992 TURBO S ADAPTIVE AERODYNAMICS
PAA is more advanced than ever, now with three settings for all driving conditions
It was at the launch of the 991 Turbo in 2014 where Porsche revealed its new, modern approach to adaptive aerodynamics. Christened with a new acronym for us all to learn, PAA essentially brought active aero to the front of the 911, rather than just the back, with a pneumatically deployed chin spoiler.
The 992 Turbo takes PAA further, with three modes now available:
Eco, Speed and Performance. This allows the 992 Turbo S to tailor its aerodynamic character between minimal drag and maximum downforce, two characteristics that often serve to contradict one another.
That active front chin spoiler is now split into three segments: front, left, and right. Inflated with the help of actuators (in a quicker time than previously), the flexible plastic of the front chin spoiler can be deployed in stages, with the front section able to work independently of the sides, depending on driving conditions.
Cooling air flaps at the front best serve the 992 Turbo’s ‘eco’ capabilities. Located in the front air intakes, these flaps are continually adjustable and, while managing airflow to the 992’s radiators, they also lower driving resistance and therefore fuel consumption. The flaps close fully at 70km/h to better aid aerodynamic efficiency, opening linearly past 150km/h.
The 992’s rear wing has been tweaked too. Now 440 grams lighter than before, despite an increase in surface area of eight per cent, the wing is also deployed in three stages: fully retracted in Eco mode, fully extended for Performance mode and Wet mode, with an intermediate position for Speed mode. The wing also has a variable tilt angle which is more developed than before, tilting down to increase downforce when needed, flicking back up past 260km/h to reduce drag at high speeds, before arcing down again when in use as an air brake. The rear wing alone makes use of seven positions in its quest to best serve the 992 Turbo S’s aerodynamics, PAA helping the car increase downforce by 15 per cent over its predecessor to 170kg, while maintaining a slippery 0.33Cd drag coefficient, a remarkable figure for a car measuring nearly two metres wide.