When this generation of Porsche 911
debuted we at Motor Trend liked it so much
we named it the 2012 Best Driver's car.
A year later we named the all-wheel drive
Carrera 4S, our 2013 Best Driver's car.
(engine roaring)
Porsche has of course decided to completely
mess with success and fix what wasn't broken.
Meet the 991.2,
the car that will be forever known as the turbo-charged,
non-turbro Carrera.
The big change is of course the addition of
two turbo-charges to the 911's flat six.
Dispalcement is down from three point eight
to just three point oh liters,
but power and torque are both up.
Horsepower climbs from 400 to 420,
torque from 325 pound feet to 368.
Our 2012 champ hit 60 miles-per-hour
in three point seven seconds,
the new one needs just three point one.
The naturally aspirated car needed 12 full seconds
to complete the quarter mile,
the new version, 11 and 1/2.
Also, new, though optional, is four wheel steering.
The results are staggering.
(engine revving)
The 2012 911 need 24.2 seconds
to go around our figure eight.
This year's car gets it done in a supercar like 23.1.
In fact some on staff have named it Supercar Junior.
2013 911 4S lapped Laguna one minute, 39 flat.
Let's see what the new one does.
(engine revving)
- Sure stops.
(engine revving)
Yeah.
Really well balanced.
Puts the power down.
Makes me proud.
I feel like I can place the car really precisely,
even with high entry speeds.
Enough under-steer for stability.
Enough over-steer for a nice rotation and in the corner.
Just enough over-steer to remind us it's a rear engine car.
The great 911 tradition.
(engine revving)
Fuck.
Ha, ha, into the hairpin.
Good entry speed.
I feel so, trite.
What a fabulous driver's car.
I'm absolutely in love with the 911 Carrera S,
including the new turbo engine.
On track I had no sense that it was a turbo engine.
It just felt like a 911.
It sounded like one.
The flat six raspy exhaust note we know
it's got more torque in the mid-range
than the old normally aspirated engines.
The gear box PDK, I just leave it in automatic
and that baby always knows what I want to do.
It's always right there.
The grip from these new Pirrelis is actually
impressing me.
I've tried them on enough cars now
that I think that they're a new generation,
a real step ahead of the old one.
The stopping was incredible.
The car rotated, but it was a beautiful thing.
(tires squealing)
It's just so much fun to run that on track,
I skipped the flipping warm up.
I did a couple extra laps.
It digs off that last corner.
I didn't want to come in.
I was hoping that everybody was (mumbles)
the lap times to see if I was consistent as
I felt like I was because I could put that car
right where I wanted it.
It is a superb driver's car.