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Porsche 911 in new form packs power of an exotic sports car
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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STEVENSON, Wash. -- A caravan of four exotic new sports coupes by Porsche, each nosing tight to tail of the vehicle in front, chews up miles of rain-slick pavement draped over cliffs of the Columbia River Gorge.
The road rolls over rugged terrain, threading through clefs in rock, wrapping around fir-forest hillsides, dipping low in swings down to the broad river's bank, as the coupes flex and flow with the route, melding into a continuous form of keenly sculptured metal and precisely honed machinery.
These are no ordinary drivers flying in formation ahead of this tester, who follows in fourth position. Each a Porsche racer, we're led by Hurley Haywood, who has won 24-hour sieges at Le Mans and Daytona steering souped-up Porsche racers. Immediately in front, Andy Pilgrim ranks as defending GT2-class champion for North America.
Coupes in this caravan are not ordinary, either.
For this run each amounts to a new generational version of Porsche's icon -- 911 -- as expressed in 1999 edition marking the first new roof-to-belly design of 911 since its introduction in 1962 at the Frankfurt Auto Show.
Within ranks of Porsche, the new 911 version used in this caravan is known by the numerical badge of 996.
It is, without question, the most precise and impressive Porsche ever to come from the Stuttgart crafter of precision German racing cars. Yet 996 is also a more easy-to-drive and forgiving car than any previous 911 edition.
A cursory eyeball inspection of the sleek skin might provoke anyone familiar with the 911 format to wonder if anything has changed because the figure of this new edition, while smoothly contoured to the point of sexiness in subtle nuances of form, remains essentially true to the overall shape and appearance of any former 911. Still, examination of components which make up this car's magic reveals radical new mechanical concepts at work -- including a powerful new engine which uses water, not air, to cool it.
Although it's still compact in size, 911 expands in unibody structure to forge a longer and broader car whose mass hunkers a full inch closer to the pavement. Wheelbase increases by 3.2 inches and the width grows by 1.2 inches to set up a more stable platform.
The steel body of 911, with firm lateral and longitudinal bracing in place, boosts stiffness by 45 percent for torsional or twisting resistance and by 50 percent in blocking tenancies to bend. This rigidity ultimately translates to a smoother and more predictable ride quality.
Suspension, independent at all corners with lightweight aluminum components, uses MacPherson-type struts in front and a multi-link design in back coupled to Porsche's unique Weissach wheel toe-in self-stabilizing correction, which creates amazingly neutral behavior when cornering.
As a result, the motor-mounted tail no longer wags this rear-wheel-drive dog and, unlike the former 911, a driver in a curve won't face the fear of that pricy rear-end swinging like a mass-heavy mallet out of control.
Actually, it settles nicely, even when hurled at speed into a too-tight bender like on the twisty track at Oregon's Portland International Raceway, which served as a traffic-free venue to test 911 against its predecessor.
In a corner, the suspension loads any car's weight onto outside wheels, but Porsche's suspension forces the rear wheel to toe in so the tail remains rooted while the front wheel toes out in compensation with some understeer.
Not that you can't trip it: In one turn I simply lost it altogether because even a superb machine can only do so much to counter the unforgiving laws of Physics. However, the balance and poise of 996 enabled driver to recover in an instant and without radical movement.
A rack and pinion system governs the steering, with force-sensitive power added in subtle increments.
To rein a speedy demon like this, powerful brakes must be employed -- and these are big ones: Foot-wide cross-drilled discs retard by four pistons driving aluminum alloy calipers in twin-path power circuit, with all action links to computerized anti-lock controls.
Pirreli P-Zero tires for the Porsche differ in size front to rear. The standard consists of 205/50ZR17 in front and 255/40ZR17 in back, but 18-inchers are an option.
Then there's that aluminum hunk of motivation.
Power shoots to rear wheels from the rear-mounted new engine, a liquid-cooled 3.4-liter horizontally-opposed boxer six with dual overhead camshafts, dual-stage intake system, Bosch Motronic engine management system and direct-ignition coil for each cylinder.
Output bumps to a juicy 296 horsepower, with high torque surging throughout the mid-range of engine speeds.
With 6-speed manual stick aboard, performance times add to a mere 4.9 seconds when running from zero to 60 mph.
Top speed pegs at 174 mph, if you dare -- but I didn't.
Porsche's Tiptronic S automatic transmission -- a dual-function 5-speed electronic shifter operating in automatic mode or clutchless manual with shift buttons mounted on the steering wheel spoke -- is another choice.
One other option amounts to a safety system, through traction control of Porsche's automatic brake differential to limit slip.
Standard safety issues range from the steel cage encasing the cabin to four new airbags, including massive side bags designed to shield torso and head.
The cockpit provides more space than was previously available, particularly for legs and heads. Bolstered sport bucket seats stand in front of two jump seats which fold to form a storage shelf.
Essentially, this one comes down to a car for only two and, compared to luxury sedans, it's a Spartan design where everything relates to performance. Even cupholders have been omitted -- since an alert driver doesn't sip and steer.
Leather seat upholstery is optional. Also, choices for specialized trimmings and sound systems personalize the car.
Two models spin off the design: Carrera and Cabriolet. Carrera is the quintessential 911 coupe, while Cabriolet offers al fresco romps due to an electro-mechanical folding convertible top that stows beneath the metal tonneau lid.
Score 911 in its exotic form as the ultimate driver's car, and it comes with exotic prices. Tab for the Carrera coupe tallies to $65,795, with a Cabriolet set at $75,225.
1999 PORSCHE 911 CARRERA
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 1999 PORSCHE 911 CARRERA Specs |
| Description: |
Exotic compact coupe, convertible |
| Model Options: |
Exotic compact coupe, convertible |
| Wheelbase: |
92.6 inches |
| Overall Length: |
174.5 inches
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| Engine Size: |
DOHC 3.4-L H6
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| Transmission: |
Manual/6, Auto/5 Tiptronic |
| Drive: |
Rear |
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS |
| Airbags: |
4 |
| Gas Mileage: |
17/25 mpg |
| Price: |
$ 65,500 to $ 80,000 |
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