2016 Porsche 911 Carrera, Carrera S facelift revealed – twin-turbo flat-six with 420 hp, 0-100 km/h in 3.9 secs

2016-991-gen-porsche-911-carrera-carrera-s-facelift-12

It had to happen sooner or later, right? The 991-generation 2016 Porsche 911 Carrera and Carrera S facelift models have been revealed with turbocharged engines and minor physical alterations ahead of the pair’s physical debut at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show.

As expected, exterior changes are about as minute as it gets with the front end receiving new headlights with four-point LED daytime running lights, new wheel designs, integrated door handle recesses, redesigned taillights and most noticeably, a reworked rear deck lid with vertical louvres.

The most significant upgrade is to be found beneath the skin, as mentioned. For the first time, the Carrera and Carrera S will be equipped with a biturbo 3.0 litre flat-six engine. In the entry-level Carrera, said mill pumps out a total of 370 PS and 450 Nm of torque. The same engine in the Carrera S puts out 420 PS and 500 Nm thanks to a “a model-specific exhaust system and different tune for the engine management system.”

Click to enlarge images.

Straight-line performance figures include a 0-100 km/h time of just 4.2 seconds and 3.9 seconds – top speed is rated at 295 km/h and 308 km/h for the Carrera and Carrera S, respectively. Said figures were achieved with the inclusion of Porsche’s seven-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission and Sport Chrono Package. Rear-wheel steering is optional while a seven-speed manual transmission is standard in both models.

Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) is also featured as standard. With Sport Chrono Package added, the new 911 models will also feature a rotary switch within the steering wheel (a feature seen on the 918 Spyder) that offers drivers a total of four driving modes – Normal, Sport, Sport Plus, and Individual. Porsche claims that all these changes have resulted in a Nurburgring lap time of just 7:30.

Inside, upgrades are limited to the aforementioned revised steering wheel with a rotary switch and a new Porsche Communication Management infotainment system. The latter features a seven-inch touchscreen display, Apple CarPlay compatibility and a navigation platform with Google Earth and Google Streetview integration. A smartphone tray with wireless charging is to be found within the armrest.

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Gregory Sze

An “actor” by training, Gregory Sze realised that he has had enough of drama in his life. Following his number one passion (acting was actually number two), he decided to make the jump into the realm of automotive journalism. He appreciates the simple things in life – a simple car with nothing but back-to-basics mechanical engineering and minimal electronics on board.

 

Comments

  • Locomotion on Sep 07, 2015 at 10:16 am

    Most beautiful rear in history of 911 ! I want one now. When officially available here?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
  • katak on Sep 07, 2015 at 10:30 am

    Same old frog design. Boring.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 8
    • rally_fan (Member) on Sep 07, 2015 at 11:15 am

      and still one of the most desireable cars in the world despite what you said…

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 0
      • kington on Sep 07, 2015 at 11:49 am

        True, when i was young, i hated Porsches. I guess most of us grew up salivating over the Countach, F40, 288 GTO and etc..

        But once you drive one, it really liberates your perception of driving a sports car.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
        • GT3 (Member) on Sep 07, 2015 at 9:26 pm

          It’s normal, back when we love cars but with minimal knowledge of them, we tend to love cars by their design; therefore luring after F40, F50, F355, Countach, etc.
          Good old days having those posters on my walls and study desk, and also driving them on Need For Speed 3 in Windows 98 PC.

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
    • They sell around ten times more of the old frog design than any competitor worldwide. What shall they do? Change the design, so that they sell less?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
  • kington on Sep 07, 2015 at 10:30 am

    I last drove a 997 Carrera S with a 6 speed manual gearbox back in 2009. It was an experience to savor.

    I still can’t understand why they needed this 7 speed manual box. When it was launched with the 991 911, i read that you can’t shift down from 7th to 4th even if the engine speed is at an acceptable level.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 2
    • They had to do this because of fuel economy regulations in the EU. This is also the reason why they changed to turbo btw.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
    • GT3 (Member) on Sep 07, 2015 at 9:31 pm

      Lucky you! How was the manual transmission on 997, is it nice?
      The 7-speed box in 991 is produced to meet current emission standard. 1st to 6th is accelerating gears, while 7th is not to increase your speed, but to reduce rpm for high speed cruising.
      The 7th can’t be engaged unless you’re in the row of 5th and 6th gear. It is to avoid drivers accidentally shift into 7th from 4th when they actually want to upshift to 5th during “spirited driving”.
      That’s why you can’t engage 4th from 7th, unless you’re in 6th or 5th.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
      • kington on Sep 07, 2015 at 11:27 pm

        Yes, it was quite an experience. Prior to that i’ve only sampled a 5 speed auto 996 911 Turbo which was quite a car although the “sunny side up” headlamp design of the entire 996 series was much unloved.

        Yes i read from Torque Singapore, that the 7th was meant for emissions purpose but it just feels weird. Then again, not many buy manual sports cars these days.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • Still can’t tell the difference from the old one.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 3
  • ABTguy (Member) on Sep 07, 2015 at 12:06 pm

    Most Carrera fans are pro N/A type of users, and by introducing turbo 3.0 flat six on Carrera it lose some driving pleasure I believe.

    Porsche should do a supercharged flat-six instead, as it is more linear than a turbocharged one.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 2
  • shawal on Sep 07, 2015 at 12:56 pm

    Road tax is down from RM 5730 to RM 2130 for the carrera S

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • Personally I still prefer 997’s rear but I love the front bumper plus the slim DRL that’s integrated into the bumper which is better looking compared to pre-facelift 991.
    Interior-wise needless to say that I like the front console that resembles cockpit where the buttons are easily accessible compared to the 997; also the 918-inspired steering with buttons to control the infotainment as well as driving mode. This is definitely more convenient than having to press the Sport Plus button on my 997 dashboard behind the gear stick.
    Contrary to popular belief that Porsche purists love NA engine compared to the Turbo, I am sure that the new model will win many hearts due to the turbo-charged flat six engine which can be tuned compared to the NA. I just hope that they get rid of the turbo lag problems which will kill the joy of driving. Therefore, for those who want raw power of NA engine will have to settle for 991.1 model.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • Jezebel on Sep 07, 2015 at 3:40 pm

    So should I call the new 911 911 turbo?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • 4G63T DSM on Sep 07, 2015 at 3:44 pm

    Progress.

    A “normal Carrera” almost closely matches the performance of a once a time automotive Tour de force born and bred with a cost-is-off-no-concern 959.

    I wont bemoan the loss of the NA. The fastest 911s have always been force fed.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • spock1976 (Member) on Sep 12, 2015 at 8:11 am

    Apple carplay? But I only have Samsung…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
 

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