As one of the most recognizable names in the car industry, the Porsche 911 is expected to evolve with every new generation and the new 992-gen isn’t any different. The 2020 Porsche 911 992 takes some crucial evolutive steps that didn't cause a drastic transformation, but it did transform it into something better. In every conceivable way. I am giving you 17 facts that prove the new 992 911 is far more than just a redesign. It is a reimagination on such a scale that the 911 kept all the traits of the predecessor, but all traits Porsche engineers and magicians could possibly enhance were incrementally improved.

2020 Porsche 911 99s-Gen Dimensions

As it happens, the 2020 Porsche 911 992 did not grow a lot compared with the previous generation car. 0.8 inches in length does not sound like much, but bear in mind that the 911 has not been a small, nifty car since the 993 generation. In that regard, even 0.8 inches of length means a lot. You are looking here at a car that is 177.9 inches long. That’s 3 series E90 size mind you, and a lot for a 2+2 sports coupe. The 992 911 gained wider hips as well, a wider track, and bigger wheels. Yet, the wheelbase stayed at 96.5 inches.

Obviously, this is the biggest 911 ever. And it could get a tad bigger with the introduction of the mandatory Turbo and GT3 models.

Length:

177.9 inches

Width:

72.9 inches

Height:

51.2 inches

Wheelbase:

96.5 inches


The 2020 Porsche 911 Body is Made Entirely Of Aluminum

When a car manufacturer makes the whole body out aluminum, one would imagine that the car itself has lost some of the heft compared with the previous generation. This is not the case with Porsche. Interestingly enough, making a whole body of aluminum (roof of aluminum, carbon fiber, or magnesium, as per your liking), and installing lighter brakes and pedals, was a way of offsetting the added weight. That added weight came to be thanks to a whole set of added electronic equipment. The new 2020 Porsche 911 basically teems with incredible electronic technology never before seen in this class (and some of it never before seen anywhere).

The 2020 Porsche 911 Has Enlarged Fenders

Widened fenders look awesome on everything - from a Fiat 500, over any truck, to the Porsche 911s. Now, however, all Porsche 911s have wide fenders. And I am fully down with it considering that even the least powerful and entry Porsche 911 Carrera S can reach speeds that were previously limited to the 911 GTS. It is that amazing. So, yes, do wide fenders everywhere you can! Apart from making the 911 look cooler, wider fenders are there for a reason. The new 992 911 received wider tires than ever too, with the track now widened by 1.8 inches in the front and 1.5-inches in the rear.

That is a lot.

The 2020 Porsche 911 Has Flush Door Handles

It seems that flush door handles are the next big deal in the world of cars. The Tesla Model S, Aston Martins, recently the RR Evoque, and even that E-Tron GT Concept are all into flush door handles. The new Porsche 911 992 went down the same route. It has flush door handles that pop out thanks to electric actuators that are activated when you approach the car. I think it looks awesome.

All Trim Levels of The 2020 Porsche 911 has a Rear Light Bar

Previously, the light bar on the rear end was only reserved for high-end versions of the 911. NThis is obviously the new big trend in the industry and, if I am not mistaken, light bars made a big comeback with the Audi A7. Sure, that one did not have a visible light bar between the rear lights. However, it did have a light bar on top of the windshield. It was actually a brake light that looked quite impressive. The Porsche, like almost every other modern high-end car, has a lightbar between the rear lights.

The 2020 Porsche 911 Has a Special Wet Driving Mode

2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S
Porsche 

This may very well be the most important improvement Porsche figured out. The Wet driving mode, when selected, comprehensively changes the character of the 911 by modifying many of the parameters. Selecting the Wet Driving Mode will:

-* Adjust the ABS response

-* Change Stability control settings

-* Soften out the throttle curve (it will not be as brutal)

-* Change differential settings drastically limiting the amount of slip

-* Command the all-wheel-drive system to direct more power to the front wheels at all times

-* Adjust the rear spoiler for maximum downforce to act as an air brake

-* Adjust front intake flaps to provide an additional level of drag adding to the downforce.

Obviously, changes like this will greatly affect the behavior of the new 911. So much so that those who drove the car basically said it is uncrashable on wet roads when the Wed Mode is selected.

How can you know when to select it? (aside from actually seeing that’s raining?)

They listen for when water starts bouncing within the wheel wells and send a signal to the digital display behind the steering wheel suggesting the driver select “Wet Mode.” Of course, you don’t have to do that, but if you do, the Porsche ECU will dramatically change the behavior of the car. It will not allow for any brutal acceleration, and it will drastically limit the power to the wheels when in bends, so even if you press the gas pedal to the max, it will not apply that much power.

While this sounds eerie, overprotective, and too safe for a car of this stature, I can only say that it is needed as even the least powerful 911s have become animals that feel more like supercars than sports cars.

Plus, you simply don’t have to listen to it and try your luck out.

The 2020 Porsche 911 Does Have the Five Five Traditional Analog Gauges Anymore

For the first time in the line of 911 cars, Porsche dispensed with the five analog instrument table gauges. Yes, five rings are still there, but only the center one is analog. Of course, this is needed considering the fact that the Porsche 911 got so much electronic tech inside it needs additional real estate to showcase all the needed information for drivers. Believe it or not, this is one of the principal reasons all modern, high-end cars are getting the LCD screens instead of the standard analog instrument clusters.

At the center of the console, Porsche found enough space to integrate the 10.9-inch screen of the Porsche Communication Management (PCM). It is much the same system found in the latest Porsche Cayenne, and this means that it features online-navigation with swarm-based data and Porsche Connect Plus as standard. Basically, it will communicate with other Porsche vehicles on the road. For example, if those acoustic sensors sense water on the roads, the system will communicate with other compatiable Porsche cars on the road to tell them about the impending changing conditions. This probably lowers the chances of an accident.

The 2020 Porsche 911 is Offered with a Manual Transmission

Yup, the manual tranny is still here. Not for the most potent of versions of the 911, but for the lesser variants. I believe it will be the same seven-speed manual transmission carried over from the likes of the 991-gen 911.

Despite the perfection of the new PDK, the manual is safe for now. After all, August Achleitner, Chief Engineer of the 911 said that he intends on keeping the manual in the 911 for as long as possible.

The 2020 Porsche 911 is Five Seconds Faster On The Nurburgring

Before officially unveiling the car, Porsche drove numerous laps over the Nurburgring to test the new 992-gen 911. Of course, it measured the times, and something extraordinary happened. That is exactly 5 seconds quicker compared with the previous gen Carrera S. At this point; I am getting back to that sentence where I said that the Porsche 911 is more of a supercar than a sports car. Achieving such Green Hell time means that the newest Porsche 911 Carrera S is faster than the Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4, the Enzo Ferrari, or the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series.

Honestly, I am freaking amazed by this achievement more so than with that “Wet mode" thingy.

The 2020 Porsche 911 Carrera And Carrera S Deliver More Power than Before

Porsche's latest line of engines proved rather well in the previous generation of the 911. However, Porsche engineers did a thing or two to improve them even further. Well, not a thing or two, but a “thing or five”? Now, the 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged engine, known as the 9A2 Evo, produces 444 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. It is the power of the engine in the previous 911 GTS. However, compared with that one, the new Porsche 911 Carrera S' engine is considerably different.

First of all, it gained completely different turbochargers with larger impellers and compressors. The turbos are rigged to provide completely symmetrical pre-performance. They both do the task to achieve the same result. Of course, the intakes are changed, as is the camshaft. The camshaft cross-section is different and formed to create better fuel atomization. As it turns out, this is the main reason behind the better fuel efficiency of the new engine. I can only assume that the Carrera will gain at least 15-20 horsepower over the previous gen model. Expect 385 horsepower for the Carrera and the Carrera 4 911.

2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S

2020 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S

Cylinder layout / number of cylinders

Boxer 6 Twin-Turbo

Boxer 6 Twin-Turbo

Displacement

3.0 l

3.0 l

Engine layout

Rear engine

Rear engine

Max. Power

443 HP @ 6,500 RPM

443 HP @ 6,500 RPM

Torque

390 LB-FT @ 2,300-5,000 RPM

390 LB-FT @ 2,300-5,000 RPM

Top Track Speed

191 mph PDK

190 mph PDK

Acceleration 0 - 60 mph

3.5 sec PDK / 3.3 sec (PDK with Sport Chrono)

3.4 sec PDK / 3.2 sec (PDK with Sport Chrono)


The 2020 Porsche 911 Offers Up Incredible Performance

Again, I am coming back to calling the new 911 Carrera S and the 911 Carrera 4S supercars rather than sports cars. Porsche managed to do a LOT with 444 horsepower. The performance is simply incredible:

-* Top Speed: 190 mph for the Carrera S

-* 0-60 mph: 3.5 seconds

This is for the least equipped cars. Get this - the Carrera 4S will do 0-60 mph in 3.4 seconds. That’s incredible, to say the least. At the far end, the Sport Chrono equipped 911 Carrera S will do 191 mph (C4S is at 190 mph). Call me old-fashioned, but this is supercar quick and supercar fast.

The 2020 Porsche 911 Rides on the New MMB Platform

While the 911, as always, has an engine hanging behind the rear axle, this platform actually makes it possible for Porsche to produce cars on top of it with a mid-mounted engine. In that regard, the 718 Boxster and the 718 Cayman will come of this platform as well. A third car is also planned, but we do not have a clue what that car will actually be. Maybe a mid-engined Porsche to compete with the likes of the 488 and the 720S. I’d put my money on that. Apart from having such a modular nature, the platform can support hybridization.

The 2020 Porsche 911 Can't Reach its Rated Top Speed In Seventh Or Eighth Gear!

Believe it or not, the new Porsche 911 992 can’t reach its top speed in top gear. The new eight-speed PDK transmission is a work of art for sure, but for the top speed run, you don’t have to go higher than sixth gear. These are really long gears. In contrast, the first gear is really short. Among other things, this made it possible for Porsche to create such a quick accelerating Porsche 911.

The 2020 Porsche 911 Makes Amazing Use Of GPS Location Data and its Gearbox

First of all, the GPS is used to help the gearbox adjust its behavior on the road. As the GPS knows about the hills, straights or drops (basically, topography) in front of the 911, the central computer will adjust the behavior accordingly for the best possible fuel efficiency and performance. This is something that was done before with the likes of BMW and, most notably, Rolls-Royce cars. Yet, it sits well with the Porsche too. I remember about the time when Porsche developed this feature with the prototype Porsche Panamera some five years ago. Yet, it will never remove the steering wheel from the car.

Apart from this awesome feature, the GPS location is used to control the car and gearbox aggressiveness. As TopGear explains, the system will recognize if you are driving in the city and will limit the capacity for brutal acceleration or sound output from the exhaust. Of course, one can turn this function off.

The 2020 Porsche 911 Will Drift Endlessly

“Though drifting isn’t a performance attribute, and it doesn’t make you faster, it is fun. The new Carrera 4’s front axle and differential have 300 percent better cooling performance than in the 991-gen Carrera 4 S.”

This says a lot. While drifting wasn’t their primary goal here, it is good to know that creating such an effective differential cooling system added a lot to the fun factor of the new Porsche 911 992.

The 2020 Porsche 911's Transmission is Ready For The Integration Of The Electric Motor

By accepting the transmission from the new Panamera - that cool eight-speed PDK - Porsche also hinted at something incredible.

The Bigger concern at this point are the batteries. Yet, some report that the MMB platform offers plenty of space for the batteries too. The only downside is that the batteries and the e motor will additionally increase the weight of an already heavy 911 992. I can’t wait to see if the 911 will become a hybrid.

The 2020 Porsche 911 Comes Standard with Pirelli PZero Tires

As always, cars of this stature require some proper rubber. The 911, with its exceptionally brutal gearbox and super raspy engine, has Pirelli PZero Tires on all four corners. With an increased track and suspension that is 30-percent stiffer, these extra wide tires provide unmatched levels of grip.

However, previously known as N-spec tires, the new Porsche 992 will actually get NA0 tires. These, as was the case with the N-spec tires, will be followed in the future with the NA1, NA2, etc. tires. This is to note the tire evolution and advancements, and actually lead the owner to buy tires with a proper designation for his/her Porsche. So, if you are in the market for the all-new Porsche 911 992, you need to know that the only tires that fit perfectly are the NA0-specced units. Right now, apart from the aforementioned Pirelli tires, Porsche noted that the Michelin Pilot Super Sport will also be available.

Final Thoughts

Once again, Porsche outdid itself and created a car that breaks the rules of the sport. I can't even imagine what kind of a monster the succeeding versions will be. The Carrera 4S can do 60 mph in 3.2 seconds. The Turbo S could be a second quicker than that. I am amazed by the new 911. So much so, I think it is The car. The best car!

Further Reading

Read our full review on the 2020 Porsche 911

Read our full review of the base, 2017 Porsche 911