THE AUTOEXTREMIST

November 16, 2011

In search of the new 911's soul.

By Peter M. De Lorenzo

(Posted 11/14, 9:30 a.m.) Santa Barbara. Scything through the torrents of rain strafing the windshield with machine gun-like bursts, the distinctive and guttural moan of the 400HP flat-six urging me forward at triple-digit speed, I found myself hurtling through the gathering Southern California darkness in Porsche's new-generation 911, wondering if this car was indeed worthy of the passion and the obsession. Worthy of the iconic status. Worthy of the almost obligatory accolades that were sure to follow upon its introduction. Worthy of the mantle of greatness that has been bestowed on just a very few machines throughout automotive history.

In short, I was in search of the new 911's soul.

After all, this machine – “tradition meets modernity” as the denizens of Zuffenhausen refer to it – was very much a product of the new Porsche, a contemporary automaker steeped in its legendary history, yet unafraid to project its mission and brand promise into new segments and unchartered territories. (Though some would also argue that there is a downside to that strategy, that it projects a coldly calculating automaker cynically using its lofty reputation as a springboard to new heights of profitability.)

I have come to the conclusion that the new Porsche is game to take product risks and is a company confident enough in its ability to deliver sheer excellence in its product executions, even if it challenges everything the True Believer enthusiasts of the marque have come to believe.

As I arched into another glorious sweeping bend in the foothills above Santa Barbara at high-speed, this new Porsche began to come into focus. It is a 911 unlike any machine that has been graced with the iconic three-digit moniker yet it is everything that has come before, only honed to a bold new luster. It’s imbued with more swagger and more attitude while wrapped in a heavy dose of contemporary technology and a racy new skin as well.

But if there was only one word that best captures the essence of the new 911 Carrera, I can’t think of a better descriptor than the word “more.”

Slightly longer with a longer wheelbase, slightly lower and wider – especially in its front track – and most important lighter, the new 911 is “over 90 percent new, with an entirely new chassis underneath,” said August Achleitner, Director of the 911 Product Line. But during our conversation it was made clear to me that this car was much more than that. It is an all-new vision for the 911, completely new from the ground up and from the inside out. "This is an all-new car," Achleitner continued. "The architecture is new. The thinking is new. We've taken this car to a new level of handling, feel and performance. And we’re very happy with the results."

Porsche purists are already decrying the switch from hydraulic to electro-mechanical power steering for instance, yet I found the new car’s steering to be exemplary and I took to it immediately, the wider front track enhancing the 911's "turn-in" ability while taking it to an even higher level of responsiveness.

“The longer wheelbase is very helpful,” Achleitner added, “but the real secret is the wider front track. That and the PDCC is why the new car can lap the Nurburgring’s Nordschleife in 7:40 minutes, 14 seconds faster than before.”

The PDCC, for Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control, is available on the Carrera S and is a measure of just how contemporary this new machine is, and how much Porsche is willing to push the 911 into a new stratosphere of dynamic performance. It’s basically an active roll stabilization system that transforms the on-the-limit behavior of the new car, redefining the high-performance parameters of the 911 once and for all.

But then again, is this new 911 too good? Does the technological transformation make it too soft, too comfortable and too easy to drive? Let’s just say that the new car will perform extremely well in the day-to-day urban slog that defines the majority of driving these days. It’s more comfortable with its highly stylized Panamera-esque interior providing a dramatic change that is more contemporary in feel and much more inviting, although some 911 purists might find the ambience to be more than a little jarring.

The new car is dramatically more efficient as well, which makes owning one a bit easier to contemplate. (The new 911 also arrives at a price hovering around $100,000 with only a modicum of options, so Porsche’s marketing campaign that insists that their cars can be enjoyed every day seems to be aimed at the few able to contemplate such an extravagant daily driver.)

Yet make no mistake, though the new 911 has been made slightly more appealing to a broader spectrum of drivers, it is a machine with two very distinct personalities. Yes, you can negotiate the vagaries of urban driving with ease and with more comfort in the new car. But the moment you put your foot in it and drive it with purpose, it transforms into something much more akin to one of the factory’s 911 GT3 RS racers. A machine that is able to deliver fantastic levels of performance and blistering speed, while doing it with a level of competence unavailable in previous iterations of the iconic sports car.

After experiencing the new car I’m pleased to report that the soul of this new 911 is not just present and accounted for, it’s polished to a new sheen, instilled with a new sense of urgency and elevated to an entirely new level of excellence.

As for those lamenting the disappearance of some of those yesteryear qualities of the original 911s that solidified the machine’s reputation for generations to come, I’ve got some bad news: Those days are gone forever. I’ve owned several of those timelessly brilliant cars from yesteryear and I hold those experiences and those cars dear. But time does indeed march on, and Porsche has put a stake in the ground suggesting that they will push aside the heavy cloak of preconceived notions that hangs over the 911 when and if they deem it the right thing to do, if it will result in a better car.

That was made very clear to me in a conversation I had with Matthias Müller, the President and CEO of Porsche. In his job just one year, Müller seems to be right out of central casting, looking exactly what you’d think a CEO of Porsche should look like. Direct, ramrod straight and serious, but with a glint in his eye that suggests that he knows he has one of the most coveted jobs in the automotive business, Müller brings a lengthy background in product development to the table from his experiences at Porsche, Audi and a brief stint at VW. As a matter of fact Müller brings an important distinction to his role within the company as he is the first product-oriented executive to lead Porsche in years after a succession of financial operatives have been at the helm. And he is steadfast in his belief that Porsches will always be Porsches, no matter what form they may take.

When I asked Müller if he was worried that Porsche might be spreading itself too thin while veering into segments that are questionable, he responded, ”We are focused on what we do and how we do it. If we do a smaller crossover (Porsche is going to do their own version of the Audi Q5 architecture) we will do it the way only we can do it. It will be the best in its segment. Period.”

While sidestepping questions about Porsche’s future product portfolio – besides the smaller crossover coming (named the Cajun) Porsche has a new Boxster and Cayman on the way, a smaller mid-engine sports car codenamed the “551” coming (based on architecture that will be shared with Audi and VW), a short wheelbase Coupe version of the Panamera, the gas-electric hybrid 918 supercar, not to mention an all-new gas-electric hybrid Porsche racer slated to compete in the prototype class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2014, etc. – Müller reiterated what Porsche will be in the future: “We will build the best cars we can possibly build no matter what the segment we choose to compete in. They will be authentic to Porsche in every respect. They will be true to who we are. And when all is said and done we will build one less Porsche than the market demands.”

I would say that Müller was very clear as to what Porsche’s future product mission will be and the brand looks to be in very good hands indeed.

And if the new 2012 Porsche 911 is any indication, I’m confident that we will be reveling in great Porsches for many years to come.

It’s not just a better 911, it’s the best Porsche ever built.

It’s everything they know so far. And more.

Much, much more.

And that’s the High-Octane Truth for this week.

(Porsche)

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