The 2019 Porsche 911鈥檚 performance is perfect regardless of how much you spend. That applies to base cars, turbo cars, GTS cars鈥攚hatever. The outgoing 911 offers more variants than the incoming car, which arrives in the summer. That鈥檚 typical Porsche, but Carrera and Carrera S shoppers should know that an updated powertrain is on the way soon. The 2019 911 is available in base, S, GTS, Turbo, Turbo S, GT3, and GT2 power configurations that range from 370 to 690 hp. The common thread: They鈥檙e all flat-6 engines placed rearward of the back tires. Most configurations offer a 7-speed manual transmission and all offer a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic. All-wheel drive is available on most cars. The base Carrera and Carrera T offers 370 hp and 331 pound-feet of torque from their turbocharged flat-6 engines that propels the cars up to 60 mph in 4.0 seconds. From there Carrera S models boast 420 hp and sprint up to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds when equipped with the automatic transmission, which Porsche calls PDK. Porsche鈥檚 six-piece orchestra well.
From there, the Porsche Turbo and Turbo S send the power output to the troposphere with 540 and 580 hp, respectively, from their 3.8-liter turbocharged flat-6s. Those versions are PDK only, but no less fun. They sprint up to 60 mph in around three seconds, but it鈥檚 their long-legged speed and comfort that makes them superlative grand touring cars. Harder, quicker Porsches are available, too. The GT3 is a race-ready, naturally aspirated champion with its 3.8-liter flat-6. 300,000 compared to the million-dollar hypercars it can compete with. Predictably, all 911s are a thrill to drive, and despite the recent move toward turbochargers for most of the range (there are turbo Porsches and Porsche Turbos), there鈥檚 no hint of lag. The 911s superb steering is carried throughout, too. Every car can tuck into a corner, regardless of who鈥檚 driving, and carry speed all the way to the next one. It鈥檚 thrilling and intoxicating. Active roll bars keep the 911 flat through the worst we鈥檝e thrown at the sports cars.
With a massive V8 nestled under the hood and a displacement of 6.2L, the power figures are off the charts. Comparatively, the 718 comes with a flat-4 2.0L engine making 300 hp. The power gap really shows when you take these on the drag strip, however, on the tracks, the Porsche's superior handling gives the Boxster the upper hand. Although underpowered compared to the 718, the Jaguar comes with better interiors than the plastic components used in the Boxster, however it may feel a tad bit cramped once you've sat in the Porsche. The ride is stiffened to improve handling, but the Boxster gets you much more refined handling and grip through the corners. The infotainment is more intuitive and advanced in the Boxster and it even pulls ahead in terms of practicality. The baby Porsche is the perfect sports convertible for your garage which gets you a combination of precise handling, immense grip and great practicality. The Porsche comes with a high price tag, but for that price, you get a list that justifies the price. Compared to the BMW, Corvette and the Jag, the Boxster takes the upper hand.
But I needed to be back in Hamburg the next morning for an editorial deadline. His girlfriend was nice, but she wasn鈥檛 MY girlfriend, and who wants to drive 850 kilometres in one night? But then the man - who was more of a friend than a manager - pointed to a red test car parked just outside. It was the new 964 Turbo 3.3. He smiled - and I smiled back. It was a fantastic night. Only twice in my life have I voluntarily chosen to cross the country in one night purely for the pleasure of the drive. Sometimes, fortune smiles down on you. Moments like this remain with you. I鈥檝e never forgotten the magic of the 964 Turbo 3.6 that night. But that magic didn鈥檛 come from the car鈥檚 new top speed, which had increased from 270 to 280 km/h and pushed the speedometer up to almost 300 km/h.