2011: The 991 sets technological standards
Internally known as the 991, this sports car embodied the greatest engineering leap in the history of the 911. For generations the benchmark in its class, this 911 generation set the bar yet another notch higher in terms both of performance and efficiency. A completely new chassis with modified wheelbase, greater track width and beefier tyres, plus an ergonomically optimised interior produced an even sportier and more comfortable driving sensation. In engineering terms this 911 was all about Porsche Intelligent Performance: even lower fuel consumption and even more power – created, for instance, by reducing the engine size to 3.4 litres on the base Carrera model (yet still delivering 5 hp more than the 997/II) and using a hybrid construction method (steel/aluminium), which led to a considerable reduction in weight. Also new: Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control and the manual 7-speed transmission. The design of the 991 likewise met with high critical acclaim. With its low, stretched silhouette, its bristling surfaces and precisely shaped details, the Porsche 911 Carrera – in the seventh generation as before – continued to be unmistakably a 911 and was thus once more setting new standards in automotive design.
In 2013, the new Targa was added to the 911 family. The latest generation of this extravagant 911 variant combined the classic Targa idea with advanced roof convenience. Just like the legendary original Targa, it featured the distinctive wide bar in place of B-pillars, a removable front roof section and a wraparound rear window without a C-pillar. But unlike the classic 911 Targa, the roof segment could open and close at the push of a button. The fully automatic roof system stowed the Targa top behind the rear seat in spectacular fashion.
The new 2015 Porsche 911 cemented its position as the best in its class in terms of performance and efficiency. The development of a turbocharged flat engine gave the world’s best-selling sports car a significant boost in power as well as considerably lower fuel consumption. The new 3.0-litre biturbo charged six-cylinder flat engine developed 370 hp (272 kW) in the 911 Carrera and 420 hp (309 kW) in the 911 Carrera S. In both cases, this represented a power boost of 20 hp over the prior model, with just under twelve per cent less fuel consumption. The 911 Carrera represented a quantum leap in innovation, featuring a sharp new look outside and Porsche Communication Management with multi-touch screen inside. Above all, however, the new 911 raised the benchmark considerably in the sports car world: more power, the enhanced Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) chassis and optional rear axle steering improved the best time of the 911 on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife to 7.30 minutes. Ten seconds faster than its predecessor and with an even greater lead over the competition.
Number of vehicles produced until the end of the 2016 model year: 152,659