Jun 6th, 2008 by RJ Menezes
Porsche’s 911 sports car is undeniably an icon of the automotive landscape. It is always ahead of trends and never gives much weight to boasting about numbers and specs. Rather, a 911 is all about feel. Sure lots of cars can get around a slalom course faster, or hit 0-60mph quicker, but few feel as good doing it. The 911 is a driver’s car through and through.
For 2009 Porsche is giving it’s drivers car a few updates. All of them are there to better a car that is already pretty darn good. Most of the updates are subtle, but a few are quite significant for a car that just came out a short time ago.
Most important on that list of improvements is the introduction of a new dual-clutch semi-auto gearbox to replace the aging Tiptronic gearbox that Porsche has kept around for almost two decades. Dubbed the Porsche Doppelkupplung or PDK for short (it means “double clutch” in German), the new gearbox works a lot like VW’s own DSG unit in that it preselects the next gear to give you seamless upshifts at full throttle.
Porsche says the PDK shifts 60 percent faster than the former Tiptronic S automatic. On 2009 Porsche 911’s equipped with the Sports Chrono Package Plus, the PDK is said to deliver even faster response. Also, in this trim configuration the PDK incorporates launch control. On top of all this it is a 7-speed.
Being Porsche, you also get some significant engine changes with the face lift. Direct injection is now employed which allows the engine to run much cooler. Porsche took full advantage of this by bumping the compression ratio and upping performance significantly. In fact, the base 911 Carrera’s 3.6-liter, horizontally opposed six-cylinder is now making 345 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 287 pound-feet of torque at 4,400 rpm, which is up from 325 hp at 6,800 and 273 lb-ft at 4,250 in 2008. This all translates to a improved 0-60mph time of 4.5 seconds, compared to 4.8 seconds for last years model. Okay, so 0.3 seconds is small beans, but if they didn’t bother to be just that little bit better, they wouldn’t be Porsche.
The suspension has also got some attention. Lot’s of current 911 owners have been complaining about slightly harsh ride quality so Porsche has spent considerable time updating it’s PSM (Porsche Stability Management) system to give a smoother and more compliant ride. The system now incorporates brake assist and brake system pre-filling, features already offered on the Carrera 4 and 4S models. It works like this: When you abruptly lift off the gas pedal, brake fluid is pumped to the individual wheels, effectively cinching the pads to the rotors in preparation for a hard stop. It actually anticipates a hard stop. Now that is impressive stuff my friends!
Outside of the technical stuff, a few cosmetic changes are also implemented. Xenon lights are now standard across the board (they weren’t before?!) and the daytime running lights are now LED’s. Also, it gets new bumpers and slightly different tail lights, which also incorporate LED technology.
One thing hasn’t changed though, and that is the fact that you gotta pay to play this game. Pricing starts at $75,600 for the 2009 Porsche 911 Carrera coupe with the six-speed manual gearbox. This translates to an increase of $2,300 over 2008. The base price on the Carrera S coupe and the standard Carrera cabriolet is $86,200, while the 911 Carrera S Cabriolet comes in at $96,800. What, you thought you’d get all these new goodies for free? Sorry bud, first lesson in Porsche ownership: Prepare to spend some serious cash!
Above: There are sports cars, then there is the 911…..