http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/...-Walter-Rohrl/

Porsche 911 Carrera S (2012) first ride with Walter Rohrl
By Tim Pollard
Reviews

22 September 2011 10:41


There's a special treat for Porschephiles in the new October 2011 issue of CAR Magazine: we've nabbed the first ride in the new 991-spec Porsche 911 - alongside rally ace Walter Rohrl.

The new 911 is one of the highlights of 2012, and our European correspondent Georg Kacher spent two days riding shotgun with Rohrl around Alpine passes in the new 911 Carrera S.

Don't miss the eight-page feature in the October 2011 issue of CAR Magazine, on sale today. Click here for a free digital preview.

Riding in the new 991-spec Porsche 911 with Walter Rohrl
Kacher had to brace himself for some rapid cross-country driving, as the 64-year-old Audi and Porsche veteran proved his preferred seating position is right foot pinned to the floor. Although we take Rohrl's judgments with a pinch of Porsche-paid-for salt, his views on the 991 proved enlightening.

'It turns in like a swoosh,' Rohrl says as he tucks into his next Alpine switchback. 'And it sticks - no more understeer. Incredible. All that tugging and pulling is gone. This 911 no longer fights its driver. Instead, it follows the line like a ruler, and is so well balanced you would never believe the engine sits aft of the rear axle.'

What else can you tell about the new 911 Carrera S?
Our lime green 991 was the more powerful Carrera S. Its 3.8-litre flat six musters 400bhp (up from 385bhp) and 325lb ft. It's damn quick, and feels faster than the raw figures suggest (0-62mph is claimed in 4.3sec, top whack is 189mph).

But the new Porsche 991 is important for reasons other than tuned engines. This is an all-new product, not a mere reheat of the 996 like the 997 was. The wheelbase is 100mm longer, yet the overall length is only 56mm longer on account of the short overhangs. A mix of materials - half the body panels are aluminium - trims weight by 30-45kg, compared to the outgoing 997. It's a pretty serious bit of kit, and looks noticeably different despite its legacy design hang-ups.

Rohrl admits the new electro-mechancial power steering caused problems in development. 'Early on, we had problems on low-friction surfaces,' he tells CAR Magazine during our exclusive first ride. 'The phenomenon was called snap-over, and it only showed at the limit whern ultra-fast corrections were required. But engineering quickly fixed it.

'Although the new steering may face the odd acceptance problem among purists, it is in my view superior to a conventional rack because it can support the driver in critical situations, for example, by enhancing the self-centering motion or the directional stability on split-friction surfaces.'

And Kacher's verdict on the 991 from the passenger seat?
Kacher was confined to the passenger seat in this test with Rohrl. But he has now spent a lot of time in the 991, during both development drives in South Africa and now in Europe. He reports that the cabin is roomier and more comfortable, the build quality first rate and the ride pretty sorted considering the Carrera S runs on 20s.

What impressed Kacher most was the new 911's near total absence of understeer. Rohrl struggled to provoke the Carrera S into oversteer too - the engineers admit that sideways mode is no longer part of the car's character.

We'll know for sure when we drive the 991 later in 2011.

>> Don't miss the eight page story with Walter Rohrl in the new October issue of CAR Magazine

 

Even though Mr. Rohrl works for Porsche, I do not question his analysis of the 991 vs previous models of the 911. No one doubts the 991 is a better car the 997—why wouldn’t it be? But, um, it’s still F’n ugly! Inside and out!

 

no more understeer? where's the fun in that?!

 

Understeer is not funny

Oversteer is funny !

 

Oversteer probably is funnier and funner at least on a track. I don't get to try it all that much in town.

 

Read in-between the lines below:

Reading the above from someone who is PAID handsomely by Porsche is not promising to say the least.

Sounds like steering has lost the feel completely, and the car is JUST NOT a 911 anymore, as you basically CANNOT make it go sideways!!!

 

what mr rohl is saying essentially is now you have a car that is an r8 more that a 911. he says it feels like the engine is not in the rear anymore!!! what the .... all the new to classic have one thing going for them they are rear engined!! and it feels that way. if you wanted a different feel get something else. get a midengined car! we all know that mid engined cars are actually better on track faster balanced etc etc but that is not why we get the 911. I think Porsche might reallybe going the wrong way with the911. it may be hard to admit that technology and the Porsche's entry car the cayman has a better setup. Porsche is still hanging on to the fact that a 911 really "the Porsche" not the cayman not the boxster. The 911 is the porsche sports car and they are trying to make it better by making it feel like a cayman... huh???

 

In terms of handling i.e. no understeer, I think this is good news IMHO. I generally dislike understeer especially at corner entry and led me to moving away from using 911s at the track.

WRT electric steering, Mr. Rohrl seems to be positioning. This part is not encouraging.

I remain cautiously optimistic.

 

I find it interesting that, from the pictures at least, the 991 that Rohrl drove for the article didn't appear to be equipped with PDCC. My guess is that the 991 doesn't need it all that badly, and maybe it even takes away from the driving experience (losing the ability to have a 'feel' for when car approaching its limits, etc.).

 

'Rohrl struggled to provoke the Carrera S into oversteer too - the engineers admit that sideways mode is no longer part of the car's character'.

sounds pretty bad to me. if car brains interfere there to such level that you cannot make car drift anymoreat speed then it is very bad change, actually. i agree that they probably made an R8 car out of 991 - with multiple ECUs involved into everything.
makes me want to buy a 996 gt3 car even more now.

 

...Are you kidding me? Excluding GTs and Turbos, this is the first good-looking 911 of the 21st century. 964, 996, 997...Terrible.

 

Yup! Just basically LAYERS and LAYERS of electronics between you and the car, including for steering, suspension, handling, etc...

I am seriously thinking of getting a 997 GT3, converting it to streetable car (remove roll cage, install rear seats, maybe change rear spoiler, etc), and keep it as my daily/track car.

Btw, why 996 GT3 and not 997 GT3?

 

because of $50K (ideally) instead of $75K-$85K
with quite comparable engine. serious leap is with 997.2 gt3 car - that is a monster with engine tunable to 450 horses but, well, in $100K range. unrealistic for me.

as of all the rest - i can simply take off my suspension from my current car and with minor effort put it into 996 gt3 - all i need is a good engine/transmission, all the rest i do already have. my C2 sticks to the ground now better than stock gt3 rs car.

but, again, to be realistic, i do not drive my car at its limit yet, and i do not care much if people pass me on a straight if i can pass them in the corners, if i would be building race car to run in certain class then it would make difference but i just do DE events, may be will do time trials but no racing. i am only doing it for fun and i do not think i will get way much more fun from 50 additional horses on top what i have now. it is not a critical factor. all i want is for engine not to blow on a track, if possible.

 

Typical biased reporting for the latest offering from Zuffenhausen. Walter Rohrl is going to say whatever it takes to make the outgoing model sound inferior. That's why he's paid so well.

 

The 6gt3 is the last real Porsche. A true drivers car.