Porsche 911 991.2 (2015-2019) review - Design
The half-century lineage has had its ups and downs, but there’s never been a class act quite like the 911
Design
No seminal shape has been as sympathetically evolved as the 911’s. The car has grown larger over its five decades but all the instantly recognisable design cues – the round headlamps, the arcing roofline, the lean, sucked-in proportions – are reassuringly familiar. The facelifted, second-generation 991 can be identified by its vertical engine cover slats, in place of the horizontal items on the pre-facelift car. Porsche also fitted the ‘three-dimensional’ rear lights that have featured throughout the company’s model range.
For us, the best-looking 991 is the GT3 with its subtly pumped rear wheel arches (44mm wider than the standard Carrera’s), while the large spoiler on the engine cover helps generate downforce at high speeds. The deeper front and rear bumpers, extra cooling vents cut into the bonnet and grille and unique door mirrors are equally eye-catching, as are the huge 20-inch forged aluminium wheels that hide the GT3’s massive optional carbon-ceramic disc brakes. A handsome dose of racer chic, then, and it’s an impression that’s confirmed when you climb behind the wheel.
Or is the more aggressive, striking and purposeful look of the GT3 RS your preferred 911 silhouette? Those front wheel-arch vents might look cool, but they also serve a very important purpose – they substantially increase downforce over the front axle, improving front-end bite and, when combined with that tall rear-wing, high-speed stability.
The four-wheel drive cars also benefit from a wider rear track with 10mm wider rubber at the rear. And as with all 991s, there’s an extensive range of high-tech chassis options available such as the PDCC active anti-roll bars and PTV torque vectoring, at a price of course.
