First Impressions

Another rare set of keys fits any all new Porsche 911. There have been just 6 generations of this iconic sports car in 48 years.

And at first glance, the 2012 Porsche 911, dubbed the 991 doesn’t appear all that…well…new. The familiar shape, with fastback roofline remain, but wheelbase has grown by 4-inches and overall length is up 1-inch.  It’s also both lower and wider, with larger air intakes dominating the front fascia, and bigger 20-inch wheels standard on the Carrera S. 

The base Carrera gets a new, smaller 3.4-liter flat-6 engine, while a heavily revised 3.8-liter powers the Carrera S. “S” horsepower is up 15 to 400 and fuel economy is up in both engines. An industry-first 7-Speed manual transmission is standard, but most buyers will opt for the 7-speed PDK automatic. Acceleration is quicker as the Carrera S with PDK in Launch Mode, can hit 60 in just 4.1-seconds, 3.9 with the Sport Chrono Package. But, in addition to performance, the new 911 is also packing a lot of technology.

BRIAN ROBINSON: The 991 is certainly one high tech piece of machinery, there’s Torque-Vectoring, Dynamic Chassis Control, electro-mechanical steering on and on. But what sets the new 911 apart is it all works so seamlessly you’re never really aware when any of it is working.  

JOHN DAVIS: The interior has taken a sportier turn compared to the GT-car-like 997. Most controls lie in the “Panamera-inspired” center console that rises up to meet the dash.   

The 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera will go on sale here in the states in February, starting at just over $83,000.