GT-Inspired Upgrades Make 2020 911 Carrera More Aggressive
Wind tunnel, road and track-tested aero/styling tweaks hint at Porsche’s racing heritage.
Porsche’s long-awaited 992 GT3 might not have made it from the drawing boards to dealerships quite yet, but lucky owners or soon-to-be-owners of the current-gen Porsche 911 Carrera now have a way to get a little closer to that much-anticipated model, in the looks department at least. The company’s Exclusive Manufaktur program just announced two new styling packages for its next-gen 911, fresh from the Porsche Development Centre in Weissach, Germany.
Both the Aerokit and SportDesign packages share new front and rear bumper designs, and both are optionally available with slightly wider, body-colored door sills for a more aggressive-looking stance from the side as well. The Aerokit alone adds a combined rear wing/spoiler, while the SportDesign kit is also available solely as a front-end package, foregoing the new rear end entirely. Between them, these new parts promise a mixture of GT-inspired performance and aesthetic improvements for the 992-gen 911, which is currently available only in Carrera trim.
The updated front bumper’s air intakes are split into several distinct sections, much as in 991 GT, Targa and Turbo models. Beneath these, the Aerokit’s front splitter has a slightly deeper chin than that used in the SportDesign package. Other than that subtle difference, however, there’s not much to separate the two kits upfront.
Around back, each package is much more distinctive, both from each other and from the base 992 Carrera design. While they both feature the same restyled rear bumper, that on the Aerokit sits beneath a sizeable new rear wing for increased downforce. Between its support struts, there’s also a ducktail spoiler to reduce drag. A center high-mount brake light is built into the rear of the spoiler, replacing that which sits at the base of the rear windshield in standard 992 Carreras.
As for the rear bumper, the cutout for the license plate has been moved up significantly, making room for a new aerodynamic outlet that fills the space between the exhausts. The surrounding area is now black all the way to the base of the bumper for most of its width, save for two L-shaped, body-colored trim panels that have been added just outboard of the exhaust outlets.
Both front and rear updates are, says Porsche, tested and proven — and not just in the wind tunnel where Porsche honed its design. The Aerokit package has also turned around 34,000 miles (55,000 km) on-track at the company’s Nardò Technical Center in Apulia, South Italy, where an increase in downforce at both axles was borne out by real-world testing. And together, both packages have shown their endurance in a further 56,000 miles (90,000 km) of on-road testing, as well as passing the company’s hot and cold climate testing.
Available immediately, the SportDesign and Aerokit packages are offered either in body-color or high-gloss black versions. The SportDesign front and rear end are available either for 992 Carrera coupes or cabriolets, as are the door sills, which can be ordered alongside either package. The Aerokit package, though, is available only for coupes.
For those purchasing these options alongside a new vehicle, pricing is set at $6,910 for the Aerokit package, $4,890 for the complete SportDesign package, or $3,240 for just the SportDesign front fascia. The SportDesign side skirts, meanwhile, are an additional $1,290. Porsche hadn’t yet disclosed price or availability for existing owners at press time.