Porsche 911 Carrera S- A Regeneration For The Better!

The 911 has evolved once again. Is this latest iteration – the 992 – a regeneration for the better?

- John Barker

Enthusiasts anticipate the arrival of each new generation of the 911 with some trepidation. Evolution is inevitable, but its fruits are not always welcomed. Every new 911 is a better car, but there’s often debate around whether it’s a better 911. This is because with each generation, the essential 911 character gets diluted, by the handling being safer and by improved refinement and ever-stricter regulations muting the flat-six. Usually. Seems like the 992 is different…

It certainly looks different, and the all-new body is much more aluminium intensive. All exterior panels are now aluminium and there is no narrow-body 992; it’s one size fits all. The wider-hipped rear is mated to a new, wider track front (+45mm) and also in the mix for the first time are different-size front and rear wheels (20-inch front, 21-inch rear), all of which has the potential to change the 911’s dynamic character. Our first drive is at the Hockenheim circuit so we’ll be able to fully explore the car’s dynamics, and with the Carrera S and 4S both here in otherwise identical specs we’ll also get the chance to discern the differences between the rear- and four-wheel-drive 992.

This is the first time I’ve seen the 992 in the metal, and while I was expecting a chunkier car I wasn’t expecting the sharpness. There’s a crispness of swage and shut line that along with the extended nose gives the new model unexpected definition. The high-mounted, Taycan-style light treatment works too; it’s different, but following the 992 from a distance there’s no doubt it’s a 911, just a more modern one. Put me down as a fan.