Porsche 997

Porsche 997
Porsche
aka	Porsche 911 Carrera
Production	2004 - present
Class	Sports Luxury
Body Style	Two-door Coupe Two-door Targa Two-door Cabriolet
Length	4462 mm
Width	1808 mm
Height	1310 mm
Wheelbase	2350 mm
Weight	Carrera - 1480 kg
Transmission	Six-speed Manual Five-speed Tiptronic
Engine	Carrera/GT3 - 3.6 litre flat-six Carrera S - 3.8 litre flat-six Turbo - 3.6 litre flat-six, turbocharged
Power	Carrera - 325 bhp Carrera S - 355 bhp Turbo - 480 bhp GT3 - 415 bhp GT3-RS - 415 bhp
Similar	Maserati Gran Turismo Ferrari F430 Chevrolet Corvette Aston Martin V8 Vantage Audi R8
Designer	Pinky Lai

The Porsche 997 is the most recent variant of the ubiquitous 911 - 997 being the factory type number for the car. The car was released in July 2004, and was tasked with bringing the 911 concept into the 21st Century, featuring many key revisions over the outgoing 996. Despite looking very similar to its predecessor, in truth the two share only the one common body panel - the roof. The polarising 'Fried Egg' headlights of the 996 have been binned in favour of circular items designed to revoke memories of both the original 911 from 1964 but also the 993 - one of the most revered 911 shapes in enthusiast circles. Inside, large changes have been made - with a brand new dashboard, shunning the curves of the 996 for a more upright and boxy shape, much like previous 911s. Much effort was put into build quality - and the 997's interior retains the 'hewn-from-rock' feel which has been key to the 911's success.

Porsche believes that there is a 997 for everybody, and with a barely credulous 14 variants in the range, you cannot disagree. The Carrera and Carrera S coupes were launched first, available from July 2004. The range was boosted with four-wheel drive versions from November 2005, and again in 2006 with the release of the hyper-performance Turbo and stripped-out GT3. Most recent additions to the range are the four-wheel drive Targa models, the extreme GT3-RS and the Turbo Cabriolet - the flagship of the range.

Despite a recent release, Porsche have already planned a facelift for the 997, due out in 2009. The new 997 will feature new headlights and bumpers, direct injected powerplants and the availability of Porsche's own twin-clutch semi-automatic transmission, to rival Audi's DSG system.

The Carrera Models

The 997 follows on from the 996, in that the two-wheel drive variants of the car are named simply 'Carrera' - although unlike the 996, two separate versions of the Carrera are available.

The 997 Carrera sits at the bottom of the range, and features a 3.6 litre variant of the ubiquitous flat-six powerplant, again water-cooled. The engine develops 325 bhp, enough for 0-62 mph in five seconds dead. Power is transmitted to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox, or a five-speed variant of the Tiptronic S sequential automatic - the 997's only automatic gearbox. The Carrera benefits from the 997's well-equipped and ergonomic interior, which features leather upholstery as standard, along with an in-dash screen.

The 997 Carrera S is the faster, more powerful, better equipped and more expensive Carrera variant. Fitted with a 3.8 litre engine which develops 355 bhp, the Carrera S marks the first 911 model in which Porsche has offered two different engine capacities within the one generation. Beating its 3.6 litre sibling to 62 mph by only 0.2 seconds, some would question the extra outlay required for that S badge. However, the Carrera S features generous standard equipment levels, such as 18 inch alloy wheels and sports suspension, lowering the car by 20 mm. Again, the Carrera S can be specified with either gearbox.

Released in November 2005 were the four-wheel drive Carrera models, available in both standard and S trim - named, surprise surprise, Carrera 4 and Carrera 4S. Power outputs remain constant, but the hardware required to drive the front pair of wheels adds weight (65kg to be precise) - hence both cars record a 0-62 mph dash 0.1 seconds slower than their two-wheel drive brethren. To enable drive to all four wheels, the Carrera 4 models employ a viscous-coupled centre differential, which can automatically alternate torque values applied across each axle, depending upon grip levels experienced. The system supplies a minimum of 5% of all drive to the front axle in all conditions - this can rise to 40% in extreme situations. Porsche Stability Management (PSM), which is essentially Porsche's traction control system, is allied to the four-wheel drive - and has been completely revamped from the two-wheel drive 997.

The all-wheel drive 997s run 10mm closer to the road, and 4S are supplied standard with Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), using which the driver can control suspension stiffness. Added to this, the rear wings are 44 mm wider than the two-wheel drive models.

The Carrera models are also available in Cabriolet drop-top guise, in both two- and four-wheel drive variants. Again, 0-62 mph times rise by a tangible 0.2 seconds over the tin-top versions, even though power outputs are stagnant from the Coupes. This is due to the extra weight carried by the roof itself, its electrical ancillaries and the structural stiffness added to the shell to prevent scuttle shake and chassis bending vibrations.