Future meets retro in the new 911, as digital tech is mixed with design cues that hark back to classic Porsches

SINGAPORE

A new iteration of the world’s most well-known sports car is always a cause for celebration, and such was the case in Singapore last night. The latest 992-generation Porsche 911 made its local debut in front of a 600-strong crowd at Suntec City Convention Centre alongside a mouth-watering display of pristine 911 forbears from each of the seven preceding generations.

In a departure from the norm of previous generations, the 992 has only been announced globally in Carrera S form, available with two or four-wheel drive. They cost S$546,588 and S$584,088 here respectively, without Certificate of Entitlement or options.

A Cabriolet version will follow, as well as less powerful Carrera non-S variants.

The 992’s body might look somewhat similar to the outgoing 991’s, but it’s actually new: constructed mostly of aluminium, and widened by 45mm in front and 44mm at the rear. Unlike its predecessors, which had narrow (rear wheel drive models) and wide (all-wheel drive and GT models) body variants, all 992s will share the same basic body.

A few retro styling cues have been incorporated into the design. In addition to the squared-off front intake section and rear apron which give the car a more geometric look, the 992’s recessed front bonnet and full-width rear light bar are throwbacks to the G-series, 964 and 993-generations.

Likewise the interior, which features a horizontal layout, again inspired by the air-cooled 911s from the ‘70s to the ‘90s. It’s also massively cleaned up compared to the overwhelming button-fest in the Panamera and Cayenne, ostensibly so there’s less distractions during enthusiastic driving.

A 10.9-inch touchscreen takes centre stage, with five physical switches located beneath it for quick access to crucial functions (hazard lights, traction control, suspension, and two configurable buttons).

Below that, a stubby little gear selector serves as a visual reminder of the 992’s new mechanicals. The car now uses an eight-speed PDK dual clutch gearbox, while the 3.0-litre turbo flat-six puts out 30hp and 30Nm more than before, for a total of 450hp and 530Nm. That, by the way, is a mark of how far the 911 has progressed – 2019’s base(ish) Carrera S puts out more power than 1999’s flagship, the 996 Turbo.

As a result, the new car dips below four seconds in the century sprint: 3.7 seconds for the Carrera S, and 3.6 seconds for the Carrera 4S, and 0.2 seconds quicker still with the optional Sport Chrono package. Top speeds meanwhile, are rated at 308km/h and 306km/h respectively.

Being a sports car, the 992’s main progressions are understandably in performance, but there’s some clever tech too. Debuting on the 992 is a new Wet Mode, which uses acoustic sensors behind the wheelarches to detect the amount of water being kicked up from the tyres.

If the system deems it wet enough, it’ll flash a warning suggestion on the in the instrument cluster, and when activated, adjusts the ABS, traction and stability control, differential and rear spoiler to lower the risk of aquaplaning. Certainly a huge boon to Singaporeans, particularly on long drives to our Neighbour Up North.

The 992 is also the first 911 generation available with a night vision assist (using a thermal camera), stop-and-go adaptive cruise, and an autonomous emergency braking system.

Stay tuned to CarBuyer for our local review of the new 911, but for now, check out our in-depth review when we drove it in New Zealand earlier this year: