when is it due out? Will it affect hte 997 prices much?

 

Im sure the car will be awesome however I dont like the interior looking like the Panamera with tons of buttons. As with all new models previous ones will suffer the usual rate of depreciation, nothing drasticly different here. On saying that I think 997.1 Turbo owners will see some stabilization in the used market thanks to 2nd hand buyers looking for a platform to mod.

 

Yeah, I don't think prices will change a whole lot... the new car looks a lot like the current one. I guess we'll have to wait and see what the final little tweaks will be to set it apart. Obviously the interior will be quite a bit different. (maybe not for the best either)

 

What I find most significant is a wheelbase that appears to be stretched by about 2 inches (50 mm). This will give the car more high-speed straightline or big curve stability and more comfort, but it will inevitably reduce some of the phenomenal agility of the 911.

The longer wheelbase was perhaps accomplished by taking a page from Audi's design book: By moving the differential directly against the engine and the clutch between the differential and transmission they can move the rear wheels further back without changing the engine location in the chassis.

I expected that Porsche would do this in response to our latest, ridiculous emissions regulations. They now are different for different size cars. Wheelbase defines or is a major part of the definition of a car's size. With its current wheelbase the 911 falls into the smallest car category, which covers the likes of Minis, Smart and other micro cars. These cars have to achieve a milage rating of over 40 mpg when the new regs kick in in about two years. Longer-wheelbase, i.e. larger, cars, can consume more fuel before having to pay guzzler taxes.

 

Sick!

 

+1 on the Continental GT appearance. The 993 was tight; the 996 also had great proportions. I think the 997 is already too large (speaking as an owner), and this car supposedly has even larger dimensions! I wish the direction was more "back to basics" instead...