The New 992 From a Coach's Perspective

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Fast cars seem to get replaced so often it can be hard to keep up. Porsche’s introduction of the new 992 has left a lot of people wondering just how different it is from the outgoing 991, or the 991.2 for that matter. This all gets pretty confusing if you go by numbers alone, so let’s look at it from a coach's perspective. What will you actually notice on the 992 compared to the other jumbled up letters in the lineup?

image courtesy of flickr.com

Engines

Unless you’re Mark Webber or you drive these cars back to back all the time it’s fairly unlikely you will notice the increase in horsepower. Bumped up from 420bhp to 443bhp it’s important to remember both of those numbers are measured at the track. Drivetrain losses account for 15% as an industry standard so you can reasonably say the measured performance at the wheels is only 20 horsepower to the wheels. Not a lot when you consider a 991 can be flashed to gain roughly the same amount of power. The minimal amount of power increase that you are unlikely to notice from the driver’s seat.

image courtesy of Cnet 

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Transmission Weights

Porsche has decided to retain the option of a manual with the 992, but it won’t be here until the end of the year. Having said that it has been claimed that this transmission will save 55 lbs over the PDK version of the 992. This would definitely be felt in any kind of transition like a slalom or left-right transition on the track, but how does that relate to the 991? Well, if the 992 with a manual was anywhere from 80-100lbs heavier than the 991 with a manual my money would be on the 991 as a driving coach. Weight is a killer so how much has been added between the two models with a full tank of gas, driver, and fluids would certainly be something to consider if you were choosing between the two.

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Track Width

Widening the track width of a car can have big benefits to cornering stability and this is where the 992 starts to come into its stride. If you were to slalom both 991 and 992 back to back I think you would certainly feel more stability in the 992 thanks to an increase in front and a rear track width of 3.14 inches. Suspension geometry and chassis design are often what drivers feel right off the bat with things like horsepower much harder to judge unless the gaps are substantial. Footwork has been seriously looked at on the 992.

image courtesy of Jalopnik 

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Steering Rack Ratio

Absolutely noticeable will be the 992s tightened steering rack. 11% faster than the outgoing model this will help tremendously when the car steps out. Fast steering is what you want to help get the car pointed straight as soon as possible should things step out of line unexpectedly. Reaction times can only get so fast in a panic situation so having a car that can match those is critical. Big points for the 992 here. 

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Remapped ECU

Electronics have to be re-calibrated in the form of a more advanced version of Porsche Active Suspension Management. During my time coaching, I never found the system intrusive, but enough people have to where they have smoothed things over. Shutting it off is a moot point between the two so as much effort as they put into developing this it goes out the window at the push of a button. 

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Exterior and Final Thoughts

The exterior hasn’t been changed in any staggering way so as to radically improve aerodynamics, though it should be said it is a welcomed revamp to a car that is now 66 years old. From a coach's perspective, these are modifications that will be noticeable but only to people that really spend time driving them hard. If you’re in the market for a 911 and you don’t hit the track it will make no difference which one you buy. If you do hit the track there could be some benefits to a 992, but only if you compete in a class where you can’t modify a 991. Hope you enjoyed reading. 

image courtesy of kinja-img.net

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