Porsche 911 2004 Review

What we liked
>> New look refines classic 911 lines
>> Razor sharp handling, awesome performance
>> Interior takes big leap forward

Not so much
>> Cramped back seat, kids only
>> Priced for the lucky few
>> Over-engineered cupholders

OVERVIEW
Since it first stunned the world in 1963, the iconic 911 coupe has been through five successful generations in its role as the backbone of Porsche. Generation six, known inside Porsche and by aficionados as the 997, has a tough task ahead. It follows on from the most successful 911 in history, the 996.

For the first time in nearly 30 years, Porsche will unveil two mechanically different 911 models at launch. Traditionally Porsche started with the Carrera, and followed it at roughly 12 month intervals with the Cabrio, Carrera 4 (all-wheel drive), GT3, Turbo and GT2. This time we get the 3.6-litre Carrera and the 3.8-litre Carrera S side-by-side, both available with six-speed manual gearbox or five-speed Tiptronic auto. Rest assured, though, that all the other variants will follow at suitable intervals, starting with the Cabrio in June 2005.

Both models arrive in Australia in October 2004. The Carrera will carry a $195,000 price tag for the manual, up on 996 price levels, but Porsche Cars Australia boss Michael Winkler claims that, even with the price increase, the Carrera is $7000 better value than before. The more powerful Carrera S will cost $215,000 at launch.

FEATURES
Talk to Porsche designer Grant Larson, the man who penned the 997's evolutionary lines, and he'll tell you there are three things you don't radically alter with the design. First is the elegant and unmistakeable 911 shape of the side glass. Second is the roofline silhouette, which slopes cleanly into the rear windscreen and over the engine cover. Third is the overall shape of the front end, with its raised wheel-arches and recessed bonnet.

Yet it's the front end which is the easiest change to identify. Gone are the strangely shaped headlights of the 996 - callously called fried eggs by some - replaced with the more traditional oval shape last seen on the 993 generation in the mid 1990s. The reason is simple; Porsche desires to separate the 911 visually from the cheaper and smaller Boxster convertible.

It was necessary for Boxster to share heavily with the 911 in 1997 when it first launched because Porsche's limited development funds demanded heavy commonality of parts. Today, thanks to the highly successful Boxster and lucrative Cayenne 4WD, Porsche has the money to separate Boxster and 911 visually.

Other changes to the exterior are more subtle, and hard to pick when seen in isolation. Put old and new beside each other and they become far more obvious. Like the more rakish wing mirrors, new 'pull' door handles, more curved bonnet, wider hips at the rear and new design alloy wheels. Even more subtle is the relocated driving lights, engine cover 'lip' incorporating third stop light, and cleaner tail lights.

COMFORT
The interior certainly hasn't been forgotten by the designers, and in fact gets the biggest visual makeover by far. The new dashboard and instrument cluster are immediately obvious; the former is more angular and less bulky than before, and the latter features a more widely spaced dial graphic. Both add subliminally to the feeling of increased space in the cabin, despite the fact the 911's internal dimensions have not changed.

All buttons and driver controls are new, from the three-spoke sports steering wheel to the radio and satnav controls. You'd be forgiven for thinking there's actually less equipment than before, because smarter positioning and layout of controls lends a cleaner appearance overall. Even the cupholders got a workover, now hidden discreetly behind a folding lip over the glovebox compartment.

Getting comfortable is no cause for concern unless you're relegated to the cheap seats. Our relatively average 5ft 9in frame found back seat foot room adequate, legroom lacking and headroom abysmal. Forget it for anything over 15 years old. One area of practicality the 911 has improved in, is boot space, under the bonnet. It's deeper, longer and wider than before, and looks capable of snugly swallowing two mid-sized suitcases or two full duffle bags. Golf clubs? Err, no.

No complaints, however, about the comfort and flexibility of the electrically adjustable driver's seat. There's ample headroom with the seat at its lowest point, and it slides back far enough to accommodate a 1.75m frame in comfort. Stump up for the optional Sports seats and you get 'width' control, which adjusts the side bolsters for a snugger fit, along with lumbar adjust. Sweet.

The steering wheel adjusts for both tilt and reach over a suitable range, and the pedals are well positioned and spaced in the foot-well. There's a relatively small cubby hole below the centre console, just big enough for a couple of mobile phones, a covered box under the centre armrest and door pockets. Oh, and the glovebox.

SAFETY
Active safety starts with a vehicle's ability to respond instantly to the driver in emergency situations. Lithe and agile, the 911 is better equipped in this than just about any other vehicle on the market when it comes to accident avoidance.

All 911s come with the latest generation of PSM Porsche Stability Management, which combines traction control and antilock brakes to help the driver maintain control of the vehicle. Bigger tyres offer more grip, while smarter damper control increase braking and emergency swerve efficiency.

Passive safety features in the 911 include front driver and passenger airbags, front side airbags and front head airbags. Porsche has also significantly strengthened the 911's structure, and added load paths to transfer the impact around the occupant cell, not into it.

MECHANICAL
Porsche is releasing two mechanically different 911 variants simultaneously; the Carrera and Carrera S. Previously the S has been a suspension and body-kit special; this time it's a fully fledged member of the line-up. But first, let's look at the Carrera.

The 911 is a low-slung, two-door, rear-wheel drive coupe with performance on its mind. It's powered by a six-cylinder, 3.6-litre engine slung over and behind the rear axle. The engine's known as a flat six, or boxer six; the name comes from the engine's flat-configuration with 180 degrees between cylinder banks.

Engines:
The engine is an evolution of the powerplant used in the 996 Carrera, which featured Porsche's VarioCam Plus valve management system. This varies valve timing on the intake side of the engine as well as valve lift to boost low rev torque or high rev power. Changes to the 997 engine are minor; some fine-tuning of the air intake system liberates an extra 4kW of power at no cost to fuel consumption (Porsche claims 11-litres/100km). Peak power is 239kW and torque of 370Nm remains unchanged, peaking at 4250rpm.

The Carrera S's 3.8-litre flat-six is based on the 3.6, but with a 3mm bore increase. This extra capacity dictated a number of optimisation changes to airflow into the cylinder and in the combustion chamber.

The result is a power hike of 22kW to 261kW and torque is up 30Nm to 400Nm. This endows the S with faster 0-100km/h performance (4.8sec compared to the Carrera's 5.0). Top speed for the S is 293km/h compared to the Carrera's 285km/h - very important in Australia, yes!

Transmissions:
Both models get a new six-speed manual gearbox because the S' increased torque was beyond the previous gearbox's limits. Larger wheels and tyres at the rear allowed engineers to reduce the gear ratios by up to five percent without sacrificing top speed.

The alternative for lazy drivers is a five-speed Tiptronic automatic, carried over from the 996 but with minor modifications to handle the S' extra torque, increase shift speed and also downshift smoothness. As before, it's a smart auto that can adapt its shifting pattern to suit your style of driving.

Suspension & Steering:
Basic suspension geometry is little changed from the previous model, but other modifications radically alter the 911's performance envelope and its capacity for fuss-free cruising. We're talking about a wider front and rear track, hydraulic arm mounts at the front and a redeveloped subframe at the rear, with relocated mounting points.

Carrera S models come with Porsche's newly-developed PASM Active Suspension Management, which modifies spring and damper characteristics to suit the driving conditions. The fully automatic system, which can also be driver-selected, features 'normal' and 'sport' modes, which adjust the vehicle's ride height, springing characteristics and damper settings to deliver either a compliant ride or a more agile, dynamic style of driving.

Porsche's rack and pinion steering features a variable ratio that speeds up the rate of turn once the wheel is rotated through 30 degrees. This is said to ease parking manoeuvres and tight turns without impacting higher speed stability.

Brakes:
Big four-wheel disc brakes with four-piston callipers, as fitted to the Carrera, are carried over from the 996. The only change is a 17 percent increase in the brake servo power, which reduces pedal effort in relation to stopping power.

Porsche introduced carbon fibre bake discs as an option on the 996 Turbo model, and this time around they're standard on the Carrera S, optional on the Carrera. PCCB Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes are 330mm ceramic discs with 50 percent less weight than metal discs. They get up to operating temperature quicker, are longer lasting and also reduce wear on the pads. All good.

COMPETITORS
Porsche tells us there are no competitors for the 911. That's not arrogance, simply an acknowledgement that, for some people, the decision is whether to spend their money on a Porsche, not what they can get for the money.

Looking for cars of similar cost, performance and appeal, we're drawn to the Jaguar XK coupe, Mercedes-Benz SL roadster and BMW 645Ci coupe. To be fair, though, these three are more Grand Tourers than sports cars. Perhaps Porsche is right; there is no direct competitor for the 911. If so, why not?

ON THE ROAD

CarPoint's first taste of the 997 generation 911 came in the north-west of Germany near Hamelin - the same one made famous by the Pied Piper. One day of clear skies and dry roads was followed by a second day of rain and slippery B-roads through forests. And yet it was the second day that more clearly highlighted the phenomenal performance potential of the new Porsche 911.

Sure, gear-banging acceleration and 270km/h blasts on unrestricted Autobahns showed the wealth of power and blistering performance of the new car. Ludicrous grip levels instantly translate torque into momentum as the S screams through the first four gears with no visible signs of abatement.

The exponential feel of the 911's awesome acceleration is only half of our guilty pleasure; the engine and exhaust soundtrack that accompanies it and slides insidiously into your head is better than any Mozart symphony, and more intense than Metallica at full throttle.

Even at these ridiculously high speeds - covering 75m every second - the aerodynamic 911 showed no signs of wanderlust or floatiness familiar with the 996. Changes to the undertray and front splitter have reduced lift and increased downforce without any adverse effect on drag.

On the back roads around Hamelin, two aspects of the new 911's awesome bag of tricks were immediately clarified. First is its amazingly compliant ride, which - admittedly on Germany's nicely surfaced roads - was likened to a well-controlled limousine or cruiser. It's so smooth that, at times, you wonder if this should not be allowed in so visceral a sports car.

Second is the 911's intense delight in ridiculing back roads. That super smooth ride in no way detracts from the suspension's main task of delivering razor sharp sports car handling. Tricky little flow cut-off valves stiffen up the dampers when you're in attack mode, reducing body roll in corners and noticeably sharpening the steering.

The 911 still exhibits that time honoured trait of wandering on initial turn-in, and running wide on mid-corner throttle applications, again initially. It's a strange feeling, and one which causes you to recalibrate your corrective actions as a driver. It was described once as "like trying to fly a fighter plane". You don't react to every movement or response, because you'll end up overdriving the car. Rather, give the 911 its head and it'll grip and go.

And it does, every time. Which is why we were able to have such faith in the 911 on that rainy Sunday morning and switch the PSM traction control off. Front-end grip is prodigious, exceeded only by rear-end grip. If this was the first 911 you'd ever driven, then magazine reports of snappy, evil-handling 911s from yesteryear would seem ludicrous to you. This is without a doubt one of the easiest 911s to drive, whether slowly or quickly, in rain or shine.

*CarPoint's test drive was restricted to the 911s fitted with Porsche's optional Active Suspension Management system. All cars were fitted with optional wheel and tyre packages and ceramic brakes.