digits

The exterior isn't surprising if these photos are real. I'm sure we'll get used to it. The interior is interesting. I like my current interior, but I admit there are some possibilities for ergonomic improvements.

When driving, I find the current placement of the normal/sport chassis button non-optimal (I push this on-the-fly when the road gets bumpy) so placing the button closer to my field of view would be nice. Same goes for front-axle-lift. I'm not sure if the location above the vents is better or worse. I'd like to be able to develop a muscle memory for the controls that I operate while the car is rolling, and placement is the key.

The current sunroof controls seem like they were placed as an afterthought, these seem more logical. The seat heater/ventilation buttons seem to be in a better location as well, especially for the passenger. I can't figure out what the twisty ***** are for, though. Maybe they are bogus.

I can't say I'm unhappy to see an attempt at a cupholder improvement - we'll have to wait and see how it works out. The nearby placement of the parking brake concerns me however - what if I bump it with my coffee cup while driving? If it is really placed on the console it will probably be changed to "pull up to engage" rather than the current model's "push to engage" parking brake.

My knees can't handle a MT, so I'm a PDK only customer. I use the PDK selector in manual mode and prefer it over the flappy paddles which are not always under my hand when I'm turning sharply. The nubbin is simply insane. Quite frankly, if they do this it will prevent me from buying a new 911. That makes me sad.

STG

Argon_

Trying to get an 'even weight balance' defeats the whole fcking point of putting the engine in the rear to begin with.

The 911's weight being so unbalanced is a huge advantage in the hands of a skilled driver.

digits

Hey STG, I like your suggestion that the cupholder be an option like smoker's package (for my daily driver, I'd probably opt for it). Looks like there's even a sort of "splash guard" around it to help catch the big gulp spills when you mash the throttle. I wonder if there's a drain tube.

worf928

Mid-engine has always been the goto architecture for sports cars when all-round performance was the top priority.

Modern ground-up-designed race cars are all mid-engined. This is true of the new "911" RSR too: https://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsp...rank-walliser/

Advantages of a rear-engined performance car architecture, assuming there ever were any over a mid-engined architecture, disappeared a long time ago.

Frankly, until all the "911 Purists" let go of the need for Porsche's top non-hyper-halo model to have a flat-6 and rear seats, Porsche is unable to market and sell the best sports-car-for-mortal-wallets it can produce.

Penn4S

Dewinator

stout

^ Is there anything other than a gated shifter in that photo?

Argon_

The RSR moved to mid engine because the rear engine weight bias ate tires too quickly. That exact quality, while undesirable for endurance racing, is unbeatable in a sprint.

In a rear engine car, you can brake later and bring the power on earlier.

For years the 911 has ousted everything from mid engine supercars to Corvettes with twice the horsepower. The rear engine is a big part of that; It's a hell of a beast, but powerful for those who can tame it.

Argon_

Not that I can see.

chuckbdc

Re changing the top class 911 race cars to mid engine:
- both the Porsche factory and the teams and drivers have explained the advantages and necessity of a huge rear diffuser (where the engine used to be) for downforce
- they have described how the better balance of the mid engine placemnet has reduced tire wear while making the cars easier to place where they want to place them while cornering- and far less tiring to drive in endurance races.

That's all done to be competitive. Corvette is soon to follow suite. Apparently, despite being front/mid engined now, putting the engine behind the driver brings similar benefits. Anyone doubting the advantage of mid engine architecture for racing should look at PCA or SCCA autocross where 914s and Caymans are generally on top.

That doesn't change the fact that I like the engine right where it is in my 991. It can't ever feel like the earlier 911s I loved, but it handles way better and goes far faster.

chuck911

Right. My view has always been the rear engine goes back to the first car Porsche made, the VW. That car had to be extremely efficient and utilitarian. Then when he set out to make a much more performance-oriented model it was a whole lot easier and cheaper to improve what he had. So the 911 was kind a a one-off accident of circumstances kind of thing. Not at all like some imagine, the genius sitting down to a clean sheet of paper, gazing presciently out the window, having a brilliant epiphany of 60 years of rear-engine domination. I mean, if the rear-engine design is so great then why isn't everyone else doing it? And why, when every time Porsche does pour massive funds into blank-sheet state of the art "statement" designs they never are rear-engine but instead Carrera GT, 918, etc? Obvious as can be, yet nobody ever seems to get it. They just keep on about the genius of the rear-engine.

Its a real problem for Porsche. Well maybe less for Porsche than as you said, "for mortal wallets" ie, us. Porsche will do just fine cranking out their Golden Egg for us, with every now and then a CGT or 918 for the immortal wallets. Like HP selling for $130 a calculator they've made so long now the amortized cost is 35 cents they rake in so much on the 911 they can afford to keep everything else just slightly slower. Well why not? We keep letting them get away with it. With such a huge vested contingent of enablers why would it ever change?

BlackBeauty

Plus keep in mind that all 911s had FIA imposed weight penalties too - they were too good. Modern racing like many things in life has been poisoned in the name of "fairness". Don't build and design the best, because we can't beat you. Let's have NASCAR rules in road racing....

Papa Fittig

I would also suggest that rear-engine driving rear wheels and air-cooling = cost savings for obvious reasons. This is why VW was designed like that. Since then many automakers had rear-engined cars and some had air cooled ones too. Porsche just found a key to the hearts of sports car enthusiasts w/o a complete redesign.
Later on this RE/RWD cost saving platform has been replaced with front-engine FWD cars. They obviously suffer from power steering.

RRDnA

No, a skilled driver can manage the rearward weight distribution and use it where its advantageous to do so.