Preview: 2011 Porsche 911 Carrera

Apparently there is a market for those that can’t decide between the Carrera S or the 911 GT3. Well, Porsche will cater to that group at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. Positioned above the current Porsche Carrera S and below the 911 GT3, the new 2011 Porsche 911 GTS  gets 23 more horsepower than the Carrera S and 27 less than the GT3.

The 2011 Porsche 911 Carrera

Power comes from a 3.8L flat 6-cylinder engine making 408-hp with a maximum torque of 310 lb-ft. A sport exhaust system with two dual-tipped tailpipes with their outer shells painted black with polished inner tubes comes standard.
Transmission choices include either a 6-speed manual gearbox or Porsche’s 7-speed Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK). 0-60 mph comes in 4.0 seconds for the GTS Coupe with PDK and Sport Chrono Package Plus. Top speed is clocked at 190 mph. For those worried about saving some money at the gas pump, the 2011 Porsche Carrera GTS returns a fuel-economy of 19/27 mpg (city/highway).
Prices for the 2011 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS Coupe start at $103,100 and $112,900 for the 2011 Carrera GTS Cabriolet. Sales start in early 2011.

Specifications

Many of the details we have so far on the 2011 Carrera are only speculative, but here are the specs that are most likely for the new model year:

• Pricing: the 911 Carrera should start at about $78,000 MSRP and around $70,000 invoice
• Fuel economy: Porsche has not released any data on fuel economy car ratings for the new Carrera, but they will likely be similar to the current city/highway rating of 18/26 mpg
• Engine: Porsche insiders indicate that the carmaker will enhance both the power and displacement of the 2011 911 Carrera’s engines, possibly offering an inline six-cylinder with 350-360 horsepower on the base model and a 400-horsepower inline six on the S model
• Drivetrain: the existing options of a six-speed manual transmission and a seven-speed PDK manual/automatic transmission will probably remain the same, and Porsche will continue to offer all-wheel drive on one or more Carrera models for 2011
• Acceleration: standard model completes 0-60 mph in 4.7 seconds; Carrera S completes 0-60 in 4.3 seconds. Times may get a bit faster in 2011 due to a lighter-weight body and stronger powertrains.
• Model lineup: 911 Carrera (coupe or cabriolet); 911 Carrera 4S (coupe or cabriolet); 911 Carrera 4 (coupe or cabriolet); 911 Carrera S (coupe or cabriolet)
• Car safety features: existing safety equipment, such as dual front and side airbags and stability control, will transfer to 2011 Carrera
• Suspension: active suspension management system optional
• Competitors: Mercedes-Benz CL; Mercedes-Benz SL; Jaguar XK; Nissan GT-R
• Warranty: four-year/50,000-mile limited warranty

 Breath taking 2011 Porsche 911 Carrera Interior

Exterior Features

Spy photos of a heavily disguised 2011 Porsche 911 Carrera are readily available online. The first pictures of the new Carrera show a vehicle that is largely the same in the front and significantly revised in the rear. The 2011 Carrera is substantially wider and plumper in the back than the existing model, and it boasts an all-new deployable spoiler. Porsche also appears to have added a roof-mounted spoiler on the new 911 that pops up from the rear window. Rumor has it that the 2011 Carrera, also known as the 998, will include front active spoilers as well to enhance the vehicle’s aerodynamics.

2011 Porsche 911 Carrera

Interior Features

So far, what we know about the 2011 Porsche 911 Carrera mostly concerns the outer styling of the car. We’ll know more about the cabin when we write a full car review closer to the launch date. Drivers can expect features like the standard Porsche Communication Management system with a 6.5-inch color touchscreen and Bose sound system to carry over.

Cool Ride

Performance

Major powertrain changes are improbable for 2011, but drivers can expect at least slight boosts in power and performance. Porsche has put a great deal of effort into making the 2011 Carrera lighter than ever, thanks to its liberal use of aluminum. The lighter weight coupled with muscled-up engines should make for better 0-60 times and overall handling. The standard Carrera model should have about 350 horsepower, while the Carrera S could easily surpass 400 horsepower. Braking power should stay about the same for 2011, with ceramic brake pads remaining an option. Look for more information when we conduct our formal road test of the new 911 Carrera.

Comfortable steering of the 2011 Porsche 911 Carrera

Do you really love this Porsche 911 as I do? Whatever it is post your comments below.

Hydrogen Car Set for Release

The race is well and truly on for alternative fueled cars and this latest hydrogen-powered offering is set to turn the race on its head. We first learned about the launch of the Riversimple Urban Car (RUC) concept when flicking through New Scientist magazine last week. The news of this launch has left many of us in the Top Gear offices scratching our heads in disbelief. Granted, the RUC is yet another "transport of the future" type thing, but what this little Smart car on a tofu diet can do is something that has left even Honda behind.

The Hydrogen Car Set for Release in 2011

The RUC, like all hydrogen powered cars is powered by a fuel cell that combines hydrogen with oxygen from the air to release energy and nothing more toxic than water. But unlike many hydrogen-powered cars the RUC has been a ground-up development, which means if you believe the boffins at Riversimple, the car was able to become commercially viable quicker than the major manufacturers experimenting with adapting more conventional cars to hydrogen. And the proof is in the pudding too; Honda predicts its FCX Clarity hydrogen car will enter mass production in 2018, whilst Riversimple is aiming to lease its first fleet in 2011 and mass produce them in 2013. We'll just have to wait and see what develops on this front- if Honda decides to dedicate more of its resources and significantly greater funding to developing a car from scratch then Riversimple could have a fight on their hands.
But nobody said it was going to be easy- behold the holy trinity of problems with developing a hydrogen-powered car. Firstly, the fuel cells contain platinum, which anyone who has ever tried to buy platinum or get into a bar/ club/ room named platinum knows is very expensive; secondly, it is difficult to make the fuel cells powerful enough to power a conventional motor; and thirdly and most practically, large quantities of hydrogen are hard to store. These problems, Riversimple founder and automotive engineer Hugo Spowers claim were invented by the automotive superpowers themselves. But from these restrictive and very real parameters, the RUC has found its stride. According to Spowers the key to success is size and weight- "If your car is light and efficient enough, the hurdles are lowered."


Ok, so the RUC looks a little puny and malnourished, sort of like some of Madonna's kids pre-adoption; but it is still punching above its weight. The RUC is the size of bug's manhood weighing just 350 kilograms and uses a 6 kW fuel cell, compared to the more expensive 100kW cell used by the FCX Clarity. No matter, the RUC is certainly more than 6 per cent the car the Clarity promises to be. Who needs a massive and expensive fuel cell when just 1kg of liquid hydrogen is enough to get you 300 kilometres down the road? Before we all go running out and selling our petrol or may God have mercy on you, diesel drives, there are a few setbacks you may want to consider. The RUC's top speed is a measly 80km per hour and it takes 5.5 seconds to reach just 48km/h. In that time an aging hippie on her pushbike would have pedaled past you, flipping you the bird and flashing her nanna undies whilst you use her slipstream. But fear not, the RUC has an ace in the hole; actually it has four.
The Riversimple has four electric motors- one in each wheel. Coupling the motors directly to the wheels like this makes it possible for the RUC to recoup as much as 50 per cent of the energy that would be lost to friction using conventional brakes. This is a big deal, when most hybrid and electric cars only have one motor connected to one pair of wheels. The RUC doesn't have a battery, but relies instead on a bank of ultracapacitors- which are nothing like the fluxcapacitors in a certain flying Delorian. These ultracapacitors are able to power-up and release energy in a more rapid fashion, and actually provide most of the power to get the car going. Rather than varying output to match demand, the fuel cell runs at a constant rate and trickles energy into the ultracapacitors, alongside the energy reclaimed when braking.
The Riversimple hopes to lease its first fleet of RUCs in a small UK city in 2011, with the rental fee (around $411AUD a month) including a dedicated hydrogen station that the company will operate. The company plans to mass-produce the cars by 2013, but for now the plan for leasing the cars is a noble one. Spowers claims that this business model means Riversimple is "driven to encourage people to keep them for as long as possible rather than replacing their vehicle quickly, as is usual in the car business." Still, a lot can happen in two years, and the fat lady that is Honda has yet to sing.

I hope hydrogen cars will be the solution for global warming, what is your take on these. Post your comments below.