Porsche 911 Carrera carries on the tradition

By Russell Williamson

PORSCHE's new 911 Carrera, launched at the Frankfurt motor show last month is probably the most important incarnation of the classic model the German sports car manufacturer has produced.

As a model intended to bring a new generation of buyers to the marque, including possibly those Indonesian's with a spare Rp 400 million to spend, it is a much more user-friendly model than ever before and differs from its predecessors in a number of significant areas.

It will also be able to be exported in completely-knocked-down (CKD) form, which would enable Indomobil, who are currently pitching for the rights, to assemble the car here and export it within the region.

However, while Indomobil continues its negotiations, for Porsche, the main concern will be to convince buyers worldwide that the car they see before them maintains the 911's heritage, despite the dramatic overhaul.

The decision to buy a Porsche 911 has, for the past 34 years, been an emotional one, with the promise of an outstanding driving experience needing to be weighed up against the impracticality of the two-plus-two-seater sports car.

But with the first full redesign of the car, Porsche has made the 911 more practical without compromising its traditional appeal.

At 4,430mm long and 1,765mm wide, the new 911 Carrera is 185mm longer and 30mm wider than the car it replaces, substantially increasing passenger space with the interior widened by 170mm.

The longer nose also increases luggage space in the front to 130 liters while the new, more compact engine improves the storage compartment behind the seats by 25 liters.

In addition to more space for the occupants, the driver benefits from an entirely new dash, largely borrowed from the smaller Boxster, which replaces the ergonomic nightmare of the previous car.

Not all the changes have been designed to improve occupant comfort. Porsche engineers have also worked hard to further refine the car's driving dynamics and efficiency.

The sharply raked windscreen, flush glass and sleek new profile have significantly improved the car's drag coefficient, reduced from 0.34 to 0.30 to reduce fuel consumption about 10 percent.

The new body is about 50 percent stiffer, offering improved handling and greater safety performance.

Other standard safety items include an antilock system on ventilated disc brakes and dual front and side air bags.

According to Porsche engineers, the stiffer body has also allowed them to make the suspension more supple to soak up small bumps without losing any handling performance.

Despite the significant styling changes, Porsche has maintained its traditional power train layout with a "boxer" engine, albeit a new smaller capacity, more powerful and for the first time water-cooled unit, mounted at the rear driving the rear wheels.

The new six-cylinder, horizontally opposed, 3.2-liter engine lifts maximum power to 221kW at 6,800rpm and peak torque of 350Nm at 4,600rpm.

Driving through a new six-speed manual gearbox, the alloy engine is able to propel the car to from 0-100kmh in just 5.2 seconds before reaching a top speed of 280kmh.

The 911 Carrera is also available with Porsche's now five- speed Tiptronic automatic transmission, which allows either full- automatic operation or driver-operated sequential gear changing via buttons on the steering wheel.

To ensure the new car stays firmly on the road, the standard 17-inch alloy wheels are shod with 205/50 Pirelli P-Zeros on the front and 255/40 tires on the rear.

Optional 18-inch wheels are also available with 225/40 front and 265/35 rear tires.

The new 911 Carrera is the first of the new range to arrive and if Indomobil gets the go-ahead could be in production here by 1999.

The Turbo-bodied Carrera S and four-wheel drive Carrera S4, along with the actual turbo-engined 911, are due to be launched in Europe at the Geneva motor show next March.