The all-new Porsche 911 has arrived, and as expected, it’s come to live up to the legacy of its name. Introduced at the Porsche Experience Center days ahead of its public unveiling at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show, the new 992 911 was brought out with the entire 911 family. That’s seven generations worth of one of the most iconic models in the history of the auto industry. Beyond the pomp and grandeur of the car’s unveiling is the car itself. The 992 911 is now faster and more powerful than ever before. It’s loaded with new driver assistance technologies, too, something that future owners — there will be a lot of them — can take advantage off once deliveries of the sports car start in the summer of 2019. The 2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S starts at $113,200, while its big brother, the 911 Carrera 4S, starts at $126,600, excluding the $1,050 in delivery, processing, and handling fees.

It’s incumbent upon Porsche to roll out its best stuff when it comes to the 911. The model deserves that effort, in large part because it is, without question, Porsche’s most important model. If the 992 911 stinks, Porsche’s going to take a huge hit for it. Fortunately, it seems that the German automaker won’t have that problem. The new engine touts improved efficiency as its biggest calling card. It injection process is vastly improved, while the new layout for the turbochargers and intercoolers ensure that the new flat-six unit is functioning to its full capacity without any hiccups. All told, the turbocharged six-cylinder produces 443 horsepower. That’s an important number because it represents an increase of 23 horsepower over the outgoing model. Granted, Porsche hasn’t released torque numbers, but expect it to be more than the 368-pound-feet of torque output of the current model. Both models also feature an eight-speed, dual-clutch PDK transmission. More importantly, Porsche has promised a manual transmission 992 911. There’s no specific timetable on when that version arrives — Porsche only says it’s happening at “a later date” — but three-pedal purists should nonetheless be jumping for joy at the moment.

Power and transmission options notwithstanding, what’s really important, at least for future buyers of the 911, is how fast the sports coupe is. On that end, the Porsche 992 911 doesn’t disappoint, either.

Throw in the Sport Chrono Package — there’s really no reason why you shouldn’t — on the Carrera 4S and that time drops to a silly 3.2 seconds. For a little perspective, the current 911 Carrera S can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. It can do the same in 3.9 seconds, provided that it comes with a PDK transmission, and 3.7 seconds if it’s loaded with the Sport Chrono Package. Imagine that. In its base form, the new 911 Carrera S can hit 60 mph from a standstill position faster than its predecessor with a Sport Chrono Package. As for the new Carrera 4 S, let’s just say that with the Sports Chrono Package, it’s faster by a whopping 0.6 seconds to 60 mph compared to the current 911 GT3. Even more impressive, it’s barely 0.5 seconds slower than the 911 GT2 RS, a car that costs almost $300,000. The two-wheel drive Carrera S tops at 191 mph, which means there’s no change in that department compared to its predecessor.

Drivetrain Specifications - 2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S vs. 2019 Porsche 911 Carrera S

2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S

2019 Porsche 911 Carrera

Cylinder layout / number of cylinders

Boxer 6 Twin-Turbo

Twin-turbocharged boxer 6

Displacement

3.0 l

3.0 l

Engine layout

Rear engine

Rear engine

Max. Power

443 HP @ 6,500 RPM

420 HP @ 6,500 RPM

Torque

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

368 LB-FT @ 1,700-5,000 RPM

Top Track Speed

191 mph PDK

191 mph (manual) 190 mph (PDK)

Acceleration 0 - 60 mph

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

4.1 sec manual (3.9 sec PDK; 3.7 sec (PDK with Sport Chrono))


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The 992 911’s power and performance capabilities stood out as the biggest headlines of the all-new 911, don’t sleep on the bags of new technological goodies the sports coupe is also packing. It comes as standard equipment on the new 911, which should be good news for those who take out their 911s no matter the weather conditions. In cases of rain, the new Wet Mode function detects water on the road, preconditions the stability control and tai-lock brake systems accordingly, and warns the driver of the potential hazard. Another new and nifty technology is Nigh Vision Assist with a thermal imaging camera. It’s available as an option for the 911 for the first time. The new-generation sports coupe also features a camera-based warning and brake assist system. This tech functions as its described. It detects potential risks of collision with moving objects and initiates emergency braking provided its necessary.

Drivetrain Specifications - 2020 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Vs. 2019 Porsche 911 Carrera S

2020 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S

2019 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S

Cylinder layout / number of cylinders

Boxer 6 Twin-Turbo

Twin-turbocharged boxer 6

Displacement

3.0 l

3.0 l

Engine layout

Rear engine

Rear engine

Max. Power

443 HP @ 6,500 RPM

420 HP @ 6,500 RPM

Torque

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

368 LB-FT @ 1,700-5,000 RPM

Top Track Speed

190 mph PDK

189 mph (manual) 188 mph (PDK)

Acceleration 0 - 60 mph

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

4.0 sec (3.8 sec PDK / 3.6 sec (PDK with Sport Chrono))


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Give credit to Porsche for taking the development of the all-new 992 911 seriously. It could have relied on the model’s cache and status and mailed in the next-gen model’s development. Except it didn’t do that, as it should. Instead, Porsche went back to the garage to build the new 992 911 and turn it into a model that justifies its next-gen status. Really, what more can you ask from one of the world’s most legendary nameplates?

Further Reading

Read our full speculative review on the 2020 Porsche 911

Read our speculative review on the 2020 Porsche 911 Speedster

Read our full specuatlive review on the 2020 Porsche 911 Turbo Convertible

Read our speculative review on the 2020 Porsche 911 Turbo

Read our full speculative reveiw on the 2020 Porsche 911 Cabrio

Read our in-depth review of the 2017 Porsche 911 Turbo

Read our full review of the base, 2017 Porsche 911