A "New" Porsche 911

The Porsche 911 has been around for years now and every year its gotten that little bit better. The 997 generation has been out for some time. Production started in 2006 with the MK1 and is now coming to a close. The MK2 997 has given us some of the most amazing 911's to date. It was during this time period that we saw the "King of the Road"or GT2 RS. Having seeing one of these in person I can tell you it is a truly amazing piece of engineering. Check out the pictures of it on the "CT Auto News" Facebook fan page. The GT2 RS is the most powerful road car they've ever made, although I still believe the Carrera GT should have been left with this title. We also saw a new line of turbo's in the way of the turbo s. Offering more power and even more technology to combat the ruthless Nissan GTR. Different 997 variants such as the Sport Classic, the GTS, the Black Edition and the Speedster all give you a sense of Porsche's expertise. The encore for the 997 generation is the brand new GT3 RS 4.0 which I spoke about earlier in my first blog post. But come September at the Frankfurt Auto Show an all new 911 will be officially introduced. Tagged the 991, this new 911 is going to be a bit larger than the current 997 models. The wheelbase will grow and the interior room will as well. One crucial change in this new 991, is that the engine will be moved ever so slightly forward. Having the engine in the rear has always been what defined Porsche but with the Cayman being so successful with its balance and mid engined poise, bringing it forward won't be such a bad thing. It will still remain "rear engined" in name, but the dynamics will change for the better. Other than the movement of the engine, the gearbox is the next and probably the largest talking point. Car makers are slowly doing away with the manual transmission, something that almost brings a tear to my eye as well as anger. Double clutch gearboxes may be quicker and slightly more economical but they just can't compete with a manual when it comes to driver feel or engagement. Porsche has also gone the way of a double clutch gearbox (porsche doppelkupplung) or PDK but they still offer a manual box for almost all their cars. With this new model though, they are still offering a manual but it is going to have seven speeds instead of the usual six. I'm still trying to work out how they will line the gears up and hopefully it won't be awkward when you're going through them. I have been in touch with one a Porsche Racing spokesperson who was reporting from the 24 hour Nurburgring Race last week and he gave me a few details about this new set up. It will be based off the PDK since that is also a seven speed gearbox, but crucially it will weigh less than the current six speed gearbox. He said because of this twenty pound weight reduction, the longer wheelbase, and moving the engine up a bit, this new 911 will be even more balanced than the outgoing 997. Not only am I intrigued by this new seven speed manny, but also relieved because like I've said before, changing gear yourself is a nice thing to do, its engaging. Taking away this mechanical interface between you and the car might ruin the whole experience. You'd be faster, but not having as much fun. Here's some video of the new 991 911 doing some practice laps at the 'Ring...ENJOY as always http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI81gT0xgW8