Coty – Round 2

The strongest ever collection of cars on the COTY road loop? We wouldn’t bet against that claim

- John Carey & Byron Mathioudakis

Porsche 911

EVOLUTION OF AN ICON BRINGS EXCELLENCE AND TAKES IT CLOSER THAN EVER TO COTY GLORY

WITH AGE, THE human backside often becomes broader. But the wider rear of the 56-year-old Porsche 911 is a sign of greater vitality and vigor, not less. The new Type 992 is faster than the 991 it replaces, and with the extra ferocity comes greater finesse.

The all-new, aluminum-intense body of the 992 uses the same wheelbase as the 991. The structure is a little lighter, despite increases in overall width and length.

The design of the new-generation 911 puts more visual emphasis than ever on its rear haunches, an effect boosted by Porsche’s decision to fit rear wheels with an extra inch of diameter compared to the fronts across the range. The better to balance levels of front- and rear-end grip, say company chassis experts.

There’s very little wrong with the design and presentation of the 911’s carefully crafted 2+2 interior, which features a perfectly proportioned driving position and a beautifully integrated infotainment touchscreen.

Porsche has upgraded the 3.0-liter twin-turbo flat-six for the 992, as it was first introduced in the 991.2 back in 2015. Switching from identical turbos for each set of three cylinders to a pair of mirror-image turbos enabled a redesign of inlet- and exhaust system plumbing. Power and torque maximums for both plain 911 Carrera and more powerful Carrera S models jump to new highs as a result. Even more important is the arrival of an eight-speed dual-clutch in place of the seven-speeder in the previous 911.