rearsandbroadfronttrackareinspiredbytheGT3RSandthere’splentyof
thatcar’smiraculouscombinationofpliancyandpoisehere),the 911 isno
bluntinstrument.Justastheaccuracyandtactilityofthesteeringareas
pleasingatfive-tenthsastheyareatnine,sothecar’sclearlytelegraphed
sensitivitytoweighttransferisthereforeveryonetoenjoy.
Carryingsomuchspeedthattheviewinthemirrorsisa hazeofengine
heat,dust,androadsidedebrisblownintheskybythePorsche’spassing,
myfootleapstothebrakepedal.It’sa keypointofinteractionwiththismost
interactiveofsportscarsandnothinglessthanthebestofbothworlds:the
reassuringsolidityandaccuracyoftheMcLaren’spedalwithsomethingof
theAudi’stablemanners.YoucanslowthePorscheatwill,whilealso
helpingit changedirectionwithsuchconvictionthat,aswiththiscar’s
astonishingengine,youwonderwheretheinevitablyharder,fasterGTSand
GT3canpossiblygofromhere.Andonceintothecorner,thismonstrously
tyredmachineisaspliableandsensitiveasa Caterham,tweakingitslineand
attitudetothetuneofyourhandsandfeet.Toweringlycapablebut
accessible,indomitablebutplayful,theCarreraS iseverybitasbrilliantly
oxymoronicasitsengineeringlayout.
Thepowertrain,too,ispersuasive.Anevolutionofthe3.0-litreflat-six
thatcamebefore,themainchangesareparticulatefiltersandshorter,more
directplumbingfortheturbochargers,forquickerresponses,achievedvia
expensivecastmanifoldsandbespoketurbosforeachcylinderbank,rather
thana commondesignflipped.Withoceansoftorque,a mid-rangethat’ll
dropa CivicTypeRatfullchatanda topendthatdoesn’tfeelfaroffthe
McLaren’s,despitetheon-paperdeficit,it’snothardtoforgive
theoccasionallycomedyturbo-heavysoundtrack,notleast
becausethathauntingflat-sixcryisstillinevidence(helped
herebya £1,844,thatis,Rs1.66lakh,sportsexhaust).
Andthegearbox?Oh,thegearbox.Eightratios,shiftssofast
andsmoothyou’llthinkyoudreamtthemandnopointless
theatretotheactionofthepaddles,justa near-silentclickthatis
theentirecarinmicrocosm:precise,engineering-y(nota word,
I know;forgiveme)andentirelybewitching.
It’satthispointthatyounormallyhavetostartmaking
excusesforthe911’sdatedinteriorbut,rightnow,the992’sisa
triumph.Elegant,luxuriousandyetappropriatelyfocused,and
flab-free,it makesyousmileeverytimeyouclimbin,justasthe
10-mmlowersuspensionoption,whileworthitsweightingold
whenyou’rereallytrying,makesyouwince.(Toounyieldingfor
UKroads,youneedit onlyif you’replanningregulartrack-days
—samewiththeceramicbrakes.)
So,thereit is.The 992 isaninspiredupdateofPorsche’s
timelesssportscar,onethatmanagestobroadenitsversatility
whiletradingnoneofitspurity.Comeonthen,Audiand
McLaren,waddyagot?
PRE-FLIGHTBRIEFING:PORSCHE 911
Whyisit here?
Because it’s the new
911.(Porsche say it is,
atleast:sceptics argue
it’sa comprehensive
updateto the 991.)Anyclever stuff?
Oh,yes.New body uses
morealuminium to
saveweight. Inspired by
theGT3RS, the new
CarreraS also gets vast
21-inchrear wheels and
20-inchfronts, plus
broadertrack widths.
9A2Evoengine makes
morepower (450 PS)while offering sharper
responses and cleaner
emission. Even quicker
twin-clutch ’box gets
an eighth gear. Inside,
the interior’s made a
giant leap with
Panamera-style
infotainment, while the
car’s electrical
architecture is all-new
and hybrid-ready.Which version is this?
Rear-drive Carrera S
with PDK transmission
(Carrera 4S is also
available now, as is
the convertible –
manual gearboxes will
come later). This car
has the 10-mm lower
suspension (£665, that
is, Rs 60,000) but no
rear-steer.Shootout Porsche 911 v Audi R8 v McLaren 570S
76 CAR INDIA May 2019 http://www.carindia.in