Le Chef

Just as we've gotten most of the new range of 911's out of bubble wrap the pictures have begun appearing of 991 undergoing development testing.

The rumors are already flying about smaller engines, cameras instead of rear view mirrors, and more changes in body shape to meet forthcoming legislation etc.

So why "death by a thousand cuts"? Because we believe the 911 is an icon - created over 45 years ago for driving conditions that no longer exist.

Our roads are more crowded than ever. Speed restrictions are almost universal. Big Brother photographs our every indiscretion, and black boxes record our every move from throttle pedal flex to trail-braking. New laws create more stringent restrictions on emissions and taxes punish us for excessive consumption.

Yet somehow or another the 911 manages to soldier on and beat the odds in an ever changing form of Darwinian adaption, but is clearly being pulled in multiple directions by legislation that it was never originally designed to meet.

The time comes when one has to ask whether there is a point beyond which it really would be smarter to take a clean sheet approach (I wonder what that likes look on a CAD screen?) and draw a fresh interpretation of a sports car for the 21st century.

The 911 is a great car, a wonderful icon, but truly an anachronism in the 21st century. At what point, like a future hall of fame champ, do you stop coming back and protect your legacy? At what point should you retire gracefully, bask in your former glories, and leave it all to the next generation? At what point is it kinder to retire and avoid death by a thousand cuts and start afresh?

ADias

AFAIC - NEVER!

Nothing wrong with the evolved 911 as we have it today 997/997.2. Lots of wrongs with coming legislation and other rubbish.

Bob Rouleau

God forbid it ends up being a Tesla! In spite of ever increasing regulations, Porsche has managed to give us better cars with higher performance than ever before. Better fuel economy, lower emissions and higher performance. Bravo PAG!

russo

The time to retire will arrive when Porsche can no longer improve this icon.

nyca

Well, most of these issues are related to government intervention - all I can say is, in a democracy the people get the goverment they deserve. New cars don't really pollute the air at all, until CO2 is counted as a "pollutant", then any restriction is possible, and that's what happening in Europe and might be a few years off from happening in the US. Then add these stupid euro pedestrian impact standards altering fascia design.

So indeed, there may well come a time very soon when we will all be buying the last decent sports cars and full sized/powered sedans of our lifetimes - cars we will have to leave to our children. I figure we aren't quite there yet, there will be one more iteration of the current standard bearers in all these classes. After that, all bets are off. I'll buy used cars for the rest of my life when the government forces me into a Volt or a Prius.

Edgy01

About this time before each successive "911" arrives on the scene there are numerous Porsche critics who question the ability of the 911 concept (rear engine, 6-cylinders) to survive another major design cycle. I have to applaud Porsche for (1) recognizing their cash cow and (2) sticking to it. I had often thought that Jaguar should have continued with their beautiful E Type sports car,--they clearly could have sold every one they made, but they took off in another direction with what I consider to be a vast departure from the XKE. And what did it get them? Well,--they aren't independent any longer are they?

Congratulations to Porsche for keeping up with the regulations and thinking outside the box. They had to do that in racing as racing rules change from season to season,--they continue to do the same thing with their sports cars.

ADias

I fully agree with you. I think though that if we continue to live in a state of fear and elect governments who will fully take care of us, Orwell's world may indeed become reality and PAG may be at the end of the rope.

Sadiq

IMO the 997.2 is the best 911 there has been. There's no reason to think the 991 won't be an improvement.

Leader

Just to be clear...since 2005 the "cash cow" for Porsche has been the Cayenne, more than the 911.
But, I would agree that the 997.2 is impressive for the improvements Porsche made.

Fahrer

I am curious what the new pedestrian impact rules will do to the 911's front end design.

SeanR

As I read the 1st post, it felt like I was reading a Car & Driver article from 1979.

djcxxx

Certainly Porsche has had this discussion internally. The 928 was designed to meet increasing emission and crash standards that it was believed, at the time, the 911 could not. The 928, although excellent, did not meet the essential approval of the market. Since then Porsche has unflaggingly committed its resources to maintaining the 911. It is a tribute to Porsche's engineers that the 911 soldiers on as a fully capable 21st century sports car. I don't believe the future jeopardy for the 911 is intrinsic to the design, but rather resides in how external forces will force the car to morph into something that is potentially unrecognizable or undesirable. Those forces while not new, are increasing in intensity, complexity, and intrusiveness.

Le Chef

It gets harder and harder as legislation pulls/blocks design in multiple directions. From Porsche's standpoint they must have looked at the value of the 911 to the brand and concluded that the ROI from the halo effect makes it worth while.

Personally I'm more than happy to play my part and buy another one.

gota911

Here is a spy shot of the preliminary design on a 996. Having it painted the same color as the exterior will, or course, be optional.

nyca

Another nail in the coffin signed this morning:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009...auto-industry/