Porsche Introduces First All-New 911 in 34 Years

After a model run of 34 years, Porsche Cars North America (PCNA) today is introducing a totally new Porsche 911 Carrera at the 1998 Greater Los Angeles Auto Show and North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

According to PCNA President and CEO Frederick J. Schwab this event was inevitable. "We had developed the original Porsche 911 design to the maximum, a point which put it at the epitome of sports car designs" he said. "But our commitment was to take the basic 911 concepts and produce the world's best sports car, and to do this we needed to start with a clean sheet of paper and incorporate newer development and manufacturing techniques.

"And, what better time than 1998, during our golden anniversary, to introduce again, the world's greatest sports car!"

Developed concurrently with the Boxster to maximize production efficiencies and keep costs under control, the 1999 Porsche 91 1 Carrera shares many design, technological and engineering features with the two-seat roadster which was introduced last year. Among the shared features are totally new liquid-cooled engines, brake systems, optional child seats which can automatically deactivate the passenger air bag system and, clearly, a strong family appearance.

From both a design and engineering perspective, however, the new 911 Carrera is quite obviously a Porsche 911. As with every 911 model since its introduction in 1 965, the 1999 Carrera is powered by a horizontally opposed, six-cylinder boxer motor mounted behind the rear axle. The new engine is more compact yet more powerful and fuel efficient than its predecessor.

The new six-cylinder boxer engine displaces 3.4 liters (207 cubic inches), has double overhead camshafts Porsche's VarioCam" valve timing system, resonance intake system, Bosch Motronic M 5.2 ignition/fuel injection controls, and develops 296 horsepower (221 kW) and 258 ft. lbs. (350 Nm) of torque.

While the new Carrera's body is longer, wider and sleeker than any before it, offering greater passenger cabin space and refinement, its design distinctly is an evolutionary one, inspired by the car's heritage.

The Porsche heritage also is evident in the engineering beneath the new sheetmetal. The 911 has independent, aluminum-alloy front and rear suspensions, four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock system (ABS), power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering and a six-speed manual transmission. (An optional new five-speed Tiptronic S automatic transmission is available.)

An automatic climate control system, power mirrors, windows and locks (with integrated security system and remote control), leather seating surfaces, AM/FM/cassette audio system, sunroof and cruise control are among the interior features standard on the new 911.

Rounding out the list of standard features for every new 911 Carrera sold in the United States and Canada is a four-year (doubled from two), 50,000-mile (80,OOO-kilometer) limited warranty.

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