There is a much better way of owning a supercar, that doesn’t require quarter-million-dollar investments while still delivering thrills, and with enough comfort to be a 12,000-mile-per-year vehicle. Might it surprise you that we’re talking about a Porsche?
The latest Porsche 911 Carrera (991 if you sprechen sie Porsche) has barely been around long enough for us to get to know it, and yet, here we are with the first of inevitable variations. Rather than a 911 Turbo S Carrera GTS RS 3.8 GT3, though, this is a simple all-wheel-drive version of everyone’s favorite rear-engined sports car.
A new 911 is here. These are the moments that wreak such havoc among the armies of purists, and are, therefore, always the most fun times to be a car addict. Because of the adulation, devotion, and unrelenting attention due this new model, the 911 from Zuffenhausen starts life immediately trapped in one type of preconceived notion or another.
Details and images have emerged on the softtop version of Porsche’s latest 911. The 911 Cabriolet will be available in the same variations as the hardtop, namely the base Carrera trim, and the 400-horsepower Carrera S trim. Transmissions choices will also be the same as the hardtop, with a seven-speed manual as standard or an optional PDK dual-clutch seven-speed automatic.
The Porsche 911 looks and handles great, but a big part of the car’s iconic appeal it in its outright speed. For most practical purposes, we measure speed in acceleration, usually some 0-60 figure. When we want to measure a car’s upper limits, though, we like to look at its top speed.
Just when you thought there was already a Porsche 911 for every occasion, the fine folks from Stuttgart drop a 4.0-liter, dry-sump, 500-horsepower monster into the shapely rear-end of the already awesome GT3 RS, creating the 911 GT3 RS 4.0. Thanks to the race-derived flat-six, the 4.0 can scoot to 60 in 3.8 seconds, and will hit 124 miles per hour in under 12 seconds. As God intended, this 911 is only available with a six-speed manual.
When automakers come out with limited edition models, it may seem like the manufacturer is trying to stimulate sales for a slow-selling model. Porsche, however, doesn’t have slow-selling models, and when the Stuttgart-based manufacturer comes out with a limited edition, it is often considerably more than nice paint and badges. Such is the case with this limited edition 911, the Speedster.