Launch: 2017 PORSCHE 911 MK2 - NA NO MORE

[Amirul]

Today, Porsche Malaysia unveiled the latest 911 series. Following global trends in engine downsizing and turbocharging to meet the ever-stringent emissions regulations, the 2017 Porsche 911 (991-gen) is now force-fed. Yes, all 911s of the future will be turbocharged from even the base model.

Not to be confused with the 911 Turbo, these next-generation 911 Carrera models are no longer naturally aspirated, so are dubbed the 991 mark II, where it is more powerful and efficient than ever before.

Powertrain

The 991.2 now features a 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged flat-six engine, replacing the older 3.4-litre naturally-aspirated unit on the 991.1.

In the new Carrera, its twin-turbo engine produces 370hp and 450Nm of torque while the Carrera S and Carrera 4S, sporting different compressor wheels, exhaust and a specific ECU tune nets in 420hp and 500Nm of torque.

Both entry level 911 models now serve up 20hp and 60nm more than their non turbocharged predecessors. Both Carreras can rev up to 7,500 rpm on their tachometers, a respectably high engine speed for a turbocharged engine, no less.

Exterior

The 2017 Porsche 911 gets cosmetic changes to distinguish it from the predecessor. There's new headlights with quadrant LED, new tail lights, re-profiled front intakes, and a pair of 911 Turbo-like vents in the rear bumper.

Side intakes will be available exclusively for the king 911. Yes, the one with a Turbo badge at the rear. On this new turbocharged 911 however, gets fed air through the cooling panel at the rear deck, with the grille on the rear panel now being vertically-arranged, as compared to horizontal arrangement on the naturally-aspirated, previous 911.1.

Reducing rolling resistance and enhanced performance are the new five slim twin spoke wheels and the rear tyres of the Carrera S and Carrera 4S now measure at 305 instead of 295.

Interior

New on the 991.2 is the Sport Chrono Package which now features a mode switch on the steering wheel, derived from the 918 Spyder hybrid supercar. The mode switch enables the driver to select from Normal, Sport, Sport Plus and Individual; the latter settings configure the PASM, active engine mounts, PDK shifting strategy and sport exhaust system according to the driver's preference.

There are also Sport Response Button, in which when pressed, releases maximum performance for a short period of time. Specifically for 20 seconds, the drivetrain and engine management are conditioned to a spontaneous response.

Functional improvements were thrown at the 911's interior, too. A new seven-inch touch-screen infotainment display offers Apple CarPlay integration, touch response familiar to smartphone users plus Google Earth and Street View maps.

Chassis

The PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management) is now standard on all Carreras. It lowers ride height by 10 mm and further improves stability and performance during cornering.

The active rear-wheel steering is now an option for the Carrera S and Carrera 4S, adopted from the 911 Turbo and 911 GT3. The system enhances the car's stability and agility at various speeds.

Everyday practicality is not compromised with the inclusion of Porsche's hydraulic lift system with integrated lifting cylinders in the front struts. The hydraulic lift increases the car's ground clearance by 40 mm to help the car maneuver around steep surfaces.

Safety

In the boring-but-important category of 2017 911 improvements, there are improved Porsche Traction Management (PTM) that promises exceptional traction in all driving conditions.

The new 911 Carrera models also get new safety features such as post-collision braking and blind-spot monitoring as well as coasting feature built into the adaptive cruise control.

Now, will we miss the naturally-aspirated Carrera?

2016 Porsche 911

Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: Carrera: 370hp; Carrera S: 420hp; Carrera 4S: 420hp
Torque: Carrera: 450Nm; Carrera S: 500Nm; Carrera 4S: 500Nm
Zerotohundred: Carrera: 4.2 seconds; Carrera S: 3.9 seconds; Carrera 4S: 3.8 seconds
Transmissions: 7-speed dual-clutch automatic PDK
Dimensions: 4496mm (L), 1803-1880mm (W), 1295mm (H)
Weight from: 1,251kg
Fuel consumption: Carrera: 7.4L/100km; Carrera S: 7.7L/100km; Carrera 4S: 7.9L/100km
Price: Carrera: RM870,000; Carrera S: RM970,000; Carrera 4S: RM1,040,000

 

[6UE5t]

Will never miss it coz never rich enough to own one anyway!

Btw seems to have excellent fuel efficiency for such a powerful car.

 

[vr2turbo]

Will never miss it coz never rich enough to own one anyway!

Btw seems to have excellent fuel efficiency for such a powerful car.

haha....same same. The only Porsche I was in was the old 924, was in my mechanic shop modding some injectors....

 

[RENESIS VIII]

Long live NA engine in GT3. Hopefully the next generation GT3 still remains to be NA.

 

[drummydrew]

seems like smaller displacement and turbo is the future to motorsport

 

[Amirul]

Long live NA in GT3. Hopefully the next generation GT3 still remains to be NA.

According to Andreas Preuninger, Porsche's Head of GT Department, the next GT3 will remain in NA form. Not sure about Cayman GT4 though.

 

[RENESIS VIII]

seems like smaller displacement and turbo is the future to motorsport

According to Andreas Preuninger, Porsche's Head of GT Department, the next GT3 will remain in NA form. Not sure about Cayman GT4 though.

Few decades ago when turbocharging is getting popular on performance cars, many people are going crazy about turbo.

Today when turbo is starting to go mainstream, people are starting to miss back NA.

 

[drummydrew]

Few decades ago when turbocharging is getting popular on performance cars, many people are going crazy about turbo.

Today when turbo is starting to go mainstream, people are starting to miss back NA.

petrol heads, never satisfied

 

[RENESIS VIII]

petrol heads, never satisfied

At this rate, NA will soon go down the same path with carburetors. For carburetors, I don't really see much people missing it except older people. There are some elderly guys that I've met who keep praising over how good carb is compared to fuel injection.

On the other hand, the release of this new turbocharged base 911 Carrera has somewhat left its more powerful sibling in a confused state. It used to be called 911 Turbo because it is turbocharged. Then came the 911 GT2 which is turbocharged. Now, even the base model is also turbocharged.

 

[drummydrew]

a huge part of the market demands efficiency and affordability, next thing we know most passenger cars would be turbo-equipped straight outa manufacture plants. all i know there're TSI, EcoBoost etc and now VTec has hopped on board too.

i believe the only way to differentiate them now is the signature 3.8L engine behind the Turbo badge

 

[vr2turbo]

Is due to emission laws. Big displacement hard to tune to have good emission, that is why they are changing over to smaller displacement then turbo it.....

 

[drummydrew]

emission law! i remember jeremy clarkson once said "continue building big engines to keep the cold parts of the world warm." well i hope these laws do serve its cause

 

[Tom]

while it might seem like a huge move away from NA, I for one won't miss the NA. On the most part because I have yet to have one long enough to live with so no nostalgia there. Secondly, unless we are talking about GT Porsches or any notable performance car that are NA based for that matter, there's really nothing much to be missed IMHO.

Regular 911s will substantially benefit from the move to turbo, just like how the current BMWs and Mercs are force fed.

On regular daily cars, I think these new turbo engines are just so much more enjoyable to drive compared to the NAs of before.

 

[RENESIS VIII]

a huge part of the market demands efficiency and affordability, next thing we know most passenger cars would be turbo-equipped straight outa manufacture plants. all i know there're TSI, EcoBoost etc and now VTec has hopped on board too.

i believe the only way to differentiate them now is the signature 3.8L engine behind the Turbo badge

The Europeans have already turbocharged almost all of their lineup. Now the Japanese are starting to do it with Honda trying it on Civic. Soon other manufacturers will follow suit for sure.

Sure there are several ways to differentiate between a standard Carrera and Turbo other than the engine itself. Some traits of 911 Turbo are wider body at rear and that side air vent near the rear wheel arch.

What I mean about 911 Turbo is left in a confused state is, the originality and special trait of 911 Turbo is getting less clear now. It used to be unique as it is the only turbocharged 911 among its variants. Later on 4WD came to the 911 Turbo during 993 generation which became another special trait of 911 Turbo. Now, I'm quite sure that the Carrera 4 and 4S that will come later is going to be turbocharged 4WD as well.

Yes, I know that Porsche will still make the 911 Turbo a more powerful car than the Carrera series but the thing is, 911 Turbo is no longer as unique as it used to be now. Sorry for the long post, maybe I'm just thinking in a purist kind of way.

Is due to emission laws. Big displacement hard to tune to have good emission, that is why they are changing over to smaller displacement then turbo it.....

I miss the days when the automotive development race is not so restricted by emission laws unlike today... Sports car should actually be given more leniency when it comes to emission standards since they are the minority among the cars driving on the road.

 

[vr2turbo]

I miss the days when the automotive development race is not so restricted by emission laws unlike today... Sports car should actually be given more leniency when it comes to emission standards since they are the minority among the cars driving on the road.

But then law is law, if they pass what you mention, probably more trouble brewing with plenty of protest......hahhahhaha

 

[RENESIS VIII]

But then law is law, if they pass what you mention, probably more trouble brewing with plenty of protest......hahhahhaha

The environmentalist people....

 

[drummydrew]

The Europeans have already turbocharged almost all of their lineup. Now the Japanese are starting to do it with Honda trying it on Civic. Soon other manufacturers will follow suit for sure.

Sure there are several ways to differentiate between a standard Carrera and Turbo other than the engine itself. Some traits of 911 Turbo are wider body at rear and that side air vent near the rear wheel arch.

What I mean about 911 Turbo is left in a confused state is, the originality and special trait of 911 Turbo is getting less clear now. It used to be unique as it is the only turbocharged 911 among its variants. Later on 4WD came to the 911 Turbo during 993 generation which became another special trait of 911 Turbo. Now, I'm quite sure that the Carrera 4 and 4S that will come later is going to be turbocharged 4WD as well.

Yes, I know that Porsche will still make the 911 Turbo a more powerful car than the Carrera series but the thing is, 911 Turbo is no longer as unique as it used to be now. Sorry for the long post, maybe I'm just thinking in a purist kind of way.

exactly! even honda which has always been famed for its domination within the NA scene has now moved on. soon enough, the quote "no replacement for displacement" will be dismissed to make way for turbo era :hmmmm:

your statement is now clear to me no worries bout the elaborated post, i'm more than glad to be reading and getting more insight. it is always saddening for purists to see their favorite cars evolve into something blurry or even lose their originality. feeeels

 

[RENESIS VIII]

exactly! even honda which has always been famed for its domination within the NA scene has now moved on. soon enough, the quote "no replacement for displacement" will be dismissed to make way for turbo era :hmmmm:

your statement is now clear to me no worries bout the elaborated post, i'm more than glad to be reading and getting more insight. it is always saddening for purists to see their favorite cars evolve into something blurry or even lose their originality. feeeels

Imagine few decades later when turbocharged cars are everywhere and you let some drivers who have never driven NA before to try out some NA engine. Specifically NA engines with independent throttle body like 4A-GE 20 valve. They are probably going to be shocked with the instantaneous response and loud intake roar from NA engines. Just like how some of us are fascinated by blow off sound and the sudden kick in feeling from turbo engines.

Well, purists can't really do anything to change the decision from manufacturers. Other than Porsche, other cars are also following the same fate. Like BMW M cars where previously they are all Straight 6 NA. Later on they went V8 and V10. Now going into turbo. Ferrari and Lamborghini no longer makes cars with traditional manual gearbox. Mazda have stopped manufacturing rotary engines for now. The famous 8.4 litre Dodge Viper is also officially announced to be dead few days ago. I guess individuality and uniqueness in automotive is hard to be retained now due to emission laws.

 

[vr2turbo]

exactly! even honda which has always been famed for its domination within the NA scene has now moved on. soon enough, the quote "no replacement for displacement" will be dismissed to make way for turbo era :hmmmm:

But Forced Induction (Turbo/Super charged) is considered displacement also. Forcing a small displacement to become a bigger one......

 

[drummydrew]

But Forced Induction (Turbo/Super charged) is considered displacement also. Forcing a small displacement to become a bigger one......

good morning! hahaha which is also quite forceful on the perspective :dong: