New 997 photo and description in CAR magazine
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Here is the text of that article:
Can the 911 keep going forever?
The evolution continues. Porsche's icon will mark its 41st year by morphing into the 997, which mixes past, present, and future. The look is old school: beefed-up tubular wings, and oval headlamps, hark right back to the 993. All 911s will sport quad tail-pipes and a cleaner, more aerodynamic rump.
Underneath, much of today's underpinnings are carried over, although the track is wider and wheel arches enlarged to make room for standard 19-in. wheels. The cabin is due for a big makeover, with new materials and luxury kit - which could even mean a tv - influenced by the Cayenne.
However, rumours that the 997 will run the big 4x4's V8 are premature: that won't happen until the 998 generation, not due for a couple of years. To tide us over, the flat sixes hanging out over the back axle yield more grunt: today's 3.6-litre engine is extended to 3.8 litres, to generate around 340bhp, (up 20bhp).
In turbocharged form, the six makes 450bhp. And the aural fireworks should be a notch louder, with reduced sound insulation cutting weight and amplifying the experience in the cabin.
The biggest drivetrain development will be the double-clutch gearbox, similar to the VW group's DSG transmission. And ceramic brakes, an option on today's Turbo, will become more widely available. The 997 is no revolution - but it didn't need to be.
(c) CAR Magazine
Can the 911 keep going forever?
The evolution continues. Porsche's icon will mark its 41st year by morphing into the 997, which mixes past, present, and future. The look is old school: beefed-up tubular wings, and oval headlamps, hark right back to the 993. All 911s will sport quad tail-pipes and a cleaner, more aerodynamic rump.
Underneath, much of today's underpinnings are carried over, although the track is wider and wheel arches enlarged to make room for standard 19-in. wheels. The cabin is due for a big makeover, with new materials and luxury kit - which could even mean a tv - influenced by the Cayenne.
However, rumours that the 997 will run the big 4x4's V8 are premature: that won't happen until the 998 generation, not due for a couple of years. To tide us over, the flat sixes hanging out over the back axle yield more grunt: today's 3.6-litre engine is extended to 3.8 litres, to generate around 340bhp, (up 20bhp).
In turbocharged form, the six makes 450bhp. And the aural fireworks should be a notch louder, with reduced sound insulation cutting weight and amplifying the experience in the cabin.
The biggest drivetrain development will be the double-clutch gearbox, similar to the VW group's DSG transmission. And ceramic brakes, an option on today's Turbo, will become more widely available. The 997 is no revolution - but it didn't need to be.
(c) CAR Magazine
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