992 Generation
2019-
Units Produced: Ongoing
In continuing with the always notable evolution of the 911, the 992 provides yet another significant shift from the generation preceding it. The car is 45 mm (1.8 in) wider and now uses aluminum body panels. The 992 also has a new rear bumper with larger exhaust tips than its predecessor. The front of the car is designed to mimic the appearance of an early 911 in a modern fashion. 992 models have electrical pop-out door handles, a retractable rear spoiler and LED headlights. All models also feature a full-length rear light bar. The interior also has received significant changes including a straighter dashboard which harks back to the shape of the dash board used on the classic 911. Inside the cabin, the traditional five-dial instrument cluster remains a fixture but is more digitized than ever before. Only the central tachometer stays analog, and is flanked on each side by LCD screens which can be customized to display a wide array of information pertaining to navigation, performance, infotainment, driver aids and more. Night-vision assistance and a 360-degree parking camera, are also optional features to debut for the new 911.
The 992 generation of Porsche 911 carries forward the use of twin-turbocharged engines throughout the entire Carrera range, which was a practice first introduced in the outgoing 991.2 generation of cars. Nevertheless, the Turbo models continue to differentiate themselves from the other variants by having the most powerful (3.7L) engines, and come exclusively with all-wheel drive.
This will make the 992 the first complete generation in the German automaker’s history to exclusively use forced induction power plants; although, all signs do currently point towards the upcoming 992-gen GT3 and GT3 RS remaining naturally-aspirated, which would be the exception while not breaking tradition with any previous iterations of those models.
The ubiquitous use of twin-turbocharged engines is just one of many material changes at play, with distinguishable developments in the car’s design language, drivetrain and chassis, all forming part of the transformation.
Compared to the twin-turbocharged 991.2-gen models, the 992 sees improvements in power and efficiency across the entire model range. This is achieved through the use of a larger intercooler and improved airflow into and out of the engine. Using the 992 Carrera S as a baseline, this equates to a 30 hp gain over the previous generation’s model.
The ever-present PDK dual-clutch transmission remains fundamentally unchanged, but is now an 8-speed instead of a 7-speed. Referred to as “PDK 2”, it is shared with the new Panamera and also differs via the use of a four-shaft design instead of two-shaft design used in previous iterations. This new design was fashioned to save space, above all else, and doesn’t offer any notable improvements in performance or efficiency. The 7-speed manual transmission is carried over from the 991-gen.
Another distinction of the 992 cars is that all models now share the same wide bodywork architecture, which was previously reserved only for all-wheel-drive models (and GTS models) from the past. This means that all 911 models now have the voluptuous “wide body” frame in the rear; it is no longer a distinguishing feature, regardless of trim or drivetrain. All 992 cars come with a 1.6” wider track in front as well, to accommodate the overall change.
For the first time, the Porsche 911 now features an advanced “wet driving mode” as standard. Sensors are able to determine how wet the contact patch is based on the amount of “spray”, and stability-control kicks in with a higher degree of sensitivity when certain parameters are met. This occurs regardless of what driving mode is currently selected, but there is also a dedicated “Wet Mode” which can be selected to provide settings tailored even more specifically to such conditions.
Most of the models variants are expected and familiar, with such variants as the GTS, GT3, GT3 RS and GT2 RS a formality at this point.