New Porsche 911 is relentless

THE PORSCHE 911 has always been the pinnacle of sporting performance in the automotive world. Photos by Ardie O. Lopez

Perhaps the most difficult of tasks is the one that involves surpassing standards that have been chiseled on such a high position. If its accomplishment were possible by ordinary or conventional means, then it wouldn’t measure up to be so—and to some, would prove to be a pointless exercise.

But when success is achieved even in increments that some may view as insubstantial, it only proves that such achievements aren’t meant to please everyone.

Perhaps, the driving force behind it wasn’t the desire to merely please in the first place, but to surpass what is most difficult. As with anyone, or any brand that’s obsessed with perfection, that would be which they have previously set for themselves.

The Porsche 911 has always been, for many, the pinnacle of sporting performance in the automotive world in the broadest of terms, all factors considered.

That elusive median between flamboyance and being understated; of pushing the envelope when it comes to sheer power that’s tempered by cutting-edge technology; of catering to the performance needs of the most discerning of drivers, with “wiggle room” to spare; of staying faithful and true to a much-revered and celebrated heritage that’s hinged onto those three indelible digits—despite these facts, it has room for compromise, and that’s the reason why the 911 has classifications, variants if you must not quite due to hierarchy, but to its specific market that accept varying degrees of compromise on their lifestyles and driving abilities.

Simply put, Porsche has the 911 GT3 RS for those who wouldn’t settle for anything less than the maximum, have no concern for (wussy) comfort and conveniences in a supercar, have a a bit of a stylish death wish, and with the means to pay for it.

For those who aren’t quite skewed that way, but still want the iconic performance of a 911 while not willing to part with luxurious creature comforts and latest bells and whistles in a sports car, and look forward to a much longer life expectancy, then there is the logical and no less desirable option that is the Porsche 911 Carrera S.

Understatement

Porsche engineers certainly won’t deny that they more than just “break a sweat” when it comes to working to breach through the prevailing specs for every new iteration of the 911 Carrera.

With an obsessive mindset I’d presume they wouldn’t release one until the improvements are more than just substantial.

But first off, one would be wondering about a few contradictions.

The new, seventh generation Porsche 911 Carrera and Carrera S for 2017 now come with brand new 3.0-liter flat 6-cylinder bi-turbocharged engines that, compared to the previous 3.8-liter naturally-aspirated flat sixes, generate more power in both hp and torque, and unsurprisingly, a quicker acceleration time.

At 370 hp and 420 hp from the 911 Carrera and Carrera S, respectively, that’s a 20 hp increase from the previous engines. And at 450 Nm and 500 Nm of torque respectively, that’s a 60 Nm increase delivered from 1700 to 5000 rpm on both 911 Carrera/Carrera S variants.

These developments, despite having 800 cc less on engine displacement, are by no means insignificant.

Performance improvements on the new Carreras are impressive. The Carrera coupé with the Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) and Sport Chrono package, for example, does its zero to 100 km/h sprint in only 4.2 seconds, while the Carrera S with PDK and Sport Chrono package blurs past it in only 3.9 seconds,or two tenths of a second faster than the previous Carreras, and also the first time for a Carrera to break the 4-second mark with such acceleration.

It’s not all power and speed, however, as the new Carrera is also more efficient with its fuel consumption reduced by a liter per 100 km on the average, at 7.4 and 7.71 liters per 100 km on the 911 Carrera and Carrera S (both with PDK transmission), respectively.

Tech trickled down

The new 911 Carreras also inherited some exceptional features from the world-renowned (and lusted-after) Porsche 918 Spyder, like the new drive mode switch, derived from the Spyder’s very own hybrid mode switch.

Mounted on the lower right-hand area of the steering wheel (which is also 918 Spyder-inspired), the drive mode switch has a rotary dial that lets one instantaneously select Normal, Sport, Sport Plus, and a user-configurable Individual driving mode, that the Carrera complies to without delay.

Right smack in the middle of the dial is what many of us may have fantasized about in our much younger (and naïve) years—the red button that when pushed, delivers a power boost for a span of 20 seconds, commanding its drivetrain to line up its settings for maximum acceleration (yes the two magic words), much like the push-to-pass button found in race cars.

I myself have at least a couple of ideas regarding when to use it best.

Also derived from the 918 Spyder are the characteristic quad daytime running lights (DRLs) on the Carreras’ headlamp clusters, with the same quad accents found on its taillights.

If all that weren’t enough (and for the Porsche enthusiast, nothing ever is), Porsche made the new PASM or Porsche Active Suspension Management a standard feature on the new Carreras, lowering the car’s ride height by 10 mm for enhanced on-track and overall dynamic performance, and effectively improving cornering stability.

Ride comfort has also been considerably improved, with the inclusion of a new generation of shock absorbers, with added handling feedback as a planned and pretty much welcomed after-effect.

Its ultra-light 5-spoke alloy wheels have also been equipped with new tires with lesser rolling resistance, with the rear-wheel widths increased by 0.5 inches on both variants (305 mm from 295 mm for the Carrera S) to enhance the already massive grip the Carrera has.

More for the malcontent

It would be hard to say no to that feature that would give more to the tragically enthused.

As an option, Porsche offers an active rear-axle steering feature for the Carrera S. This technology that was adopted from the 911 Turbo and 911 GT3, considerably enhancing the turn-in behavior of the Carrera, and further improving its scalpel-precise maneuverability and stability, especially at speed.

It also has its more practical usage, for a more convenient way of sifting through city traffic with turning circle reduced by 0.4 meters.

And, a new feature normally found in supercars, which is quite crucial for Philippine conditions, is also made available for the new Carrera: a button-actuated hydraulic lift system that provides a 40-millimeter lift in as little as five seconds to avoid those oh-so-painful scrapes on the underbody when steep approaching or leaving inclines. Bliss, I tell you.

Tortuous pleasure, anyone?

I’m taking it in good humor, of course, being handed the (color coded) key to the Lava Orange 2017 Porsche Carrera S, smoldering under the Singaporean sun, sitting squat and ready at the driveway of the historic Fullerton Hotel, with the instructions to basically drive it all day.

Yes, in Singapore where the maximum speed is a very strictly enforced 90 km/h everywhere.

Well, being the Mr. Compliant that I am, I of course stayed within the sternly prescribed limits, but there’s at least no mention of how you’re supposed to approach the 90 km/h limit.

And so, for the official intent and purpose of properly testing this fine German precision mode of exhilaration, I set it on Sport plus, and literally stabbed the accelerator pedal with the ball of my right foot.

Essentially, and loudly (via the sublime guttural scream from the sport exhaust), I got there in no time at all. And at every chance I got. Never mind that I unsettled a few souls on the highway.

I, barely scratching the true potential of the beast at my command, felt unsettled to say the very least.

Fast forward, literally, to the end of a long (but not quite long enough) full day of driving, I had the need to expel a hefty amount of adrenaline from the experience.