The exterior has been completely redesigned – not a single line or radius has been left unchanged. What remains is the enthralling appeal: true to the 911 Carrera tradition, the distinctive Porsche design language with its tendons and muscles exudes power and elegance.
The new 911 Carrera design derives from the altered proportions of the sports car. The 100 millimetres longer wheelbase, wider front track and reduced height combined with the up to 20-inch wheels were an outstanding starting point for designing a new Coupé with even more athletic flair. From this starting point, Porsche’s designers have developed a new 911 Carrera shape with an ideal height-to-width ratio. Without altering the overall width, they have created a sports car with an even more solid stance on the road.
From every angle, modern design elements combine with Porsche’s trademark characteristics to create a fresh and, new yet familiar, overall impression. For example, the standard Bi-Xenon headlights have been redesigned, but still embody the traditional, round headlight look of the 911 Carrera. A light-refracting edge on the adjoining front wings accentuates their sleeker and more athletic silhouette. The lower-set bonnet sandwiched between the wings, on the other hand, references Porsche’s classic topography where the front wings are always higher than the bonnet.
Also in keeping with tradition, the new 911 Carrera dispenses with a radiator grille in favour of side air intakes – a characteristic trait of the Porsche rear-engine sports cars. These redesigned, bigger intakes are a dominant feature integral to the confident, sporty and elegant appearance and bear testimony to the higher performance of the new 911 Carrera models. The headlights have been placed on the outer extremes, and wrap around to the sides emphasising the width of the 911 Carrera’s front end. The narrow headlights include LED direction indicators and the daytime running and position lights, giving the 911 Carrera models a wide, flat and sporty appearance that exudes a distinctive identity and confidence, day and night.
The exterior mirrors of the new 911 Carrera models have been completely redesigned and moved: from the mirror triangle to the upper edge of the door. They are flatter in shape and the bottom moulding is finished in black, while multiple effects are achieved by mounting the mirrors on the upper edge of the door: They take their new position and shape from the styling of the front end and, together, form a unit. The mirrors have a more filigree look without restricting the rear view and accentuate the car’s width and the sporty, low-slung look. At the same time, they reduce wind noise and drag while helping to prevent dirt build-up between the exterior mirrors and side windows.
Side view: precise styling and exciting dynamics
All design contours extend from the front to the rear in an overtly dynamic fashion. They exude power, dynamics and sportiness even at a standstill. The eye-catching precision edge on the front wings continues at the A-post and extends across the entire roofline to the rear. The more convex and flatter windscreen contributes to the flat, fast silhouette. The 911 Carrera’s typical distinguishing characteristic remains the characteristic side window design, now featuring even more sharply tapered quarter windows. This preserves the so-called Porsche flyline – the rear-sloping roofline which flows into the rear wheels, highlighting where a 911 Carrera transfers all its power to the road.
All in all, the new 911 Carrera has an even even jauntier, more coupé-like character. Sculpture and athleticism are more pronounced than before and give the impression of linear dynamism. The more distinct styling of the wings and doors lends greater emphasis to the wheel arches. They give the car body a sporty appearance and provide a highly effective contrast to the newly designed and larger alloy wheels. The entry-level version of the 911 Carrera comes as standard with 19-inch Carrera wheels, while 20-inch Carrera S wheels in a new, premium-quality finish are standard on the S model.
Rear end: surrounding edge accentuates the car’s width
This process of synthesising the more sharply defined profile and classic 911 Carrera characteristics culminates in the rear-end design. For the first time, the rear end is subdivided by a surrounding edge which extends over the new, strikingly slender taillights and across the entire width of the vehicle creating an effect of added width. This effect is further enhanced by the muscular shoulder line of the strongly contoured rear wings, with the result that the 911 Carrera’s on-road stance has never been wider. Needless to say, there is perfect harmony between typical 911 Carrera elements, such as the rear tapered cabin body and the rear window.
The rear end of the new 911 Carrera models therefore has an even more sporty and elegant look. The new and wider rear spoiler beneath the engine lid air intakes emphasises the increased power output of the new 911 Carrera models. Unlike on previous versions, the rear spoiler is no longer integrated in the engine lid, rather is now a separate, wing-style component. With a new control and mechanical concept, the rear spoiler on models equipped with an external slide/tilt sunroof extends out to two different positions depending on whether the sliding sunroof is open or closed, and so adapts perfectly to the car’s dynamics.
The completely remodelled all-LED taillights integrate perfectly and accentuate the transverse orientation of the 911 Carrera’s rear end. The redesigned tailpipes provide the visual finishing touches. The twin-flow exhaust system of the 911 Carrera is identifiable by the single tailpipes. The quad-flow exhaust system of the 911 Carrera S, on the other hand, has two round twin tail pipes. The new Coupé models sport, by way of model designation, the brand name PORSCHE, and below that a glossy chrome-plated 911 Carrera or 911 Carrera S logo with new facetting.