Perfection, Perfected: 2020 Porsche 911 Carrera Review
Since its inception in 1963, many have seen the Porsche 911 Carrera as representative of the pinnacle of automotive perfection.
Over generations, every detail of the car, from the engine, to the transmission, to the interior design has continued to be perfected and many often wonder what could possibly be improved on the car.
With the release of the latest generation of the 911, the 992, Porsche redesigned the car from the ground up while keeping the timeless and iconic sleek Porsche look.
As part of the evolution, every exterior panel was redesigned, making the car look futuristic while still looking distinctly like a 911 and sharing design queues from its older siblings.
The hood, with its more rectangular shape, and lines is a throwback to the pre-2000’s naturally aspirated and air-cooled 911s. The rear air grate has 18 slats, separated by two upright LED brake lights, signifying 9-11 when read side to side. The rear exterior also features a futuristic light bar, a wider retractable spoiler, and LED-Matrix headlights that turn with the car.
The evolution of design in the 992 gives the car superior aerodynamics, increased performance, and pushes the timeless design into a futuristic direction.
Similar to previous 911s, the 992 has a rear mounted flat-six engine with redesigned turbos and fuel injection systems.
The power is put to the ground even more efficiently with the redesigned 8-speed Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) transmissions, allowing extremely fast gear changes without interrupting the flow of power. Combined, the new drive system provides leaps in power, comfort, and efficiency compared to the previous 991 generation of the 911.
The 992 comes with a slew of new safety features including a wet driving mode that tunes the anti-locking braking system (ABS) and stability control to help maximize traction in wet road conditions and uses acoustic sensors in the wheel well to turn on automatically when it detects wet roads.
The 992 also includes automatic emergency braking and lane keep assist, standard in all models, and an optional night-vision camera to aid in night time driving.
Even with these changes, the most salient difference is in the cockpit, where the driver is greeted by a multitude of high-tech features. The interior was revamped, giving it a less cluttered and more modern feel with a redesigned gear selector and the drive mode selector moved to the steering wheel.
Behind the steering wheel, the 992 retained the iconic traditional analog Porsche Tachometer flanked by two high definition displays and a larger infotainment display in the center of the car.
Every time a new generation of the 911 comes out, the press flocks to cover it, naming it the car of the year, and the 992 is no disappointment.
Every detail of the car was modernized while still maintaining the distinctly Porsche DNA. The rounded headlights, flat six engine, and pronounced shape have all stayed the same while entering the future.
The previous 991 generation was a ton of fun to drive, but the 992 somehow made it even more fun with more horsepower and louder exhaust creating iconic crackles and pops when lifting your foot off the accelerator.
Even though they have sold over a million 911s since the 1960s, people continue to turn their heads when seeing one drive by on the street.
Written by Thomas Braun
Edited by Jared Nussbaum, Ishan Madan, Rohan Mehta, Jack Argiro, Calvin Ma, Michael Ding & Alexander Fleiss