TIS330ci

regarding the 997 it will definitely have a flat 6 with more hp. however regarding the 998 it will most surely have to have a flat or v 8 engine to compete with the current cars. come 2007-2008 400hp is not going to be the magial number it one was with many cars meating or beating that number. 911 carrera is also about performance and when the M3/M4/M5/M6, mercedes 55 AMG, aston martin v8 vantage, C6 and others all have a lot more hp and more performance than a 911, i think a lot of people are going to find that 70k base price overpriced to say the least.

I am hoping for a 998 with an 8 cylinder of some kind with at least 400hp in stock form. and 0 to 60 in the low 4 second range, with a cayenne like interior, and exterior vastly different than the new boxster and possibly a double clutch of F1 transmission.

Targa Tim

I agree totally with your thoughts. This is exactly what I have been thinking about lately (As I always think about what car I want to buy next). That a lot of passenger cars nowadays can keep up with a 911 carrera on the street (I'm sure on the track the Porsche is superior but most of the time our cars are on the street.) An infiniti or an acura sedan can easily keep up with my 911, but they are much cheaper and can carry more people. I will not buy the 997 at all as my 993 looks much better. The 998 is too earlier to say, and as you said, there are too many competitors that cost less than Porsche.
By the way, I have put down a deposit for the next BMW M5 as I think it will become the king of sport sedan. Happy Motoring!

TIS330ci

assuming porsche doent screp up the 998 im gonna get one. however the only reason im not considering the M4 or M6 is the in my opinion "ugly" and untraditinal designs. i still think the current 3 ser(e46) in Ci and M3 form is the best looking bmw period!

Rassel

Why do you need a 8 cylinder car?
There is still plenty of more power to pull from the regular flat-6.
400bhp from the current 996 engine aint really that hard to get, and still keep it reliable.

Christer

I don't think 400hp is going to be that long a wait, but the rest of it I would assume is. You have to remember that Porsche has never been about horsepower ultimately, and that the flat-6 currently has plenty more potential. The cost of developing a flat 8 would be prohibitive unless they can source it externally. But who makes one (and would be willing to share..)? If you are thinking Cayenne engine, then I would imagine that would be a no-no. I think a 928 successor would use that engine, but IMHO it is not suitable for an agile sportscar such as the 911.

I think the new M5 will (as the previous versions) be a star. However, I would still not looking forward to cornering the 1800kgs BUFF .

rareblack944

To make a flat-8 can’t Porsche just take the flat-6 they have now and add an extra bank of cylinders to it on one end? Wouldn’t this be somewhat similar to how Ford made a V-12 for Aston Martin by putting together two v-6s? Or is there something about the design of an engine with opposed cylinders that wouldn’t let you do this?

Christer

I think in general, the costs of developing a new engine from scratch runs in the hundreds of millions of dollars depending on the technology, application and availability of parts.

Mongo

This 998 that is so talked about is not a 911. Perhaps it will most likely be the next generation 928. It appears that all fingers are pointing to that too. The rumors of a rear mounted flat-8 in a 911 is false. Porsche will not sell out their excellent handling car to stick in a motor with 2 more cylinders and completely foul up the balance of the car. So much has been learned since the 901 first rolled off the line in 1964. Best we can do is pray that Porsche's best interest is to appeal to the enthusiast and collectors with the next 911s and that they still retain the original mark and finesse given to them since they first rolled off the line...

Andy

jetskied

I think that a flat 8 might be a good idea since it would not take away from the essence of a 911. When the 901 was introduced the 356 pepeole said the same about a 6 cyclinder. If they went with a V8 they could not get the low center of gravity or have it fit in the rear as they do now. As far as the balance they may make the new 998 have a slightly longer wheel base to off set the extra 200 lbs and may reposition the rear suspention, or maybe make it AWD like the heavier turbos. An eight might even be more fun like the old 930 with more rear weight bias it can be throttle steer easier, but it might make more of a handful for most to drive.

Robert Henriksen

If you lengthen the wheelbase to offset the extra weight in the back, I would think you might wind up adding yet more weight in the process, and the car just gets too darn heavy to be what a 911 should be all about.

I like the idea of a 998 being the GT car, and its existence allowing the 911 to quit being such a luxury barge & get back to being a more raw sports car. More GT3, less 928 (for the next 911).

paulhol

id be happy for them to play with the engine only slightly and put that money into light weight construction.

Baron009

Yes! I'm getting tired of this talk about turning the 911, into a German version of the Vette or whatever...

What they need to do is lighten the 911, and they should stick with the flat 6 as far as I'm concerned.

Totally agree.

graham_mitchell

Agreed. 1200kg would be very nice, especially in conjunction with a 400hp flat six

graham_mitchell

Hmmm... Corvette isn't the only marque with high power figures. Audi, Mercedes, Ferrari have all left Porsche standing still recently in the power stakes.

Mercedes CL 55 AMG: 500hp
Ferrari 360 Modena: 400hp (one of the least powerful models)
Audi RS6: 450hp

Of course Porsche has always been about more than power but to stay ahead of the pack I think Porsche needs to get to 400hp+ pretty fast and combine that with better handling, brakes, build quality, lighter weight and more beautiful design.

It's not easy being the best...

TIS330ci

the other Big carmakers are getting MUCH more powerful in thier high end cars, at the same time, the carrera isnt getting any lighter with new reports that the car is getting a bit heavier for the 997 with only 20hp more