Porsche revealed the new 911 Carrera S at the Los Angeles motor show in November, highlighting its more powerful flat-six engine and slinkier, wider body in the process.
Speaking with Road&Track at the car's launch in Spain, a Porsche spokesperson has confirmed those improvements make the '992-generation' 911 Carrera S marginally quicker than the car it replaces around the Green Hell. Surprising, right?
Where the previous Carrera S could lap the Nurburgring in around 7:30.00, the new car is expected to be around five seconds faster.
There are a few reasons. Power from the car's twin-turbo flat-six engine is up 22kW to 331kW, put to the road through a new eight-speed PDK transmission derived from the unit in the Panamera.
Speaking with CarAdvice at the Los Angeles motor show, August Achleitner, head of the 911 model line, said there are two reasons for the new transmission.
“The seven-speed PDK of today, you know the seventh gear ratio is an overdrive gear which leaves a large gap in revs when you switch from sixth to seventh gear and we wanted to improve on that," he said.
“Now, with the eight-speed unit there’s a completely equal step up of revs from five to six to seven and eight. So, with the this new gearbox, eighth gear is equal to seventh in the old 'box and shorter gear ratios from one to eight, obviously," he went on.
“Another reason for the switch is the new gearbox is electro-hydraulic rather than mechanically operated, thereby allowing for an inclusion of an automatic parking system which will allow you to remotely park your car via an app on your phone in, say, a tight garage space."
Oh, and it'll allow for a hybrid model down the track. Wonder how that'll fare around the Nurburgring...
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