Beirut. Porsche Centre Lebanon s.a.l launched the highly anticipated new 911 Carrera and Carrera S Coupé in a spectacular event at the Beirut Port Free Zone, in the presence of a large crowd of Porsche enthusiasts and owners.
The icon, now available in its seventh generation, has undergone a complete re-design.
The new 911 Carrera, many said could never be bettered, features now a flatter, stretched silhouette, exciting contours and precisely designed details. Its wheelbase is now 100 millimetres longer, sits lower to the ground and consequently offers even better handling dynamics for more driving pleasure of 911 connoisseurs.
David Smith, Regional Manager of Porsche Middle East and Africa FZE, says: “This is a moment which marks a new era for our brand. The 911 Carrera is the re-definition of what a sports car should be. Our customers and Porsche fans have already been amazed at the new model, and now they can finally buy the vehicle that says so much about the sheer pleasure of driving.
“No fewer than 90 per cent of all components are either new or have been fundamentally revised. The aim of building ‘the best 911 ever’ has been fulfilled – proven by the new lap time of just 7 minutes 40 seconds on the famous Nürburgring’s Nordschleife circuit – 14 seconds faster than the previous model.
“With a history spanning five decades, the new 911 remains unmistakably Porsche’s iconic sports car”, added Smith.
Offering a blistering top speed of 289 km/h for the standard version, it is the first passenger car in the world to feature seven-speed manual transmission. It is also the first sports car equipped with an auto start/stop function; electro-mechanical power steering and a new ‘coasting function’, in vehicles equipped with the Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK). The new electro-mechanical power steering offers even better precision and response, while increasing efficiency and reducing general fuel consumption.
The athletic 350hp 3.4-litre boxer engine on the 911 Carrera consumes a mere 8.2 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres that’s 16 per cent less over its predecessor. And with an emission level of 194 g/km CO2, it is the first Porsche sports car to make it below the 200 g/km mark.
The Carrera S, featuring a 3.8-litre boxer engine, produces 400 hp and manages to accelerate from nought to 100km/h in 4.3 seconds. Pressing the ‘Sport Plus’ button on the optional Sport Chrono package cuts that to 4.1 seconds.
Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) is now available in the Carrera S and Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV) makes its debut in the 911 Carrera S as standard.
The all-new, lightweight body is an intelligent aluminium-steel construction, providing an overall weight reduction of up to 45 kilogrammes, and significantly greater rigidity. Aerodynamic optimisation measures, including a wider, variably extending rear spoiler, means the lift of the new 911 Carrera is further reduced.
But not only on the outside, has the iconic sports car been transformed. Porsche’s Design team from Weissach created a completely new interior based on cues from the Porsche Carrera GT. The driver is now even more closely integrated with the cockpit thanks to the centre console rising up to the front with the high-mounted shift lever located especially close to the steering wheel in typical motor sport fashion.
Assaad Raphael, General Manager of Porsche Centre Lebanon, said: “There has been such excitement surrounding the release of this 911. We have had a great deal of interest, and I fully expect we will be working extremely hard throughout 2012 to meet customer demand. With the nearly endless options available through Porsche Exclusive and Porsche Tequipment, each one of the Porsche 911 Carrera models you will see in our market will be as individual as its owner.”
With the new 911 Carrera the span of apparently contradictory attributes that have typified the Porsche 911, such as performance and efficiency, sportiness and everyday practicality has been even further extended.
First deliveries of the new Porsche 911 Carrera and Carrera S Coupé start on 7th of February 2012. Starting retail prices in Lebanon are as follows:
911 Carrera Coupé | Starting price 139.000 USD | |
911 Carrera S Coupé | Starting price 165.000 USD |