Porsche 911 992 Variant Unveiled

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
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Yesterday, Porsche unveiled the new 992 variant of its iconic 911 Carrera sports car. The 992 is the 8th variant of the 911 model for 2019.

Currently, the 992 is available only in the C4 and C4S models, and with the PDK transmission only (which should be a crime). The 7-speed manual gearbox will become available in Autumn 2019.

All 992 variants of the 911 will be wide body, so no more having to settle for the narrower rear end if you don’t choose the C4, C4S, or Turbo.

I was seriously considering trading in my Tesla model S 90D for a 2019 (or possibly 2018 leftover) 991.2 C4 until the news exploded yesterday about the 992.

Unfortunately, because the manual transmission version of the 992 will not be available until late 2019, I’ll be holding on to the Tesla until then.

Why not just get a 991 and save a few bucks you ask? The answer is I was prepared to do just that but from what I’ve seen, read, and heard of the 992, it is simply better. Although the exterior of the 992 is almost the same as the 991, there are design and functionality changes, as subtle as they may seem, that make a difference to me. Porsche has brought back the full width light bar in the rear. The spoiler has been beefed up and now raises as two speed thresholds. They also gave the exterior door handles proximity sensors so they pop out when the driver approaches the vehicle. I already have this on my Tesla model S so that enhancement doesn’t mean much to me. Because all 992s will have the wide body, which I have always loved, I can now consider the C2 or C2S, save a little money, and still get the body styling I want. There are also interior changes, most of which I really like, in addition to the 30 or so additional HP.

As far as my Tesla is concerned, there are so many reasons I am done with it, not the least of which is it makes me feel like an old grandpa. It’s a boring boat of a sedan, the low-quality materials of the interior make the car feel cheap, and the build quality is slipshod. More importantly for me, however, is sitting at a Supercharger for a half hour or longer every couple of days is draining the bloody life out of me.

I’ve been in love with Porsches even before I had my old 986, and my passion for the brand has only gotten stronger with age.

It’s going to be a long 9 months. :slight_smile:

Does anyone else here own or owned a Porsche? If so, what are your thoughts on the new 992? Also, what Porsche do you (or did you) own, and what are (were) its specs? Did you perform any custom modifications and, if so, what were they?

And if we could keep the air-cooled vs water-cooled arguments to a minimum that would be great.

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I had a screaming yellow '77½ 924 that caused me to sell MGBs. After damaging a fender, I put on a 944 body kit and painted it red. Everybody hates the 924. I liked mine.

I had a white '79 911SC coupé with polished Fuchs wheels and the electric sunroof. No ‘whale tail’, thankyouverymuch. I took out the clunky door panels and put RSR ones in. I also had it fitted with Bilstein sport shocks. I should never have sold that car.

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Hey, I liked the whale tail. :slight_smile:

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I should have said the 924 caused me to sell my MGBs. I didn’t become a dealer! :stuck_out_tongue:

Anyway, the 924 was faster, more comfortable, and handled better than the MGBs. I think people would have liked them if they didn’t have the ‘P-word’ on them.

The turbo tails looked nice (the flat ones, not so much), but they’re not really functional. Unless you’re racing, you don’t need one.

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The Porsche Car Configurator has been updated! You can now configure the 992 911 C2S and C4S. There are also some nice new vehicle colors for the 992 that are not available for the 991.

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Man, OP, you’re my kinda guy. I have driven a couple Porsches, but never a 911 nor have I ever owned one (I am not in the German sports car monetary bracket…American muscle was all I could ever afford).

That being said, I think there’s a lot that the 991 has to offer. As you note, it’s going to be far cheaper (and if you love your Porsches, you know how the options can REALLY add up). From the article I read, the engine is a carryover, faster in 4S configurations, but all within that 3.6-4.2 0-60 time. Plus, I wanted to ask: have you ever tried a PDK tranny?

I haven’t, and I completely understand the manual tranny attachment for a car such as this. But the PDK from everything I have read when in Sport+ mode, rips off shifts that will tear your head off, especially if you opt for the 4S (AWD) version.

I’m undecided. I have never driven a PDK Porsche. But I hear how awesome it is too.

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Yes, I have test driven 1 Porsche with a Gen 1 PDK and 2 with the newest version, and although the purist in me cringes at the thought of this transmission in such a high quality sports car, I grudgingly admit that performance is noticeably better with the PDK than with the manual gearbox. There is no way a human being can manually shift gears as efficiently as the newest dual clutch PDK, there simply isn’t.

The above stated, so what? For me, a Porsche is about the experience of actually driving the car, not about the car driving you. As efficient as the PDK is, the exhilaration of the driving experience is muted with it. Porsche has tried to enhance the overall driving experience by adding the option for paddle shifters but because they are not necessary to drive the car they are, in my opinion, a gimmick, a toy that actually cheapens the experience.

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I’ve owned four Porsches, my last a 2006 Boxster S (987) that I sold about 5 years ago. I can’t picture owning any of the current Porsches. I wouldn’t mind a 997 or (more likely) another 987, but the more recent cars don’t appeal to me more than alternatives (aside from the Macan, oddly).

And sports car guy that I am, with almost everything I’ve owned being a manual (my 928 was an auto) - I’m over it. Gimme a PDK or DSG or whatever - the computers are so much better than I’d be that the fun of rowing my own gears would be diminished by the nagging reality that things could be going better.

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For me, the interior of the 987/997 line looked dated as soon as it debuted in 2005. I much prefer the older 986/996 interiors. That stated, if I were interested in a Boxster the 718 is what I’d get. I’ve driven it and it is quite an amazing car. Performance and power blows my old 986 out of the water.

I have absolutely no love for the Cayenne, Macan, Panamera lines and wish they’d be spun off onto a unique brand. At the urging of a friend I test drove a Panamera. It looked and felt like a Porsche when sitting behind the wheel but it does not drive like one (at least not my expectation of one). It was disconcerting. I did not like it. Then again, the Panamera is a boat, and I hate big cars.

Yeah, I am the opposite. For me, a sports car should have a manual transmission. Manual management of the gears while driving, in conjunction with the feeling of control it provides, is critical to my enjoyment.

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The 718 is nice, but aesthetically it completely breaks with the 550 callback that the Boxster debuted with and that was some of the appeal for me. It’s a great drive and all, but the 987 was already more performance than I ever used - I didn’t need the S, even.

My jaw dropped at the 986/996 interior comment - those interiors were awful, Weidekin’s cost-cutting at its worst. The 997/987 refinements worked wonders, even with the usual annoyances of the period (the switches flaking on all of them).

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More than that, I question the intelligence of applying the 718 moniker in the first place. Other than moving (some would say degrading) from a flat 6 to a 4 cylinder engine, which is a tenuous link at best, there is nothing of the original 718 pedigree in the new car. My feeling is instead of 718 it should have been named simply 982.

Personal preference, I guess, but I feel the interior of the 986 held up much better than the 987. When the 987 debuted I was viscerally repulsed by the interior; it looked like there was more plastic than before and I didn’t care for the design changes at all, and other than killing off the fried egg headlamps there was not much to write home about the exterior either. The next gen. 981 redeemed the model in my eyes.

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The new Porsche 911 992 Los Angeles World Premiere Event: - YouTube

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I’ve been a 911 fan ever since I saw my first one as a young boy in the early 1970s. I’ve always wanted one, and have never yet owned one. I’ve driven a few of them and I like the way they drive.

I own an oldie classic, a 1963 356. It’s my wife’s car, she’s owned it for 25 years. I owned it 18 years ago when we got married. No mods, it’s not an outlaw car. It runs great. But not quick, and that’s okay. I’m the driver, and my wife is my copilot.

I read a Road & Track article about this new 992 and I really like it. Great looking car, and the 911 has for decades been rated and reviewed as an excellent grand tourer. I would love to own one. As I get older (60 is just around the corner) I might want the PDK, but as I write this I’m leaning towards the manual 7-speed.

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Here’s to hoping you and your wife get the 911 of your dreams, Bullitt.

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My brother had a silver one of about the same vintage. Fun car, which I got to drive a couple of times. He ultimately sold it when he hurt his back and couldn’t get that low anymore.

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I bought a 996 last year (wasn’t seriously looking, but a friend found a really nice C2 6-speed at a very attractive price).

I’d heard complaints about the interior, and figured this had to be a weakness. But more than a year later, I haven’t yet run across them. What is supposed to be the problem?
As for the 992: I like the looks of it from all angles except the rear (a badge that says “PORSCHE” in giant letters is gauche). I’m sure the performance of the PDK transmission is great, but I’d rather drive a manual - even if putting me at the controls makes it slower. (Manual transmission will be available at some point.)

It will cost more than 4 times what I paid for my 996, which means I’ll be quite happy to stick with what I’ve got.

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Thank you! But really, the 356 is my wife’s dream car, and we already have that. We’re actually taking it on a Route 66 road trip next fall, when the car will be 56 years old. The road trip will be called “Route 66 in a 56-Year Old 356”. It has a ring to it. Here’s a rough map, it’ll be about 5,000 miles, beginning and ending in San Francisco: https://goo.gl/L9KQUs – (Link is safe. I just created and shortened the URL; oh and that address is a former one).

For me, though, a 911 is still on my list!

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I’ve often wondered how my '66 MGB would stack up against a 356.

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QFT! If (when!) I get mine, I won’t have that badge. I’ll order it with only a simple 911 badge on the rear. Euro delivery, of course, folowed by breaking her in on a road trip through Bavaria and up and over some beautiful Alpine pass roads.

I thnk I’m with you there, too, Xema.

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The quality of materials was a step down from the 993/968/928. Porsche bumped things back up for the 9*7 cars. I’ve heard no complaints about durability, just feel and looks. And there’s a tufted leather interior option on the 996 that looks horrible, imo.