Porsche 911 Reviews

The Macan, and Taycan may be Porsche's big money spinners, but the 911 owns the heart of the brand. And the 911 GT3 is a pure expression of its dynamic potential. Where better to experience the abilities of the new, seventh-generation version than a track test at Sydney Motorsport Park.

Now well into its sixth decade, Porsche's 911 Turbo is arguably the world's most recognisable supercar. As the years and model generations have passed, it's grown faster, but bigger and heavier. Does the current Turbo S flagship build on this modern classic's legacy?

The 992 series of the iconic Porsche 911 is off to a hot start, can the entry-level Carrera Coupe keep it on pace?

You're never going to mistake it for anything but a Porsche 911, but this eighth-generation version of one of the world's most iconic sports car is all-new, and all-brilliant.

The Porsche 911 Carrera S will turn heads. It did when I drove it, wherever I drove it. That's just the sort of car the new 911 is. But in 992 guise, is the new model more than just a pretty face? I spent a bit over eight hours in one to find out. Poor, poor me.

Launch pricing, before on-road costs, for the Porsche 911 Carrera 4S  starts at $281,800 for the Coupe, stepping up to $302,600 for the Cabriolet version.And aside from the new 911’s comprehensive safety and performance packages the standard features list is an impressive roll-call.It kicks off with partial leather trim, complete with chequered flag style cloth inserts over heated 14-way electrically-adjustable sports seats (with memory package), a leather-trimmed sports steering wheel, dual-zone climate control air conditioning, ‘Porsche Communication Management’ (audio, navigation, communication and assistance systems), 12-speaker Bose Surround Sound-audio (including digital radio), Apple CarPlay (no Android Auto), keyless entry and start, rain-sensing wipers, LED auto headlights, the characteristic ‘4-point’ LED daytime running lights plus LED tail-lights, the ‘Carrera S’ alloy wheels, active cruise control, the 10.9-inch multimedia screen, and twin 7.0-inch digital instrument screens.The 911’s rear-mounted, all-alloy 3.0-litre, twin-turbo flat six-cylinder engine now features high-pressure piezo injectors and bigger turbos for more power (+22kW) and torque (+30Nm), with outputs reading 331kW (444 horsepower) at 6500rpm and 530Nm from 2300-5000rpm.Although the new 911 hasn’t been given a safety rating by ANCAP or Euro NCAP, you could argue its exceptional dynamic ability represents one giant, five-star safety feature.With the optional Sport Chrono package the roughly 1.5-tonne C4S will accelerate from 0-100kmh in just 3.4sec. Even without it that number only drops by two tenths.In designing a modern sports car, who’d hang the engine over the back wheels? This layout just shouldn’t work in the way it does, but Porsche has continued to evolve and hone the 911 to an incredibly fine point. It’s a simply superb sports car experience.

Launch pricing, before on-road costs, for the Porsche 911 Cabriolet starts at $286,500 for the rear-wheel drive Carrera S, stepping up to $302,600 for the all-wheel drive Carrera 4S versionAnd aside from the new 911’s comprehensive safety and performance packages the standard features list is an impressive roll-call.It kicks off with partial leather trim, complete with chequered flag style cloth inserts over heated 14-way electrically-adjustable sports seats (with memory package), a leather-trimmed sports steering wheel, dual-zone climate control air conditioning, ‘Porsche Communication Management’ (audio, navigation, communication and assistance systems), 12-speaker Bose Surround Sound-audio (including digital radio), Apple CarPlay (no Android Auto), keyless entry and start, rain-sensing wipers, LED auto headlights, the characteristic ‘4-point’ LED daytime running lights plus LED tail-lights, the ‘Carrera S’ alloy wheels, active cruise control, the 10.9-inch multimedia screen, and twin 7.0-inch digital instrument screens.The 911’s rear-mounted, all-alloy 3.0-litre, twin-turbo flat six-cylinder engine now features high-pressure piezo injectors and bigger turbos for more power (+22kW) and torque (+30Nm), with outputs reading 331kW (444 horsepower) at 6500rpm and 530Nm from 2300-5000rpm.Although the new 911 hasn’t been given a safety rating by ANCAP or Euro NCAP, you could argue its exceptional dynamic ability represents one giant, five-star safety feature.With the optional Sport Chrono package the roughly 1.5-tonne C4S will accelerate from 0-100kmh in just 3.4sec. Even in its ‘slowest’ non-Chrono CS form that number only drops by three tenths.In designing a modern sports car, who’d hang the engine over the back wheels? This layout just shouldn’t work in the way it does, but Porsche has continued to evolve and hone the 911 to an incredibly fine point. It’s a simply superb sports car experience.

The 911 Carrera T sheds weight and sharpens its focus, but keeps the entry Carrera's drivetrain. Is it worth the extra $17,500?

The latest 911 to come to market is the best of the bunch. The GTS, a more powerful, more pretty version of the Carrera S that hits the 911 sweet spot like a perfectly played tennis forehand.

Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the 2016 Porsche 911 Carrera S with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.