2019 Porsche 911 Test Drive Review – Best Sportscar?

2019 Porsche 911 Review

Car Tested: 2019 Porsche 911 Carrera S; Road Test No. 1156; Test Location: Mumbai

Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 2,03,45,020/-

The 2019 911 continues the legacy of the iconic rear-engine Porsche with a high-quality cabin & superb driving dynamics

In the automotive world, the Porsche 911 is placed on a high pedestal. For over 55 years, the 911 has proved to be a definitive sports car, celebrated by critics and adored by petrol heads. The distinct shape, crisp handling, and glorious performance has made it one of the most recognisable cars in the world. In its latest iteration, the 911 aims to carry forward all the attributes of the predecessors and promises to be more usable, more efficient and more comfortable than before. How have the changes come about? Let us hit the road and find out.

Motor Quest: Porsche first used the name ‘911’- both as a name and as a codename for their rear-engine sports car in 1963. Although the codenames have changed over the generations, Porsche has sold it as the 911 since then. The iconic shape has stayed more or less intact all these years with Porsche successfully managing to freshen the styling without disturbing the silhouette. The 911 has set high standards in performance and dynamics and remains one of the most acclaimed cars in the market today.

Exteriors – The Porsche 911 is a looker! It has the typical sports car outline with a long front, compact cabin and tapering roofline. Like always, Porsche has updated the design keeping the original look. The changes are minimal and all they intend to do, is to make the car more with the times. The front features more rounded headlights, a sharper bumper and aggressive air ducts. The indicator lights are now sleeker and the headlights get the signature ‘four-dot’ for the LEDs.

Porsche has refined & fine-tuned the design of the iconic 911 very minutely

From the rear, the 911 looks pretty. The design feels clean, thanks to the deployable door handles that sit flush with the body when not in use. The wheels, with their sharp design, make a statement of their own. But it is, perhaps, from the rear that the 911 looks the best. For one, the changes here are most extensive and elements like the continuous band of tail lights along with quad exhausts look ace. And how we love that very race-car like stop lamp! The 911 is guaranteed to turn many heads.

Interiors – Step inside and you will be pleased with how minimalistic, well finished, rich the cabin of the 911 is. Whereas the last-gen model featured a conventional layout, this has a more futuristic design. Like all new Porsches, the screen takes the place of pride, right in the centre of the dashboard. The infotainment system is neatly nestled in the contoured dashboard. The resolution is brilliant but the large screen size seems like a tech overload in the 911. Since everything can be controlled via the touch-screen and a few controls on the steering wheel, the cabin is less reliant on buttons. Porsche’s usual criticism of boasting too many buttons has been addressed here. Below the screen, you have the controls for the air conditioning. The toggle controls for changing driving modes look and feel very premium.

Apart from the essentials, Porsche has replaced many buttons with the large touchscreen infotainment system

However, we are not fans of a couple of things. There is only one pop-out cup holder on the passenger side as opposed to two in the previous car. We still don’t like the gear selector which is too small and feels unsubstantial to operate.

But pointing those negatives is like picking a needle from a haystack. Cup holders aside, the ergonomics are fantastic. The seating position is wonderfully low giving you the right feeling of sitting in a sports car. Everything falls to the hands easily and the seats offer terrific support. There is a variety of adjustments making sure you feel comfortable on long journeys. There are two additional seats in the back which make the 911 more usable but they are strictly for small kids.

The quality of materials used inside the cabin & the attention to detail make it one of the best supercar interiors

The instrument cluster receives a major update and nearly everything is digital. We love how Porsche has kept the rev-counter analogue. The centrally mounted rev-counter, with its 3D effect, is sure to melt the hearts of the car enthusiasts! There are many options to spice-up the cabin of the 911. One of them ‘Sports Chrono Package’ which gives you a nifty stopwatch atop the dashboard. In its standard form, there are enough features on offer. You get navigation, leather and electrically adjustable front seats, climate control and a premium sound system. Porsche gives you an extensive options list.

You can choose a fancy Burmester sound system more Alcantara, brushed aluminium, sportier bucket seats as a part of your options kit. Being a Porsche, the options are expensive and will increase the price of your 911 by some dozen lakhs quite easily. To conclude, we are truly impressed with how well the company has managed to infuse luxury and sportiness in the 911’s cabin. It is arguably one of the best sports car interiors around.

Performance – The Porsche 911 Carrera S is powered by a 3.0-litre, flat-six engine that belts out 450 HP of power and 530 Nm, an increase of 30 HP and 30 Nm over its predecessor. You will be surprised by the refinement of the engine but what’s more shocking is that in spite of the twin-turbos, there is no lag or flat spot in the power delivery whatsoever. Right from the get-go, there is thrust and the more you rev it, the more it rewards you with a constant surge of exciting revs, redlining past 7500 RPM! So while the motor is calm when you drive it with less throttle inputs, it goes ballistic when you go hard on the accelerator, taking just 3.7 seconds to go from 0-100 km/hr while top speed is well past 300 km/hr!

The flat-six motor is extremely refined and offers linear power delivery as soon as you accelerate without any turbo-lag

There are multiple drive modes on offer – Normal, Sport, Sport Plus and Individual with the Sport Chrono package bringing the rotary mode selector on the steering wheel. Slotted in Sport Plus and left foot on the brake, right foot on the accelerator, enables launch control, making the car take off on full pelt. The sound from the exhaust is intoxicating and the 8-speed PDK gearbox is super quick with shifts, there is a manual mode too which lets you hold on to a gear, which can be changed via the steering mounted paddles, no tiptronic function here. The modes really alter the character of the car, making changes to the engine, gearbox, steering and dampers. Fuel economy is a respectable 5-7 km/l, depending on your driving style.

Driving Dynamics – The Porsche 911 has a very different layout compared to other sports cars, it’s a rear engine with the powerplant sitting behind the rear axle, channelling power to the rear wheels, leaving the front tyres free to do what they are best at – STEER! Weight balance is fab, the electric steering is now 11% quicker but a whole lot more responsive too, offering sensational levels of feel and feedback. Body roll is an alien concept to the 911 because there is no roll whatsoever, such is the level of body control, truly phenomenal handling and driver engagement.

The 911 has always been known for the way it handles and with the 992, Porsche has refined & improved it even more

However, the suspension is naturally on the stiffer side with decent enough compliance for our roads. Although the low profile tyres mean you really have to be careful over bad roads while speed bumps can be cleared effortlessly by raising the nose by pressing a button on the centre console (the nose reclines as you speed past around 40 km/hr). Grip levels are terrific and so is the high-speed stability, the 911 simply remains glued at all speeds with the level of composure you would only expect from a track car. Just imagine what the track focussed GT3 and GT2s would be! Brakes are super impressive too with the right feel, bite and astonishing stopping power.

Safety and After Sales Service – The 911 gets all your usual safety features including an advanced traction control system and 6 airbags. The impressive build quality is an added assurance. Since it is an over-engineered car, expect extremely professional service and care.

Verdict – Drive the Porsche 911 and you will understand why it is praised so much. This car is a driver’s delight and the amount of effort that has gone into fine-tuning the dynamics can be perceived the moment you take it on a winding road. The performance from the turbocharged flat-six is sensational. It is a polished motor with no lag and astonishing levels of refinement. The 911 is so good as a daily driver, you wouldn’t mind taking it to your board meetings. The interior is one of the highlights with impressive quality and good creature comforts. So that’s the 911. Like always, it looks drop-dead-gorgeous, handles like a dream, performs impeccably and yet feels very civilised. Sure, with prices starting at Rs. 2 crores (on-road, Mumbai), excluding options, the 911 is not cheap. But you will struggle to find a car that can match 911’s depth of abilities. We absolutely loved it.

What’s Cool

* Stunning looks with insane road presence
* Sporty interior with outstanding build quality
* Mind-numbing performance from the refined flat-six motor
* One of the best handling supercars on the market

What’s Not So Cool

* The new gear lever feels out of place
* Stiff suspension and low profile tyres means one has to be very careful

Alternatives: – Mercedes-AMG GT, Nissan GT-R, Audi R8, Aston Martin Vantage, Jaguar F-Type

2019 Porsche 911 Specifications

* Engine: 2981cc, 6-Cyl, Twin-Turbo, Petrol
* Power: 450 HP @ 6500 RPM
* Torque: 530 Nm @ 2300-5000 RPM
* Transmission: 8-Speed AT
* Top Speed: 308 km/hr
* 0-100 km/hr: 3.7 seconds
* Fuel Consumption: 5-7 km/l
* Fuel Type: Petrol
* Tyre Size: 245/35/20 (Front), 305/30/21 (Rear)
* Suspension: McPherson Spring Strut (Front), Multi-Link Axle (Rear)
* Brakes: 6-Piston Aluminium (Front), 4-Piston Aluminium (Rear)
* Safety: 6 Airbags, ABS with EBD, Porsche Stability Management

2019 Porsche 911 Dimensions

* Overall length x width x height: 4519 mm X 1852 mm X 1300 mm
* Wheelbase: 2450 mm
* Boot Space: 132-litres
* Fuel Tank Capacity: 64-litres
* Kerb Weight: 1660 kgs

Further Reading –

2019 Porsche 911 Track Review
2019 Porsche 911 Carrera Video Review
2019 Porsche World Roadshow Experience

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