Porsche's 8 Goals For The 2019 911
Automakers often use focus groups made up of current owners to help them develop the next model of any given vehicle. However, Achleitner was clear on Porsche's main goal. 鈥淲hen we launch a new 911, it鈥檚 a very simple goal. A new 911 has to be better than the old one,鈥?he said. Enlarge the diameter of the rear wheels. Calculations and simulations showed that enlarging the diameter of the rear wheels would improve dynamics even though it would also add weight. The 2020 Porsche 911 S and 4S now ride on 21-inch wheels at the rear and 20s up front, though the tire sizes haven't changed at 305/30 rear and 245/35 up front. While this influenced all of the surrounding areas of the suspension and the packaging of the car, Porsche felt it was worth the effort because it would make the handling more neutral and controllable. The company had experience with the practice as the 918 Spider and GT2 and GT3 cars already use staggered wheel sizes, and there are no better handling Porsches than those.
Handling becomes more neutral because the bigger rear wheels provide greater rear end stability and grip without having to go with a wider tire. Porsche didn't want to go all out here to create a two-door Panamera, Achleitner said, but the company achieved this goal by giving those adaptive adjustable dampers a wider spread of damping force. Not only can they be firmer as noted above, but they are softer as well. They react much quicker than before鈥攗p to 100 times per second鈥攁nd they react in all stages of damper travel to adapt to road conditions. It鈥檚 the first major change to the Porsche Active Suspension Management dampers since they were launched in 2004. According to Porsche, these changes make absorbing quick, short bumps like cobblestone roads much more effective. This didn't mean reducing total sound in the cabin so much as reducing noise from the wide rear tires, which Achleitner said is just loudness. After all, Porsche owners want to hear the distinct, mid-tonal thrum of their flat-6 engines. They don't, however, want to hear water and pebbles splash around in their wheel wells or the white noise of tires on rough pavement.
Porsche pursued three main strategies to reduce emissions. The engine now uses asymmetrical intake camshafts that allow adjacent valves of a cylinder to open with a different degree of lift (2 and 4.5 millimeters versus a consist 3.6 millimeters in the 991) under partial load. This, combined with other efforts to optimize fuel management and combustion reduce emissions and improve fuel economy. A new particulate filter in the exhaust system also reduces emissions, though it is not included in U.S. An extra gear for the new 8-speed automatic transmission is another fuel- and emissions-savings measure. Finally, Porsche future-proofed the car this time around by developing it with a hybrid in mind鈥攍ikely a plug-in hybrid鈥攊n case regulations change anywhere in the world that require either stricter emissions or zero-emissions zones. The 911's center touchscreen grows from 7.0 to 10.9 inches for the 2020 911 and its hardware and software provide faster processing of inputs and data. As it has since 2017, the system offers Apple CarPlay compatibility and can be controlled with tablet-style stretch, pinch, and swipe gestures. Internet radio, a wi-fi hot-spot, and real-time traffic information for the navigation system were previously available, but a new onboard modem now provides these services, as well as access to smart home functions and Amazon Music.
At the sculpted rear end, the long roof edge spoiler and the wide diffuser emphasize the horizontal and thus the sporty character of the electric-powered SUV. A light strip - a typical feature of Audi's top models - connects the LED rear lights. With their horizontal emphasis and segmented appearance, the tail lights echo the graphics of the daytime running lights. Horizontal lamellas to both sides of the diffuser spotlight the lack of tailpipes and reiterate that the Audi e-tron is powered solely by electricity. At market launch the electric SUV will be available in a choice of ten colors, including the exclusive shade Antigua blue. The e-tron logo on the electric charging flap and optionally the brake calipers stand out in the high-voltage signal color orange. The wheel arch trims and sills are finished in anthracite as standard to underscore the off-road look. The underbody protection, diffuser and the inserts in the sill area are painted black.