Ben Przekop
Mercer Island, USA @benjaminprzekop
“What’s your new 992 like to drive?”, friends keep asking me, and all I can tell them is, “Wet Mode works really well!” Blame our lovely Pacific northwest winter weather of snow, ice, rain and cold. Hopefully, next month will give me some dry-weather opportunities to turn that Drive Mode switch to Sport Plus and tell you more.
For now, let me give you a virtual tour of the 992’s exciting new exterior and interior styling, and functional controls. The 992 must be seen in person to be fully appreciated, and when you do I think you’ll agree it exudes muscular, powerful, functional design. My favourite view is from the rear three-quarters, where the new wider body has been sinuously sculpted around the massive tires, with the wraparound rear light cluster adding just enough linear sharpness to relieve the curvy aesthetic.
In typical Porsche fashion, every vent you see on the car is functional and yet artfully rendered, such as the rear engine air intake with its gloss black strakes and integrated brake light. As you approach the car it unlocks the door and turns on the lights, while the flush-mounted door handle flips up to welcome your hand, as if to greet you with “Your Porsche is ready, your lordship.” Again, a functional feature that’s elegantly executed.
As I sit in the heated and ventilated 18-way Sports Seat Plus with its adjustable side and thigh bolsters, it hugs me perfectly, ready to handle the high G-forces this car can deliver with aplomb. Gripping the heated multi-function steering wheel – such a comfort on cold winter days – I glance at the new five-dial instrument cluster. This is arguably the biggest visual change with the 992. As ever in the 911, the tachometer is in the centre. In this latest rendition it’s still an analogue, physical gauge, but it’s now flanked by four configurable, electronic gauges on either side.
You’ll notice that because of the width of the five-gauge layout, the two outermost dials are partially obscured by the rim of the steering wheel, and you have to lean forward slightly to read them. On hearing this you might be wondering why, since Porsche was designing an allnew dashboard, it didn’t employ a threegauge cluster that appears on its other cars. This would enable you to see all the gauges easily through the top half of the steering wheel. Total 911 readers should already know the answer: it’s because the 911 has always had five gauges, and the layout has always been wider than the steering wheel (see the 901 dash photograph). It’s part of the sacrosanct 911 design heritage!
As you look around the rest of the interior, the dashboard has a clean, horizontal look that evokes 911s of the past while simultaneously feeling modern and functional. The centre console is now much simplified and has just a few toggle switches and knobs for the most frequently used functions, such as radio volume, climate control, sports exhaust and PASM, and there are two “diamond” buttons that can be set to any PCM function you choose.
The new, shorter PDK gear selector works perfectly with a lovely tactile feel, thanks to the knurled metal surface that also matches the toggle switches and ignition key. Together they convey a beautifully cohesive, functional design. And all of the switches and dials have that bank vault feeling of solidity and quality in their operation, which adds to your confidence that this entire car has been designed for robust and enthusiastic use that will last for many years.
Can you tell I’m in love with this car? And that I’m anxious for better weather?!