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A new Porsche 911 is always interesting as it’s interesting to see how after more than forty years of development the Porsche team still manages to bring changes and enhancements to this icon model. 

The new 997 bodyshell combines the smooth modern looks of the 996 series with the favored retro styling cues from older 911s.  The front end is finished with round lights and separate parking/fog/indicator lights.  This change, mixed with wider hips echoes the last of the air-cooled 911s, the 993.  Other changes in the bodyshell are the new door handles, wing mirrors and the stylish cut of the rear wings into the bumper/lights. 

Even if the 997 looks a lot like the previous model, the 996, the new car is actually 38mm wider which creates a more aggressive appearance.  With each new model introduced, Porsche has directed to cut back the drag co-efficient helping the 911 slide through the air better, and so assisting performance.  A similar thing has been done with the new car, and if we compare the 993 Cd of 0.34 to the 997s 0.28 we will see how far the aerodynamic game has moved on.  The newest body shell and rear wing combine with new underbody paneling to also offer increased levels of down force for this latest evolution of Porsche’s finest.

The latest Porsche model is the best handling 911 ever.  Improving a car’s’s rigidity helps make sure the suspension can work more effectively and while not making such a quantum jump as the team did with the 996.  Porsche improved torsional rigidity by 8% and added as much as 40% more flexural strength.

For the new auto, Porsche wanted to improve crash safety so they added 2 new air bags found in the side of each front seat back-rest, designed to offer protection to the thorax.  They kept the prior two front and two side airbags, which means that now there are six in total.  For a similar reason, crash safety, the reinforced body shell features further protection like a more intensive use of super high strength steel.

The latest model is also fifty kg heavier than the 996.  The reason is that modern crash safety regulations sort of force the new cars to come with increased weight, regardless of the usage of a large range of weight saving measures, including an aluminum bonnet. 

Aside from the crash safety improvements, a lot of the additional weight can be ascribed to the better standard design of the new cars.  Power to weight is equivalent with the newest car offering 233 bhp per tone against it’s predecessors 238 and the new models improved aerodynamics must help it post Porsches claimed performance figures, which are matching to the 996.

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