2005 Porsche 911 Review

Specifications

The 997 Returns Porsche to Classic Styling Roots

Porsche has loaned me quite a few cars over the years, from Boxsters in both entry and S trim, to Cayenne S and Turbo models, and finally 911s, in all guises. Theyre all great vehicles in their respective classes, truly among the top of their field.

It was only a few weeks ago that a silver Carrera was parked in my driveway, an amazingly good car despite its 5-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission. The 6-speed manual shifting C4S Cabriolet I had a few weeks before that was much more to my liking.

Still, as good as each car is theres plenty of room for improvement. Not in power delivery or driving dynamics per say, but more so in styling and interior quality. The bar for the latter has really been set by the brands Cayenne sport utility. Being that it literally rolls off of Volkswagens Touareg line sub engine, at least in V8 guise, the Porsche SUVs perceived quality, otherwise known as tactile quality, the touchy feely, thunk the door shut, everything fits together like at the presidential suite of the Martinez Hotel in Cannes, France kind of quality ($18,000 per night by the way), is among the best in the business.

The current 911, just doesnt look, feel or even smell anywhere near as delectably enticing as the Cayenne, due to second rate interior plastics that would make a VW Golf buyer cringe. When covered in the full leather package, well its much more bearable, but thats an expensive option that buyers should have to buck up for considering the 2004 911s base $69,300 price. When moving up to the $118,400 Turbo its even more unacceptable.

Such may be reason enough that, while Porsches new Cayenne sport utility vehicle is burning up the sales charts its Boxster and 911 models have been a little stagnant. This, of course, has much to do with the Cayennes new role, to offer an altogether different kind of family-functional Porsche to the sports car brands loyal client base, as equally capable of work as it is play, but the problem also reflects a general downturn in the sports car market.

Not to worry, with profits high from SUV sales Porsche is reinvesting in its core 911 for 2005. Completely revised, for a 911 at least, the new Carrera sports redesigned front and rear fascias, including turn signals integrated into the front bumper and a return to the much loved oval headlamps of the previous 993 code-named iteration. The cars profile appears more sculpted as it nears the rear fender swells, while Porsche has modified the taillights, rear fenders and trunklid, but just the same has managed to keep the overall appearance of the current 911s rear styling more or less intact - a good thing according to most Porsche fans.

Under that trunklid the new model, which is internally referred to as the 997, will also feature a more powerful 3.8-liter equipped Carrera S version rated at 355 horsepower, venting through four large circular exhaust pipes instead of the regular 911s two rectangular tips. The “base” 911s 3.6-liter horizontally opposed 6-cylinder will boast an incremental increase of 5 horsepower, from 320 to 325, satisfying the need-for-speed psychology Porsche has fostered over its 40 years of 911 production. All 911s will come standard with an upgraded 6-speed manual transmission, and an optional 5-speed Tiptronic automatic with manual actuation via either the shift lever or steering wheel buttons.

While the current 911 is already one of the best handling cars in the world, Porsche has nevertheless reworked the chassis for improvements in ride quality and at-the-limit adhesion. As part of the upgrades, a new active suspension system is available - standard on the S model.

Having come under scrutiny for its interior quality, Porsche has upgraded the new 911s cabin as well. Gone is the Boxster-style “floating” instrument cluster, replaced by a gauge package fully integrated into the dash. Plastics quality looks to be improved as well, necessary since the Cayenne came on the scene, upstaging its more expensive sibling in this particular category.

The new Carrera also features a more fully-featured navigation system with large LCD display, appearing much like that in the Cayenne. It integrates harmoniously into a revised center stack, which features an aluminum surface treatment. More metal brightwork can be seen throughout the rest of the cabin, including the vent surrounds, bezel of the circular analog clock at dash central, spokes of the completely revised steering wheel, which incidentally now incorporates multi-function controls, and the trim around the base of the shift lever.

Expect 2005 911 models to arrive in Porsche showrooms across the country in Q3 of this year, with an MSRP of $69,300 for the Carrera and $79,100 for the Carrera S.

Will it bolster Porsches sports car sales figures? Not as much as a more stable global economy would, but the new model should win back disenfranchised 911 owners who never bought into the Boxster inspired styling of the current 996 in the first place. Porsches return to more classic proportions and improvements to driving dynamics should make the 997 extremely popular.

As for me, during about four weeks a year Im gonna be loving life even more than I did with this years crop of Porsche 911 testers. Its easily one of my favorite cars to drive, and now with the improved interior quality of the 2005 997 Porsche remedies one of the only incongruent aspects of my life. OK, maybe thats a bit of a stretch. Still, Porsche is about to make right something that has bothered me for quite some time, and for that I am personally grateful. Model year 2005 is going to be a great year.