New Porsche 911 Carrera - In Depth

Lighter exhaust system with cascade-type catalyst

The “heart" of this highly efficient catalyst system is the so-called cascadetype catalyst, a two-stage catalytic converter comprising two monolithic bodies varying in diameter and featuring new surface coating. With the diameter of the monoliths being reduced, exhaust gas flows through the front monolith at a higher speed and warms it up to operating temperature quickly and efficiently, thus decisively shortening the time required by the catalyst to respond and build up its catalytic effect. Advanced thin-wall technology, in turn, allows a reduction in wall thickness on the exhaust system from 1.5 to 1.2 millimetres, saving approximately 5.5 kilos or 12.1 lb in the process.

New six-speed gearbox

Gear ratios have been reduced by approximately 5 per cent in response to the change in transmission attributable to the large rear wheels. This provides the same overall transmission ratio as in the former model, the new 911 Carrera S once again achieving its top speed in sixth gear shortly before maximum engine speed.

New synchromesh for an even smoother and faster gearshift

The new 911 Carrera comes with Porsche's well-known single-disc dry clutch featuring lead-free clutch pads. The 911 Carrera S, on the other hand, is fitted for the first time with a self-adjusting clutch keeping the force exerted on the pedal by the driver when disengaging the clutch and the contact point of positive power engagement absolutely consistent throughout the entire service life of the clutch. The clutch pads themselves are adequately large and resistant to last for approximately 80,000 kilometres or 50,000 miles, even with a sporting style of motoring.

Enhanced Tiptronic S available as an option

Moving the selector lever from the automatic lane to the left into the manual mode, the driver is able to shift gears himself via Porsche's well-known paddles on the spokes of the steering wheel, the transmission responding quickly and smoothly, without any interruption of drive power, to the driver's commands. A further option is to use the paddles in the automatic mode, for example to shift down spontaneously when overtaking or to use the brake power of the engine when approaching a bend.

Spontaneous and extra-comfortable all in one

Typical examples of such a downshift in the overrun mode are the automatic process of shifting down when applying the brakes or an active downshift by the driver via the paddles on the steering wheel. The increase in engine speed serving to compensate for this effect cuts in before the engine is able to build up any drag force. And as part of PSM Porsche Stability Management, this engine control function also prevents the rear wheels from locking as soon as rear wheel spin exceeds a certain level.

The PSM OFF function of Tiptronic S has also been modified in its details: With the selector lever in manual and the PSM OFF switch activated, the transmission is prevented from shifting up when the engine reaches its speed limit. Accordingly, the driver is now able to drive close to the engine speed limit without transmission management intervening.

As with the manual gearbox, one of the objectives in enhancing Tiptronic S was to maintain the same overall transmission ratio as before. To achieve this effect, a shorter spur gear ratio sets off the increase in wheel size. On the road, this sporting overall transmission concept means that the new 911 coupés fitted with Tiptronic S once again reach their top speed in fifth gear.

Chassis and Brakes

Active Chassis for Supreme Dynamics

Apart from the “regular" chassis and suspension, the new 911 Carrera is also available with two other chassis options: new, active PASM Porsche Active Suspension Management featured as standard on the 911 Carrera S and a sports suspension with a mechanical differential on the rear axle. So depending on his or her personal demands, the customer has the choice for the first time either of the variable PASM suspension or a particularly sporting and dynamic suspension on the 911 Carrera.

Front axle with weight-optimised components

New: rack-and-pinion steering with variable transmission ratio

In addition to the existing adjustment for reach by 40 millimetres or 1.57", the steering wheel can now also be adjusted manually for height also by up to 40 millimetres or 1.57". This allows the driver to set the steering wheel even more precisely to his needs and find his optimum seating position at all times. The new electrical steering wheel lock is integrated into the networked immobiliser system in the interest of enhanced anti-theft security. Operating and control comfort is also increased, with the electric lock recognising whether the steering column is subject to distortion forces when locked and, if necessary, giving the driver a written message (“unload steering") in the instrument cluster.

Rear axle with new aluminium subframe

New: active PASM suspension

Pressing a button in the centre console, the driver has the choice of two suspension programs. Depending on his preference, a damper symbol and the message “PASM Normal" or “PASM Sport" will then appear in the instrument cluster for four seconds. The normal set-up provides a more comfortable damper setting changing gradually to a sporting mode as soon as the driver adopts a more dynamic style of motoring. Particularly on long trips on the motorway the car's occupants will enjoy a far higher standard of comfort, PASM absorbing minor and medium bumps on the surface much better and more smoothly than the standard suspension. By contrast, the sports set-up activates a harder damper control map for a very agile and dynamic style of motoring, the features and qualities thus provided being quite comparable to those of an all-out sports suspension. Minimisation of body roll ensures fast lap times confirmed by numerous measurements at Nürburgring, where the sporting set-up serves to cut an average of 5 seconds off lap times compared with the standard suspension.

Adaptive dampers optimising sports performance and motoring comfort all in one

The control unit compares the signals transmitted by the two accelerometers fitted on the damper domes front right and rear left to the car's lateral acceleration, steering angle, road speed, brake pressure, and engine torque. Taking this data provided by the CAN-bus, the system determines the optimum damper control line and sets the dampers to the appropriate level and response on each wheel.

The right control map for each purpose

• Lane change module: In response to fast movements of the steering wheel, for example in a sudden manoeuvre, the system instantaneously increases damper forces on both axles. This reduces side sway or any process of the body starting to “rock" and makes the car much easier to handle above all in an extreme situation.
• Vertical control module: In the normal program damper forces are increased whenever vertical movement of the car's body exceeds a certain threshold, for example when driving over bumps on the road. This reliably prevents any risk of the body starting to “rock" and develop particular momentum. In the sports program, by contrast, the system slightly reduces the damping effect in the interest of better wheel contact on the road in response to greater body motion. This prevents the risk of the car “jumping" or moving around, at the same time ensuring a significant improvement of motoring comfort.
• Lateral acceleration module: In the normal program the damping effect is increased to a varying, different extent at the inside and the outside in a bend, as a function of road speed and lateral acceleration. This again prevents the body of the car from “rocking up" and significantly improves driving precision.
• Brake module: As soon as the driver starts to apply the brakes, PASM switches to a harder damping effect in order to reduce body dive. This ensures faster transmission of brake forces to the road for optimum brake power. Then, during the brake application process, the system switches over to a softer control line after a certain period, applying different forces on the front and rear axle. Particularly on bumpy roads, this ensures better surface contact and serves to reduce stopping distances.
• Load change module: When accelerating all-out, with the driver taking his foot off the accelerator, and in shifting gears, the damper control maps are switched and modified individually for the front and rear axles. In the normal mode the dampers are briefly switched to a harder damping response under such driving conditions, preventing the car from developing too much squat. In the sports mode the system, whenever required, switches briefly to a softer damper response in order to improve traction when accelerating, for example on bumpy surfaces.

Option: Porsche's all-out sports suspension

The significant increase in performance compared with the standard suspension results primarily from the firmer spring and damper setting in conjunction with the mechanical differential lock on the rear axle. The anti-roll bars front and rear are also thicker and stiffer than usual, careful fine-tuning of the overall suspension nevertheless giving the car roughly the same spring response and comfort as with the former sports suspension, despite the very firm and taut ride. The mechanical left-to-right differential lock with asymmetric lock distribution of 22 per cent under power and 27 per cent in overrun is fitted directly to the sports suspension, giving the car extra traction when accelerating out of a bend and reducing understeer when driving to the extreme on a fast, winding road. The result is even better road contact and an extremely direct and spontaneous response to movements of the steering wheel. In comparison with the regular suspension, body sway in bends is reduced once again, allowing a very smooth and precise style of motoring. The entire suspension is designed without compromises for sporting performance and is even firmer than PASM in the sports program.

Reinforced brake system on the Carrera S

Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes developed to an even higher standard

Brake pad abrasion is kept to a minimum in comparison with metal brake discs thanks to the extremely hard surface of the ceramic discs. Life expectancy is correspondingly long, with the additional benefit that the material used cannot corrode. For ceramic brake discs are not affected in any way by salt grains or liquid salt on the road.

For the first time the new Carrera features ceramic brake discs enhanced to an even higher standard, the new design of the interior cooling ducts increasing the flow of cool air through the spinning disc. At the same time the larger number of cooling ducts increases disc rigidity, in the process significantly reducing deformation of the disc under high pressure. A further point is the optimisation of fibre reinforcement on the friction surface of the brake discs, significantly enhancing the resistance to abrasion particularly under high loads. For the customer, these improvements mean even better performance, enhanced brake comfort, and even longer brake system life.

New generation of Porsche Stability Management

To ensure even more agile handling and behaviour in bends, PSM intentionally intervenes at a later point at low speeds of up to approximately 70 km/h or 50 mph. And as in the past, the driver still has the option to switch off PSM, meaning that it will only be active when he applies the brakes. The difference is that now the system is only reactivated by forcefully pushing down the brake pedal and thus exceeding the ABS control threshold on at least one front wheel. This gives the sporting driver greater freedom in his style of motoring, since PSM no longer intervenes when applying the brakes only slightly, thus allowing him to brake even more smoothly and with a neutral effect in bends.

Sporting performance at the touch of a button: Sports Chrono Package Plus

• gas pedal control lines
• engine speed limiter
• dash-pot on the throttle butterfly
• PSM (Porsche Stability Management)
• PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management) and
• Tiptronic S

The operation and intervention of Porsche Stability Management also changes in response to the sports button, providing greater agility and driving dynamics. Accelerating out of a bend, for example, the car is even faster and more dynamic thanks to the higher anti-spin control threshold allowing more slip on the drive wheels when giving gas. The system thus consciously accepts greater swerve action at the rear – particularly on slippery surfaces – without endangering driving safety. The other PSM activation thresholds are likewise raised to a higher level allowing a bigger deviation between the actual and the desired movement of the vehicle before PSM cuts in. The result, clearly, is greater agility when driving to the limit in lateral dynamics. Raising the ABS intervention limits, in turn, the system allows the driver to apply the brakes with more neutral behaviour when entering a bend. A further point is that PSM allows more drag momentum from the engine whenever the driver takes his foot off the gas pedal, ensuring a smoother load change for taking bends with a tighter angle and in more dynamic style. And for even greater agility, all the driver has to do is switch off PSM with the sports mode active.

Whenever necessary, Porsche Active Suspension Management also switches automatically to the sports program with harder bumper control. The car thus steers even more spontaneously into bends, body movements are significantly reduced, and road contact is improved accordingly. With a “softer" suspension being advantageous on slippery surfaces such as wet or snowbound roads, on the other hand, the driver is able, pressing the PASM button, to set the car to its normal damper position even when the sports mode is active.

Cars fitted with Tiptronic S likewise take on a very different character with PASM: In theD-mode the transmission changes to a more sporting control map and in the manual mode gears will no longer shift up automatically when reaching maximum engine speed (with the exception of kick-down), thus improving the car's driving behaviour particularly when applying the brakes into a bend. The driver can therefore decide himself whether and when to shift up, shift times becoming even shorter both when shifting up and down. With the system in D-mode, finally, the process of shifting down automatically when applying the brakes is far more sporting and dynamic, again in the interest of enhanced agility.

Exact measurement of time

Wheels and Tyres

19-inch Wheels on the 911

In conjunction with the new wheels, the 911 Carrera also boasts a new, future-oriented generation of tyres with even larger roll circumference. Indeed, the larger tyre dimensions increase the potential transmission of power in both longitudinal and lateral direction, providing a very high standard of agility and superior driving safety all in one. The 911 Carrera comes on 235/40 ZR 18 tyres at the front and 265/40 ZR 18 tyres at the rear, the corresponding dimensions on the 911 Carrera S being 235/35 ZR 19 up front and 295/30 ZR 19 at the rear.

With the risk of a tyre puncture becoming smaller all the time these days, and with a spare wheel, tools and a car jack meaning extra weight, the new 911 Carrera for the first time dispenses with all these features. Mobility in the event of an emergency is ensured instead by a tyre sealant and an electrical compressor. This allows adequate repair of small punctures such as a nail, the driver filling the tyre sealant into the hole before proceeding at reduced speed (not more than 80 km/h or 50 mph) to the nearest Porsche Centre, without damaging the wheel, let alone the car itself, in the process. Leaving out the emergency wheel and car jack, the weight of the car is reduced by approximately 10 kilos or 22 lb.

New: tyre pressure control system available as an option

To monitor tyre pressure and temperature, each wheel is equipped with an electronic sensor on the valve. Both parameters – pressure and temperature – are normally measured roughly every three seconds and a message is sent to the control unit once a minute as long as pressure fluctuations remain within strict limits. Whenever the tyre loses pressure quickly at a rate of more than 0.2 bar a minute, on the other hand, pressure and temperature are measured and transmitted to the sensor approximately once a second. Energy is supplied to the electronic sensor for this purpose by a lithium battery with a service life of roughly 7 years.

Body

Safety and Comfort Enhanced to a New Level

An equally important and critical point crucial to the stiffness of the passenger cell in a head-on or offset collision is the transition between the door and the B-pillar. Forces acting on the body of the car in a collision can be conveyed very effectively through the door to the rear end of the car by taking this route referred to as the “upper load path". This is ensured by additional profile plates made of ultra-strong steel and fitted in the upper section of the door frames to significantly increase door stiffness front-to-rear. To stiffen the ongoing load path a shaft reinforcement has been integrated in the body sector behind the B-pillar, guaranteeing direct transmission of forces to the rear end of the car.

The upgraded bulkhead crossbar at the front of the car is made of highstrength boron 02 steel in a new assembly process. This serves to adjust the cross-section to both package requirements and the dimensions of the footwells, while at the same time increasing body strength to an even higher standard. In conjunction with the improved connections, this ultimately helps to minimise intrusion into the footwell in an offset collision.

The driver also benefits from these new body structures under normal conditions, ie without a collision, the smaller cross-section allowing the pedals to be moved 10 millimetres or 0.39" further to the front. This gives very tall drivers a lot more legroom and offers optimum conditions for a very good seating position, also thanks to the seat connection points likewise lowered by 10 millimetres. The lower seating position provided in this way not only gives a tall driver more headroom, but also helps to lower the car's centre of gravity.

New light modules for easier service

Both the Carrera and the Carrera S feature the same proven bumper system as the former model adjusted to the new contours of the car. New, energyabsorbing impact elements on the front bumper with 50 millimetres or 1.96" travel and made up of two telescopically collapsing tubes improve the protection of the body-in-white at low impact speeds. The big advantage for the customer, of course, is a more economical insurance rate.

Larger, redesigned luggage compartment

Six airbags for superior passive safety

The coupé features three-point seat belts on all seats (with belt latch tensioners and belt force limiters at the front) as well as a total of six airbags. These include two new two-stage full-size frontal airbags and the enhanced POSIP (Porsche Side Impact Protection) system now featuring a thorax airbag on the outer side of the front backrest and an unprecedented head airbag in the door. As long as it is not required, the head airbag remains concealed in the window sill at the bottom of the side window. In a collision from the side, the 8-litre head airbag is inflated to form a flat cushion ensuring optimum protection of the occupant's head both from an impact against the side window or another object and from glass splinters. The sensors serving to determine a side-on collision and, accordingly, to activate the side airbags are housed, first, in the airbag control unit in the centre console and, second, around the side-sills.

The new, two-stage frontal airbags are also activated by a new, enlarged sensor system. To determine the severity of an accident and the direction of impact, two sensors are fitted near the headlights in addition to the sensors in the airbag control unit. This ensures that a collision is detected much earlier and more precisely, particularly in the event of a complex collision such as an offset crash. The big advantage, of course, is that loads acting on the occupants in the event of a collision are further reduced, the driver and front passenger airbags being ignited a few milliseconds apart in the event a severe impact in order to “cushion" the occupants more softly. In minor accidents requiring activation of only the first airbag stage, the second stage is activated merely as a “discharge function" after 150 milliseconds. This has no effect on the occupants, but protects third parties seeking to save the occupants afterwards. Again in the interest of extra safety, the headrests on the front seats are 50 millimetres or 1.97" higher and closer to the occupant's head, thus once again improving head support in a collision.

As an option the new 911 Carrera is available with the ISOFIX system for fastening children's seats. This system comes together with a deactivation switch for the front passenger airbag which can only be operated by means of the ignition key. The lock required for this purpose is integrated on the right-hand side of the instrument panel, within easy reach through the open door on the front passenger's side.

Safe and secure electronics

The electronic network in the 911 Carrera ensures complete and efficient exchange of data and electronic information throughout the entire vehicle, connecting various control units through the internal high-speed network, the CAN-bus (Controller Area Network) and the light-wave MOST-bus (Media-Oriented System Transport) network.

The highlights and advantages of this network concept lie in:

• Engine management enhanced by rapid transmission of information.
• Efficient coordination of the systems networked. PSM, for example, controls application of the brakes by taking relevant data from engine management, the tyre pressure control system, and Tiptronic S into account, these systems in turn coordinating their control programs to the current process of brake application.
• Enhanced audio/communication qualities thanks to joint transmission of digital audio and control data via the MOST-bus using light signals.
• Efficient reduction of vehicle weight: Despite a wider range of functions, the new 911 Carrera is approximately 5 kilos lighter than its predecessor, mainly due to slimmer wiring cables.

Without electronic networking a lot of the progress achieved in the 911 Carrera based on enhanced mechanical systems would not have been possible. The best example is Porsche Active Suspension Management, where every suspension feature chosen by the active damper system has been developed and tested by Porsche's engineers to ensure optimum compliance with the driving function and the car itself. Without fast electronics it would be impossible to change instantaneously from one of these settings to another, operating at the speed required for harmonious all-round behaviour. The software required for this purpose has been developed under Porsche's leadership and represents one of the Company's core competences.

Interior Features

The New Cockpit – Sporting All the Way

On both models the gearshift lever, steering wheel rim, handbrake lever, the cover on the centre console storage box, the cover on the door storage compartment, and the door handle all come as standard in grain-look leather. The seat centre strips as well as the side supports and headrests on the front seats are also finished in leather, the roof lining is in alcantara, like on the former model.

New instruments with brilliant night design

New steering wheels adjustable for both reach and height

Multifunction steering wheel on the 911

All steering wheels are available in matching colours tailored to the interior. The multifunction steering wheel also comes with a choice of two wood trim variants and in carbon. But despite this freedom of choice, a smooth leather finish is standard on the stylish multifunction steering wheel, in which case both the airbag module and the rim of the steering wheel are finished in particularly sophisticated high-quality leather with a very soft and subtle surface giving the steering wheel a very pleasant soft touch. And as the final styling feature, the leather on the steering wheel rim is sewn manually in a crosswise stitch.

The new 911 Carrera offers its occupants a wide range of storage compartments and boxes. The glove compartment on the front passenger's side is very roomy, being increased in capacity from 5 to approximately 6.5 litres. A rack for two CDs and a penholder are firmly integrated in the lockable glove compartment, which is just beneath the cupholder now split into two sections and concealed behind a folding trim cover. When released, the left cupholder comes out in front of the central air nozzle in the instrument panel, the right cupholder rests in front of the front passenger nozzle. Whenever necessary, therefore, this provides a highly efficient cooling effect for drinks in the cupholders.

Further storage options are provided in the centre console. One of these features is found beneath a padded cover serving as an armrest, giving the driver and passenger access to a 1.5-litre-large box with a 12-volt socket and a coin holder. This storage compartment is automatically locked together with the central locking. More generous storage spaces are to be found in the door linings, with padded covers serving at the same time as armrests. Here Porsche's development engineers have given particular attention to maintaining the same height and level as on the centre console in the interest of superior, wellbalanced ergonomics. As on the former model, there is a large storage area behind the rear-seat backrests, which may be enlarged significantly by folding down the backrests to provide additional space for large items of luggage over and above the space provided in the luggage compartment.

Now featuring an automatic guide-me-home function, the lights coming on when you leave the car have been upgraded by another significant feature. This automatic guide-me-home illumination is preselected via the lights switch, brightening up the area around the car by switching on the foglamps, rear lights and numberplate lights for 30 seconds as soon as the driver unlocks the car via remote control or gets out of the car. This allows the driver and the occupants to clearly see obstacles or, say, puddles of water in the dark. On cars fitted with PCM or the Sports Chrono Package Plus, the duration of guide-me-home illumination may be set at random in the “Individual Settings/Lights" menu item. And to prevent the system from being switched on when not required, the control unit constantly monitors ambient brightness by means of the sunshine sensor in the automatic air conditioning.

New seat design in the new 911

The main factors crucial to fatigue-free motoring on long distances are the absorption of bumps and proper support of the occupant's body by the seats. After detailed examination of damping behaviour in the car, Porsche has developed a patented damping/vibration system for the seats serving to keep the driver and front passenger fresh and alert even on a long journey. And to offer even a tall occupant extra comfort, the shoulder area and the width of the seat bottoms in particular are a lot more generous than before.

Superior side support

Reflecting the character typical of a sports car, the seating position at the wheel should be as low as possible. In practice this offers the advantage of enhanced driving dynamics thanks to the lower centre of gravity and a subjectively more pleasant feeling when accelerating. This is why, first, the seats are fitted 10 millimetres or 0.39" lower thanks to a modification in the body structure while, second, the height of the seat bottom itself has been reduced by a few millimetres. In all, this gives the driver an even lower and more dynamic seating position, with the additional advantage of much greater headroom. Consistently using lightweight technology in the seat structure, Porsche's engineers have reduced the weight of the seats despite their greater strength and stability. The bottom line, therefore, is that the new seats are approximately 6 kilos or 13.2 lb lighter than the former seats despite their comparable functions. The new 911 Carrera and Carrera S are available with four seat variants:

• The standard seats adjust in six directions – adjustment of the backrest angle is electrical, adjustment of the seat fore-and-aft and for height is manual. Height adjustment incorporates a newly developed mechanical step function positioned between the seat and the sill.
• The all-electrical seats are masterminded by control elements on the sill side of the seat bottoms and may be adjusted in 12 directions. In addition to the adjustment options already provided on the standard seats, the angle of the seat bottom may be varied in this case independently of the backrest angle. A further feature on the all-electrical seats is the pneumatic lumbar support with four aircushions inflating to meet the occupant's individual requirements memorised by the seat memory.
• The sports seats are based on the standard seats and offer even better side support. This enhanced support is provided, first, by higher side elements in the seat bottom and backrest, and, second, by enhanced support around the shoulders. Further attributes of the sports seats are firmer padding and an even more sporting design.
• The adaptive sports seats are the most individual, outstanding seating concept in the new 911 range, combining the benefits of all-electrical seats with enhanced side support and the design of the sports seats. A further advantage is four-dimensional adjustment of the side elements adjusting both the seat bottom and backrest individually to the size of the occupant's body.

Heating and air conditioning

The automatic air conditioning stands out from the former generation at first sight through the new climate control surface in the centre console. Integrating the switches for seat and rear window heating in this control panel, the new 911 Carrera offers a logical overall concept also in this respect. All heating and cooling functions in the car are now grouped as one unit.

Anti-theft warning system featured as standard

New navigation system with DVD drive

Another standard feature in the new 911 Carrera is Porsche's new Sound Package Plus. Featuring no less than 9 loudspeakers with three times the usual transmission area and an external analogue amplifier, this sophisticated system offers an excellent experience in sound and adequate reserves for all driving conditions even in standard trim. Supreme sound quality is ensured by

• two 19-millimeter tweeters and one 70-millimeter midrange speaker in the instrument panel,
• two 100-millimeter midrange speakers and two 200-millimeter woofers in the doors
• as well as two 100-millimeter wide-band loudspeakers at the rear.

A surround experience with a new BOSE system

The “heart" of the BOSE Surround Sound System is the digital amplifier with 5 x 25 W output and additional support from both an integrated and an external 100 W switching terminal. Active electronic equalisation adjusts the reproduction of sound exactly to the specific acoustic conditions within the car. In the process, reproduction of all frequencies is modified to give all passengers a top-class experience in sound at all times regardless of their seating position, enjoying quality of music quite comparable to a live concert. Special centrepoint technology, that is a surround decoder specially developed for the confined listening space within a car, is an essential prerequisite for achieving this quality of sound. Through its special algorithm, this BOSE technology converts even conventional sound sources such as a CD into five separate audio channels, even if the sound source used is just a two-channel stereo recording. Then, at the touch of a button, this technology adds BOSE Automotive Surround Sound in an exact, specific grading. Additional, independent audio channels front and rear in the car, finally, ensure a fully spatial 360° experience in sound.

A further feature of the BOSE Surround Sound System is AudioPilotTM automatically controlling sound and volume as a function of interference such as wind and roll noise inside the car. Such interference is sensed by a special microphone in the steering column cover and processed together with other information such as the current road speed of the car. This gives the occupants the same consistent impression of sound regardless of driving conditions and without having to re-adjust the sound settings.

The loudspeaker system and technology is just as sophisticated and trendsetting as the processing and control of sound signals. With the exception of the sub-woofers and the centre-fill, all loudspeakers are Neodym units more compact, lighter, and with better performance than conventional speakers. This superiority is ensured by a Neodym iron boron magnet which, maintaining the same dimensions as before, generates a magnetic field 10 times more powerful than a conventional loudspeaker magnet. As a result, the overall weight of these BOSE components in the new Carrera is down approximately 23 per cent versus the former system.

The BOSE Surround Sound System comprises:

• two 25-millimeter-Neodym-tweeters and one 70-millimeter-Neodymmidrange-speaker in the instrument panel,
• two 80-millimeter-Neodym-midrange-speakers and two 200-millimeter-Ndwoofers in the doors,
• two 25-millimeter-Neodym-tweeters and two 80-millimeter-Neodymmidrange-speakers at the rear
• one active sub-woofer with two 130-millimeter-woofers in the parcel shelf.

Cost of Ownership

Inspection Intervals Even Longer

Developing the new 911, Porsche's engineers have focused in particular on giving the car an even longer service life and thus reducing cost of ownership for the customer. The alternator, steering servo pump, and air conditioning, for example, are driven by one single self-adjusting belt which needs replacing only once every 90,000 km/56,000 miles (previously every 80,000km/50,000 miles). Individual coils, in turn, make the entire ignition system maintenancefree with the exception of the spark plugs – and they have to be replaced only once every 90,000 km/56,000 miles (previously every 80,000km/50,000 miles) or every four years. The timing chains on the camshaft and layshaft, finally, require no maintenance or replacement at all.

A wide range of individual improvements serves to significantly reduce the cost of repair on the new 911 Carrera following minor damage. Particularly at the front end of the car, numerous points have been optimised for this purpose, new impact elements in the bumpers, for example, serving to protect the bodyshell from major damage in a small impact. The entire front section can be replaced very easily and quickly, even the radiators at the front being very easy to exchange thanks to new radiator connections and rapid-action catches. So with these improvements in mind, Porsche expects the new model to be rated in a lower and less expensive insurance category than its predecessor.