Loosely translated from the original German.

There are more expensive sports cars than the Porsche 911 S and even faster ones, but there is none that surpasses it in terms of sporty appeal. Porsche cars enjoy the reputation of being more powerful and exclusive than standard mass-produced models, but on the other hand their functionality and solidity are praised compared to luxury creations in the top price ranges. In relevant circles it is well known that a beefy Corvette or a heavy Ferrari can hardly outrun the functional Porsche. That is what makes the Porsche image so enviable. It is based on the fact that the Stuttgart company has never built anything other than sports cars and that these cars have repeatedly demonstrated their potency on racetracks all over the world.

Their image is also closely linked to their technical concept: since the first 1100 with 40 hp, a rear-mounted engine and air-cooled, aggressive-sounding engines have given them an unmistakable character that has been carried over unadulterated from the modest performance and price classes of the early years to the speed and price levels of today. The successful 911 is now entering its third displacement generation. In the seven years it has been built, it has gained considerably in speed and maturity, but at the same time the limits of the classic Porsche concept have become apparent.

Engine: detoxified, but toxic

A gas station attendant in Wiesbaden looked skeptical and recalled the experience of his 27 years of work when he was asked to fill the new Porsche with regular petrol. What seems like a joke, namely that the new 2.4 litre engines run on regular petrol, shows that even with sports engines like the Porsche six-cylinder, efforts can no longer be made to achieve higher performance alone, but exhaust gas laws force completely different engine technology.

Advantages

• Cultivated high-performance engine
• Very high performance
• Good handiness
• Functional equipment
• Above-average overall quality

Disadvantages

• Lack of directional stability on uneven tracks
• Loud engine noise
• Shock-sensitive steering
• Speed-dependent heating
• Series tank too small

Considerations. Until now, the aim was to get as much power as possible while keeping fuel consumption low, but in the future the main question will be how much exhaust gas poison is emitted in the process.

Porsche engineers, who support emissions regulations even for racing cars, have already taken the new circumstances into account quite consistently in the latest engine generation. In all three performance versions, T. E and S, the compression ratio was reduced so much that the engines could burn unleaded petrol with a low octane number without suffering any damage. In the 911 S, whose specific power is over 80 hp/litre, the compression ratio was reduced to 8.5:1, and in the 911 T even to 7.5:1.

The intervention was not without consequences for the performance: the increase in displacement from 2195 cc to 2341 cc, achieved by extending the stroke from 66 mm to 70.4 mm, is only slightly noticeable in the peak power - it rose from 180 to 190 hp in the 911 S - but more so in the lower and middle speed range. The torque curve of the new S engine is flatter than before and reaches the respectable value of 22 mkg at 5200 rpm. In practical terms, this means increased pulling power at lower engine speeds and less gear shifting.

Among fans of powerful engines, there is justified mistrust of the blessings of emissions laws. However, anyone who was worried about the fire of the 911 S engine can rest assured after the measurements by auto motor und sport. Contrary to all the prophecies of doom, the machine showed impressive power and liveliness. Compared to the previous model, it has improved in elasticity.

The engine has noticeably increased its performance without losing any of its spirit at high revs. In the city, you can cruise more comfortably than before at 3000 rpm. The high-performance engine is well-behaved and smooth here. It shows its second face beyond 5000 rpm, where it suddenly turns from a good horse into a racehorse. With a slight change in tone - the hoarse sawing sound of the six-cylinder becomes a sonorous one - the thrust develops that takes the 911 S to 100 km/h in 7.4 seconds and to 180 km/h in 23 seconds, mind you, with two people and a measuring device weighing around 20 kg on board. But even at 200 km/h, where similarly powerful but larger cars usually have difficulties, the small, aerodynamic Porsche coupé still keeps going: the rev counter climbs to 6600 rpm, or 231 km/h, in fifth gear. There is an undeniable fascination in driving a Porsche, and it is certain that two thirds of this fascination comes from the engine. Its noise alone is capable of stimulating the driver, even driving him on. The usual country road speed of 70 km/h in the 911 S is difficult to bear, and even at 150 or 160 km/h on the motorway, you change gear impatiently between IV and V in order to escape the shackles of the slow and medium-fast cars as quickly as possible. Without any sporting euphoria, the noise is of course the only weak point of the Porsche six-cylinder. The loud rise and fall of the revs is tiring over longer distances. A Porsche is also no fun for the neighbors: a 911 S started at seven in the morning on a quiet street can become more of a nuisance. However, it spares its driver a great deal of other trouble, because despite its very high performance, the engine, equipped with mechanical Bosch fuel injection, is of unheard of functional reliability. Spontaneous starting, excellent cold running properties, safe.

Idling and absolutely clean speed transitions are some of the criteria in which the Porsche is superior to many high-performance engines. Experience has also shown that it has a good service life. The consumption curve for the 2.4-litre engines is less favourable than before: less than 15 litres/100 km can no longer be expected from the 911 S, and 18 to 20 litres can be used when driving hard. This shows the negative effects of exhaust gas detoxification, which does not result in better fuel efficiency, as laymen often assume, but in poorer fuel efficiency due to reduced compression and a "retarded" ignition. Considering its performance, the Porsche is by no means overdoing it, and the use of regular petrol means that the petrol station bills are actually cheaper than before. However, the problem of the small tank capacity (62 litres), which is only enough for 300 kilometres, has become more serious. This forces frequent refuelling stops, which are no fun at crowded motorway pumps in a fast car. The 85 litre tank, which is offered as an optional extra in conjunction with a foldable spare wheel for the new models, is therefore a recommendable extra.

A new design is the Four-speed gearbox, with which the 911 models now equipped are. Four gears are enough for the more elastic 2.4 liter Engines actually off and save unnecessary switching work.

The fact that five gears are offered for a premium for those who still want them is of course not a noble business practice in the 30,000 Mark class. And it is undeniable that five gears give the sporty driver, especially in the 911 S, additional fun and optimal opportunities for using the power. The advantages of the new transmission lie in its better durability. All changes, such as larger synchronizer bodies for the 1st and 2nd gears and wider locking surfaces on the synchronizer rings, are aimed at reducing wear. Up to now, less sensitive drivers had often over-synchronized the very smooth-shifting Porsche transmission and caused damage, primarily to the 2nd gear. This has now been prevented by the greater locking effect. However, it has clearly changed the gearshift feel to a disadvantage: the new gearbox shifts harder than the old one and the gearshift transmission is not precise enough. Like all new designs, the Porsche gearbox obviously still needs to be refined in detail.

Porsche's new gearshift pattern is to be welcomed, as it meets the requirements of road traffic far better than the old pattern borrowed from racing, with first gear on the left in the reverse gear level. In contrast to racing drivers, who generally only use first gear once at the start, for normal drivers the change from first to second gear is the most frequent, and it is naturally easier to do this on a flat surface than around a corner. It was not a good idea, however, to put the reverse gear lock in front of fifth gear on the new five-speed gearbox. Overcoming the spring lock means that the shift from fourth to fifth is delayed and awkward. Porsche should look for a more elegant and sensible solution here.

Chassis: skirt support

The faster the Porsches became, the more obvious the problems that arose from the rear-engine design and the short wheelbase of the high-performance cars became. The key issues that Porsche engineers had to grapple with intensively during the seven-year 911 production period were insufficient front axle loading and the correspondingly poor directional stability at high speeds, as well as the car's treacherous tendency to oversteer at the cornering limit. In the test reports from auto motor und sport, the index finger was repeatedly raised in warning against overconfidence with the fast rear-engines.

Even today, overconfidence is not appropriate, but the test with the new 911 S showed that the pitfalls of the early years have been significantly reduced. By cleverly arranging the auxiliary units, a weight distribution of 42 to 58 percent on the axles has now been achieved, without lead ballast in the front bumpers, as was once used.

Wide rims and tires, a sophisticated wheel geometry, offset shock absorber suspensions on the rear axle and a body apron at the front have improved the driving safety of the 911 to a pleasing degree. The effect of the apron is striking: the 911, which previously felt unpleasantly light and indifferent at the steering wheel at 200 km/h, now behaves more calmly and directionally stable at high speeds. Even people who drive Porsches all the time feel more relaxed when holding the steering wheel. This is thanks to the front spoiler, which, just like in racing cars, pushes the air flow down at the front and thus reduces the drive at the front of the car. For the time being, only the 911 S benefits from aerodynamic stabilization as standard, but it will probably become standard equipment for the T and E as soon as the production conditions are in place. The Porsche can still be thrown off by bumps in the road; here it follows every pothole and has to be corrected diligently.

The 911 S is incredibly fast in curves, because its lateral acceleration (a measure of cornering support) is higher than that of most production cars. This means that the Porsche still rolls in its lane when other cars are already pushing out of the curve. At the limit, i.e. where the tires start to slide, a noticeable tendency to understeer has recently become apparent. There is no longer any talk of the rear skidding in tight and medium-speed curves as long as you keep your foot on the gas. Only when the accelerator is released does the heavier rear end move outwards in its usual way, and it is important for the Porsche driver to take this load change reaction into account.

From this point of view, the Porsche is a very man's car, no matter how good it looks on emancipated women. The sensitivity of the rack and pinion steering to shocks on bad roads is particularly annoying, and can subject the watch on your wrist to real shock tests. The fact that bumpy roads are becoming extinct is definitely a good thing for Porsche drivers.

However, the battle with the all too willing oversteering rear is a thing of the past. The Porsche, however, does not exactly handle bumps in the road in fast corners at speeds of 150 km/h and above in the style of a world champion; here the short wheelbase of only 2271 mm becomes noticeable, which does not give the car the composure of a larger car in such phases.

Porsche is doing better than ever with the new cars. Porsche also knows that a 2271 mm wheelbase and a rear engine are no longer optimal in the power and speed range achieved. It gives the car advantages, such as the unshakeable grip of the drive wheels and good winter driving ability. but clear disadvantages in terms of general driving stability as well as sensitivity to aquaplaning and crosswinds. It can be assumed that the former successor to the 911 rear-engine car can no longer keep up speed. This has been the case since the introduction of the 911.

We must admit that the old concept will be the same, but it is also not at all certain that it will have a mid-engine. The 911 is only moderately comfortable, especially in the S version, which is fitted with anti-roll bars as standard. For fast drivers, they are an effective stabilisation aid in curves, and are also recommended for the other 911 models, but they impair the responsiveness of the suspension. The S has the healthy hardness of a thoroughbred sports car and is less recommended for comfort-conscious drivers than the T and E models, which react a little more smoothly on uneven surfaces. Porsche drivers have to do without power assistance altogether: both the direct steering and the excellent, ventilated disc brakes are operated solely by muscle power and require firm grip or pedalling. From this point of view, too, it may also look good on emancipated women. The sensitivity of the rack and pinion steering to shocks on bad roads is particularly annoying, as it can subject the watch on the wrist to real shock tests. The fact that bumpy roads are becoming extinct is definitely a good thing for Porsche drivers.

Body: functional and fast

The Porsche silhouette can already be described as classic and the shape of the 911 is still attractive. The reputation and performance of Porsche cars are not least due to this shape. To date, the company has avoided diluting its sports car concept, for example by offering more space. The cars are fast because they are small and aerodynamically shaped. The fact that they are not very spacious is the price to pay for the speed.

The 911 is a real two-seater, its folding rear seats are no more than a poor emergency accommodation, but a welcome luggage rack in the interior. Unfortunately, the headrests make it difficult to access these days. The equipment in the 911 S is complete, from the Recaro sports seats to the rear window wiper, and is of high quality in every detail. The strikingly practical arrangement of instruments and controls shows that Porsche cars are built with the best sensitivity to the needs of fast driving. The Porsche was one of the first to have a wiper lever on the steering column, and the pedals have always been operated with the tip and heel of your hand.

Basically, little has changed in terms of the body and equipment. The engine oil can now be checked and topped up from the outside through a flap, and the outside mirror has a new, more stable shape. The shortcomings of the heating system, which are caused by the air-cooled engine, remain unaffected; it blows too much warm air into the interior of the car when driving fast and at high revs, and too little in slow-moving city traffic. The blackening of body details, which Porsche transferred from racing cars to series production and which was previously only demonstrated on the windscreen wipers, has been extended to the engine grille and the Porsche lettering on the rear in the new models. It looks good and will certainly find imitators among owners of older models. The body quality that the 911 has now achieved is impressive. Today it has a similar level of solidity and perfection in detail as the fantastically built 356s used to have. This is particularly true of the coupés, while the Targa naturally has to make compromises in terms of body rigidity and wind noise.

You have to have the passion of a mule not to be impressed by the Porsche 911 S. Its shape, functionality and incomparable engine still mask the disadvantages that result from the outdated rear-engine concept and that have become apparent over the course of production years were surprisingly well concealed. But one should not be fooled by its elegance: the Porsche is a thoroughbred sports car with all the attributes of this type, such as formidable performance, small interior space, hard suspension and loud engine noise, but without any primitiveness. The specific appeal of Porsche lies in its genuine sports car character as well as in its perfect manufacturing quality, which strikes an ideal middle ground between mass products and "hand-made dream sports cars." Incidentally, this also applies to the prices that Porsche demands today. You can get away with it more tolerably with a 911 T or E, but one thing is certain: the S is the crowning glory of driving a Porsche, and not just in terms of price.

Manfred Jantke