Porsche 911 Carrera S facelift review, test drive

Joining the list of controversial changes to the ‘basic’ 911 Carrera over the years is a move to a downsized turbocharged motor. Is the iconic sportscar better or worse for it?

Published on Jun 21, 2016 12:14:00 PM

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Porsche 911 Carrera S facelift review, test drive

What’s it like to drive?

Few engines have had as much to prove as this new 2,981cc, twin-turbocharged flat six does. In the Carrera it’s tuned to produce 370hp and 450Nm, but in the more potent Carrera S, it makes 420hp and 500Nm! These are, of course, far more significant numbers than what you’d get from the now defunct 3.4- and 3.8-litre naturally aspirated flat sixes, especially the torque figures, as is the case with most turbocharged cars. Even the performance claims – 0-100kph in 4.2sec and 3.9sec respectively are better than before. But all of this means nothing. No, in a 911, it’s all about the way the car sounds, responds, feels and makes you feel.

And I’m happy to report that it feels good. Fire it up and it sounds like a proper Porsche boxer six should (especially with the optional sport exhaust fitted), set off gently and it doesn’t feel laboured or strained. It feels naturally aspirated, and that’s the best compliment you can pay a turbocharged car. On the road, it’s comfy changing pace as we weave in and out of Abu Dhabi’s traffic, the quick and smooth seven-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic gearbox coping well with the random changes in throttle input. It’s very civilised and very comfortable, as the 911 has always been, but of course, we didn’t expect that to change.

The true test comes at the Yas Marina F1 circuit, where we get to really open the new 911 up, and here too, the news is good. The new engine is an absolute gem – it just loves to rev, it sounds almost as good as any of the naturally aspirated motors that went before it, and its power delivery is linear and wide spread. I even sample the new Sport Performance button on the main straight – it’s not an overboost function, but rather it locks the engine at high revs to give only the highest performance for 20 seconds. And the best part of this new engine – it feels like it has a lot more to give, so here’s looking forward to more potent turbocharged 911s.

As ever, the 911 is a super-competent handler with loads of grip available. Yes, you could be a hooligan with it and slide it around corners on a race circuit, but it’s so sharp and well balanced, it actually encourages you to concentrate on getting a better lap time. Lament the electric steering all you want, it’s probably the best one in existence with the sharpness, weight and feedback it gives you. And even in this two-wheel-drive version, the grip is so immense, it’ll make your eyeballs hurt. Then there’s the other controversial bit of tech – optional rear-wheel steering, which until now was only available on the Turbo and GT3 models. It steers the back wheels ever so slightly when you turn the wheel, to tighten the turning circle and let the 911 corner sharper. It feels like witchcraft, but boy does it work! It goes into corners faster, stays more composed through them and comes out the other side with less drama too. One could argue that track-driving enthusiasts will prefer the more natural feel of the standard setup, but for the average driver, this will only help corner faster.