Inside, the car is still recognisably 911 (including, mercifully, the retained central revcounter), but with cues from the Carrera GT and (more obviously) the Panamera, with its rising centre console.
A combination of steel and aluminium allows the car to weigh up to 45kg less than its predecessor, that and a low drag coefficient helping the standard car to return 34.4mpg on the combined cycle (and making it the first Porsche 911 to dip below 200g/km CO2) while the chassis does all sorts of clever things, incorporating active roll control on the Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) for the first time on the Carrera S.
Gearbox options are either the seven-speed PDK twin-clutch system or, most intriguingly, a seven-speed manual.
The new car will hit showrooms a couple of months after that, as it's due to go on sale in the UK from December. The new 3.4-litre Carrera will come in at £71,449 (that's a hike of £4179 over the outgoing model), while the 3.8-litre Carrera S will cost from £81,242 (a jump of £5070).