2012 Porsche 911 Carrera
Posted by admin on 21 Jun 2010
The next generation of the Porsche 911 Carrera is due out in Europe in the second half of 2011 and will go on sale in the U.S. in early 2012. The current 911 line-up was introduced in the U.S. in 2005. Although the current vehicle, which is also known as the 997 series, received an update for the 2009 model year, the 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera will be welcomed by Porsche customers when it is introduced.
The new 911 has a codename of 991 and will be a full redesign of the sports car. Porsche will not change much on the external styling, though. Why would they? It has, however, been reported that the wheelbase will be extended by four inches. It is also rumored that the wheelbase will be wider than the current 911.
The prototypes of the new 911 have already been spotted completing cold weather testing. The windshield on the test vehicles is more swept-back than the current 911. The front grill is also wider and lower.
The powertrain changes will be more extensive than those that will be seen in the body work. The base S-model will get a downsized 3.4L of the six-cylinder engine instead of the current 3.6L unit. Despite the small displacement, the 3.4L will produce approximately 350 horsepower which is five more horsepower than the 3.6L.
A new 2012 Carrera RS will use the same 3.8L engine that is available in the 2009 lineup. It will be tuned to have 15 additional horsepower to make a total of 400 horsepower available. All 911 engines will be coupled with standard six speed manual transmissions. An optional double-clutch gearbox will also be available.
Porsche is working on weight reductions for the 2012 Carrera. The target is 130 pounds less than the outgoing 911. The weight reduction and engine upgrade is expected to allow the RS version to go 0 to 60 mph in four seconds. Porsche will use carbon-fiber and plastic composite materials to achieve the weight savings, which will help the line-up achieve improved fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions.
The 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera will probably be introduced to the public at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. The European version will be out first, but the U.S. version will follow close behind. As always, the new 911 will carry on the tradition of former generations and continue to delight Porsche customers.
