992 Level Up

IMPROVING ONPERFECTIONIS ANIMPOSSIBLE TASK. AND YET IT SEEMS PORSCHE HAS MANAGED TO DO IT AGAIN.WELCOMETO GENERATION NEXT.

- Georg Kacher

THE PORSCHE 911 is now well and truly a modern entity. Through its generations Stuttgart has thrown everything at its concept that shouldn’t work – but very much does.

Technology and computer-controlled assets mean that the rear-engined concept is now faster, more efficient and, most of all, more fun to drive than ever. We got a taste of what’s next with a bunch of pre-production cars more than half a year before the quintessential new model goes on sale globally.

The nine-eleven has had many lives and all combine a mixture of constants and variables. There is still that charismatic flat-six hanging out the back, past the rear axle, meaning the overall weight distribution seems impossible, but it works. And after all these years, the same underlying personality continues to be deliciously tangible.

The seventh 911, dubbed 992, is a thorough evolution of the preceding 991 generation. However, it’s not a ground-up new car. There was no need to go the full distance. After all, the predecessor is still remarkably inspiring and involving kit – you’d be foolish to think otherwise. Not surprisingly, then, Porsche decided to hone and tweak the proven DNA rather than re calibrate it. Interestingly, this time around the design and engineering departments took a backseat in terms of priority. Instead, advancing ergonomics, implementing new driver assistance systems and further reducing emissions was at the forefront of the next generation. Yet, as we found out, that doesn’t mean the seventh-gen 911 has lost its way.