Total 911 No. 209

For most aspects of our day-to-day lives, the march of technology has proved irresistible and, in the main, welcome. For example, we all use smartphones now; some of us pay for things with watches; and “face-to-face” meetings can be had with attendees stationed across separate continents. With sports cars though, it’s different. For while they too have adopted a raft of pioneering technologies (and arguably at a quicker rate than most other sectors over the last five years), a good number of us still find favour with tradition. That tradition, of course, is the unfiltered engagement on offer via the simple mediums of a combustion engine and manual gearbox. That’s not to knock the accomplishment of PDK in the modern 911. Porsche’s double-clutch automatic transmission has proved a revelation since…

992.2 Turbo goes hybrid! Porsche combines e-power with traditional flat six engine Porsche is testing hybrid power for its 911 Turbo on the public road, Total 911 can reveal. In a sensational development which will reverberate right around the Porsche spectrum, Total 911’s spies have captured a 992 Turbo prototype riding with active e-power on board. At face value the mule looks like an ordinary 992 Turbo development car in action, save for the presence of a small yellow sticker in the 911’s rear screen. The sticker signifies the vehicle is a test car fitted with hybrid componentry, which is required by law in the event of an accident, so that rescue teams are aware the vehicle is equipped with high-voltage technology. The prototype in our pictures also has its…

3rd place for Porsche at Le Mans Porsche secured a GTE-Pro podium spot in August’s 89th edition of the Le Mans 24-hour race. The no.92 911 RSR driven by works drivers Kévin Estre, Neel Jani and Michael Christensen achieved 3rd place ahead of its no. 91 sister car driven by Gianmaria Bruni, Richard Lietz and Frédéric Makowiecki, in the FIA World Endurance Championship’s fourth round. Museum celebrates 50 years of Weissach The Museum on Porscheplatz is celebrating half a century of Weissach, the world-leading research and development centre based just outside Stuttgart. As a result, a new exhibition will run to 5 December, showcased via a series of physical and augmented reality displays under the themes of ‘First Steps’, ‘Test Rig/Wind Tunnel’, ‘Porsche Engineering’, ‘Design’, ‘Motorsport’ and ‘Centre’.…

Targa tales Dear Sir, I am writing to you from ‘across the pond’, from Southeastern Pennsylvania, USA to be exact, and I am happy to say I am finally a subscriber after years of buying your magazine from our local bookstore – and really enjoying all of the special covers that come to those of us with subscriptions. What a great idea that really turns the printed magazine into a collectable item, kudos to everyone involved in bringing that to life. After many years of wanting, waiting and searching, pausing and then searching again, I finally acquired my first Porsche (a 911 of course) last year. I, like many others during the pandemic, re-evaluated just about everything and the decision was made to begin the search yet again for what…

Scott Gardner Job title Technical Director, Bahnsport Porsche experience 15 years Dear Sir, There’s much conjecture out there regarding whether or not to run N-rated tyres on Porsche 911s. I’ve forever been sceptical of the idea but wonder if, as a former technician at Porsche, you might be able to offer some insight into this. Where do you stand? Perry Smith-Ward If you want to retain your drivetrain warranty, or wish to apply for a Porsche warranty for your vehicle, you will need to remain with N-rated tyres. However, personally speaking (and as a fellow enthusiast) I wouldn’t worry too much about the N-rating. However, I would always advise sticking with the correct tyre size and speed rating for your vehicle as well as using a premium brand such as…

10 992 Carrera S (2020-) Gearbox: ZF 7-speed As the launch of the 992 appeared on the horizon, there was much speculation whether that venerable concept, the manual gearbox, would still be offered on a 911. There were strong hints from the Motorsport department that GT3 versions would be available with a six-speed, but the plain 911? In the end Porsche did not abandon self-shifting 911 enthusiasts, though the manual gearbox arrived a full year after the start of 992-generation production. The only disappointment was that instead of a basic 911 manual option (a recreation of the 991 Carrera T), buyers had to spec up to a Carrera S or 4S. However, opting for a manual gearbox gave buyers the very welcome Sport Chrono Package as well as a mechanical…