Around the world: Porsche 911
Each week we pick a recently launched vehicle and find opinions on it from global experts.
Porsche launched the 911 earlier this year, starting with the coupe (left) and convertible. Photo: Porsche
The Porsche 911 has to be the most iconic and popular sports car for the German brand, and the latest models launched include the coupe, Targa and convertible versions of the famous 2+2 seater.
There are also turbo, 4 and 4S variants plus a speedster version for sale.
Top Gear
The Porsche 911 has been popular for five decades. Photo: Porsche
The British magazine and website gave it 9/10.
“The Porsche 911 has shown an amazing resilience to the fashions of more than five passing decades. Its look, its dynamics and its very purpose have been steadfast and yet adaptive. Now it’s time for the next step, but in the same direction.
The whole body is, to all intents and purposes, new. Before, the shell and skin was two-thirds steel. Now it’s only one-third, the rest being aluminium in sheet, extrusion and cast forms. On the outside every metal panel is changed. The body’s wider and shapelier but still in that blissfully subtle 911 manner.
The new 911, like any 911, is no diva. It’s just a car, that’s the appeal. So the 992 does all the car-like stuff: the boot, the kid-carrying back seats, the practical upright cabin, the glassy view out. Everything just… works. It has soothing daily manners; the ability to slip through traffic or to swallow motorways.”
Car Wow
Porsche recently revealed details of the Targa version., Photo: Porsche
AutoMuse favourite Mat Watson gave it 9/10.
“The latest evolution of the company’s twin-turbocharged 3-litre flat-six petrol engine has that particular requirement covered.
The way the Porsche 911 deals with corners is as impressive as its performance in a straight line. Its powerful brakes give you bags of confidence to barrel into bends, cornering grip in the dry is almost infinite and, even when it does eventually run out, you get fair warning because the steering feels hard-wired to the front tyres.
The excellent forward visibility that helps you place the 911 perfectly in bends pays dividends in town when you’re inching through width restrictors. It’s even a piece of cake to park thanks to its large back window and standard high-definition rear-view camera. It’s this all-round ability that marks the Porsche out from uncompromising sports cars from the likes of Ferrari.”
CarAdvice
The Porsche 911 convertible comes in a variety of models, included the S. Photo: Porsche
The Aussies tested the cabriolet version and gave it 8.8/10
“Is the Carrera S Cabriolet the best sports car money can buy? It's surely right up at the top of the list thanks to an exciting blend of poise and performance.
It’s hardly newsworthy that a 911 is an expensive car, but you’re buying into a legend, and if you walk into a Porsche dealer, you know exactly what you’re in for. The two options you would absolutely have to consider, though, if the full list is stretching the budget too far, are the sports exhaust and Sports Chrono – they are 911 non-negotiables in our book.
The 911 Cab driving mandate is a simple one. Find your favourite piece of twisty road. Select Sport or Sport Plus. Choose a time when no-one is on it, or the traffic will be light at best. Rest assured, you won’t need to be doing warp speed to sample the precision that the 911 Cab can offer. The speed limit – draconian as they are on some of our roads – will be fine for what you need/want to do.”
Car and Driver
The all-new Porsche 911 gets a new interior with the latest technology. Photo: Porsche
The American website was very impressed with it, giving it 10/10.
“From its rear-mounted flat-six engine to its otherworldly handling, the Porsche 911 has preserved the essential elements that made it an icon. Its familiar circular headlights, Coke bottle shape, and sloping rump make it virtually impossible to mistake a 911 for any other sports car.
Climb into its perfectly positioned driver's seat, fire up its powerful and unique-sounding engine, and engage either of its terrific transmissions; Porsche’s legendary 2+2-seater will then proceed to overload you with feedback from its telepathic steering and its peerless performance attributes.
It's offered as a coupe or convertible and with rear- or all-wheel drive. The company's extensive list of options allows it to be personalised for all tastes. The only knock against the 2021 Porsche 911 is that it's too expensive for most enthusiasts to own.”