2004 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe 2-door 3.6l on 2040-cars

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Porsche 911 to drop naturally aspirated six-cylinder engine

Rumors that the next-generation Porsche 911 will be completely divorced from naturally aspirated engines are picking up steam. Now, Road & Track is reporting that not only will the next 911, code-named 992, have a turbo-only engine lineup, but that the base Carrera and Carrera S will add the force-induced flat sixes as part of a facelift later this year. R&T only cites "sources familiar with the project," which claim that turbocharged flat-sixes will be at the core of the 992's engine range, alongside a plug-in-hybrid model. A four-cylinder 911 remains unlikely. What's most surprising, though, is how soon Porsche will introduce a turbocharged base-car lineup. Road & Track claims the blown flat-sixes will be added as part of a facelift coming before year's end. Perhaps unwilling to risk the further ire of purists, the current car's seven-speed manual transmission will continue to be sold, alongside the company's excellent PDK automatic transmission. As for when this facelift will happen, the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show in September seems like the most obvious date. Related Video: Featured Gallery Porsche 911 Turbo: Spy Shots View 9 Photos News Source: Road and TrackImage Credit: CarPix Rumormill Porsche

Porsche 991 vs. 930 Flatnose in 911 Turbo convertible faceoff

The Porsche 911 Turbo has a legacy of being a tough car to drive. With a ton of power set right over the rear wheels, its reputation is to lose control as soon as the driver stops concentrating. However, this isn't quite so true anymore. The modern ones are tamed through technology with things like hydraulically controlled engine mounts, not to mention all-wheel drive. In its latest video, Autocar tries to decide whether 25 years of progress really makes the turbo a better vehicle.
It's summer, so what better version to compare than the 911 Turbo Cabriolet? In one corner, Autocar has the latest and greatest 2014 version pumping out 513 horsepower and 486 pound-feet of torque with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Its challenger is a 1989 911 flatnose convertible sporting 326 hp and 347 lb-ft of torque. It's a truly rare car in the UK with only eight of them remaining on the roads in that region.
Granted, this test isn't so much a battle as it is a comparison. There's no question that the modern 911 would beat the classic in practically every objective category. What the video aims to find out is whether the flatnose is better in subjective measurements like its "feel." Scroll down to watch these two droptop Porsches square off.

Porsche still deciding on one or two new 911 plug-in hybrids

Back in March, Porsche CEO Oliver Blume told Autocar that the coming Porsche 911 plug-in hybrid "will be the most powerful 911 we've ever had." That quote portended a 992-series 911 with 700 horsepower or more. A new report in Auto Express, however, suggests Porsche is having energetic debates about just what the 911's hybrid strategy will be, and that the only agreed-upon plug-in hybrid 911 so far is a milder version to sit in the middle of the range. Putting all our rumors in a row, in January, Automobile reported on an electrically-assisted 911 with 485 hp and 561 pound-feet of torque. The new AE piece effectively endorses that, saying the mid-range hybrid would follow the program established by the all-wheel drive Cayenne e-Hybrid that produces a combined 455 hp and 516 lb-ft. The 911 would naturally use a flat-six instead of the Cayenne's 3.0-liter V6, and the sports car would be tuned for better sound response and sharper reflexes. AE says fuel economy for this hybrid should be at least 80 eMPG, with emissions of less than 80 grams per kilometer. The current base Carrera is currently rated at a maximum 38.2 mpg in the UK, with minimum emissions of 169 g/km. The hybrid, fitted with a double-clutch gearbox and Porsche's mechanical all-wheel-drive system, could run from a stop to 62 miles per hour in less than four seconds, making it more efficient than a base Carrera and much faster than a Carrera 4S. AE says there remains only "the potential for Porsche to add a second, more powerful hybrid 911," and says its sources claim that's what's "causing the most consternation behind closed doors." This one would be the twin-turbocharged, 700-hp beastie that, as a series production car, would have a hard time not usurping the 540-hp Turbo, 580-hp Turbo S, and 607-hp Turbo S Exclusive. True, the hybrid would be handicapped with a 550-pound battery pack, but the instant acceleration and handling benefits of electric AWD — with no connection between the axles — could provide the final edge over the other three. As such, it makes sense that there'd be a whole lot of debate about a flagship 911 hybrid. On the other hand, such a monster seems like an eventuality in view of Porsche's electrified aspirations, the lessons gained from the 918 Hybrid and the 919 Hybrid Le Mans racer, and the fact that CEO Blume has already spoken. The Stuttgart carmaker expects a sales mix of 25 percent electric, 25 percent hybrid, and 50 percent conventional powertrains by 2025.