I posted this question around a year ago with many 6speeders opposing the idea of a flat 8 in the 998 - (991) whatever... I wanted to see now how 6speed members felt about the carrera moving to a flat 8 now after all these new cars on the market, like GTR etc. My thought is porsche needs to step their game up due to to many cheaper cars with similar abilities of the mighty P-car now has. Who cares about the back seat, you never use it anyway... just my 3 cents??? I would love a 2011 twin Turbo flat 8, I think this will distance competitors for a good long while? why stay with a flat 6, for what?

 

i would love to see that

 

Flat 8 would add weight to the rear, unless it's mid engine the car's behaviour will be manly

 

It has been said before but I 'll say it again. If porsche desides that its going to put a flat 8 in the 911 the car will become mid-engined and this is not even under conversation for them. If they wanted they would have made the car mid-engined from the begining of its life not now that is nearly 50 years old. Porsche with the 911 project tries to get out of a rear engine layout the maximum potential. When they want to make supercars they just do it see the carrera gt which even today is one of the best cars ever produced

 

You're right giorgief but competition raises, see what happen with the new GTR and compare it with the old GTR vs the 996tt. Then new GTR is compared to the 50 years old 911 project and at some points GTR is ahead.

Porsche has to do something to improve their new generation models, if this does not change soon they might loose customers, as you can see a lot of us bought the new GTR only because its faster than the 997TT

 

I'd love to agree, but I think they would not go flat 8. It will be heavy, its already heavy rear as is with the flat 6 already. Going flat 8 is gonna break the tradition of a true 911, same for going mid engined. There is no doubt that Porsche themselves know that mid engine is gonna be a better car, this is why they created the carerra GT, Cayman, Boxter, but a 911 needs to be rear engined car, otherwise its not really a 911.

That said, I have no idea who the true competitor of a 911 GT3/RS anymore, in the last generation, it was the 360cs, but since the displacement bump to 4.3 of the Ferrari 430 Scuderia, its no match due to the engine and power. Porsche may have to make do with a higher revving/ displacement engine, If so it will mean a more thirsty engine.

What I'd like to see is possibly a 4.0-4.5 litre Porsche Gt3/RS/Turbo/GT2. That would make it a really interesting battle.

 

4.0 to 4.2 liter flat 6 would be sick for the 998, I'm sure that engine TT would be mid 500s stock at least.

 

Instead of a flat 8 Porsche needs to make the 911 smaller and lighter. That's the way to go, not more displacement.

 

TT Gasman is right we dont need more power all we need not only from porsche but from all manufacturers is smaller lighter cars with clever gearboxes and differentials as well. Power is nothing without control

 

Larger displacement, more power, at the detriment of handling/performance...sounds like an American car companies' mantra.

J

 

like the ZR1, ACR Viper? Z06?

...right...

 

I;d like to see a smaller lighter 911 like the 993. Theres enough sports/luxury cars out there, the 911 should become more a niche sports car.

 

Yup, instead of making engines bigger and cars heavier,(the easy route), make them lighter and u will have the same straight line performance gains as with a larger engine, but also much much better handling....998TT maybe 3.8-4.0 liter tt flat 6 making 550 hp and weighing 3000 lbs, tell me who could beat that....no one will touch its performance

 

Why not just make the cayman the role model here for Porsche...Think about it, just put that flat 8 in the cayman, redesign it a bit and you might have the best all around car ever. Power, handling and style. Then just rename it... The rear engine thing seems to be holding Porsche back on this models advancements.

 

I dont think Porsche cares if the GTR or Brand X for that matter is faster. Not many people at this level of the game simply buy the fastest they can but there is a level of prestige, history, desire or [add your own reason for wanting a Porsche here] that absolutely no other auto manufacturer can match.

I had a perfectly fine, blazingly fast modded Evo before I bought my Porsche....but when I was 8 years old I did not have a poster of the Evo on my wall

Bottom line, I would not expect drastic changes from Porsche to keep up with the Joneses. The more dramatic changes you will see will be due to environmental regulations and pedestrian safety issues vs. HP wars.