Porsche to update 911 for 2008

If we've said it once, we've said it a thousand times: the Porsche 911 is the iconic, staple sports car. So when Stuttgart rolls out a revision, however minor, it's headline news. And the latest reports indicate that the 2008 911 will feature a few revisions, as the current version has been on the market for four years already.

Don't expect anything drastic in the styling department, as the 911's design progression has fallen squarely in the evolutionary, not revolutionary category. And once again, we can forecast that only automotive enthusiasts and Porshephiles with a keen eye will be able to differentiate the new model from the old. Expect a bigger air intake in the front fascia and new tail-lights. Since Porsche designers appear to be hyperconservative when it comes to tinkering with the 911's overall look, that should be about the extent of the visible changes.

Pop the hood and...well, you can never see much under the hood of a 911, anyway, but rest assured there will be changes. We swear. For starters, as backwards as it may seem to derive technology from a sport-ute into a sports-car, the new direct-injection engines that debuted in the latest Cayenne will be turned around and shoehorned into the back of the 911. Porsche is claiming that will net a 10-15% improvement in fuel economy, which of course is the first consideration for most Porsche buyers – read previous with sarcasm – and a power increase of five to twenty-five horsepower across the range. The bigger news is the replacement of the lackluster and outmoded Tiptronic automatic gearbox with a dual-clutch transmission, like its cousins from the VW Group. That should help close the gap between the clutch-full and clutch-less versions, and we'd predict an accompanying spike in sales of auto/Tiptronic/DSG versions as compared to their stick-shift counterparts.

Of course, with so many variations in the 911 line-up, this means we get to look forward to new Carreras, Cabrios, Targas, Turbos, GT3s and a whole lot more.

[Source: Motor Authority]

http://www.autoblog.com/2006/12/25/p...-911-for-2008/

5 bhp inc. with inevitable increase in weight--->That will be very disappointing!!! I think the 25bhp increase will be the Turbo( Just simply adjusting the boost!!)
Every 997 model should get at least 20bhp increase and aluminium panels!!!

My ideal Porsche line-up
Base Carrera 3.8l Flat 6 380bhp 2 wheel drive
Carrera S 4.2l 8 cylinder 420bhp 4 wheel drive wider body
Cayman S 3.6l Flat 6 350bhp

That will be my dream line-up!!

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Andy

That suggests that Porsche are suddenly going to be making 911's with rear engined V6's and V8's. I rather doubt it. That would be a sea change of enormous proportions, one that has already been looked at and dropped, so don't expect it anytime soon IMHO.

I think what they actually mean is that the direct injection system may be added to the flat 6 engine, which is more likely.

John H

Mmmm ... to that add a base Cayman with 2.9l engine and about 285 bhp.

That will be a heck of a line-up with the top of the range 998 turbo with 550bhp.

M ove over AMG and M cars!!!

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Andy

I wonder IF we have to wait till 08 to see that or if its 08 model year on sale in sept 07 ish?
Mike

I agree that the 911 line needs a much needed shot of HP to maintain a strong foothold in the market. Not so much for the actual performance as Porsche seem to be holding their own as always, but especially from a branding and marketing position agianst their main rivals.

Plus it would be nice to see the CS move up to 325hp which I still believe it will in the near future.

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oh well...

1) So can we anticipate that the rumored increase in Cayman HP will come from direct injection?

2) Any bets as to whether the Cayman will see DSG for MY 2008 or will Cayman upgrades lag the 911 for a year or two?

Can someone explain this direct injection thing to me? I thought our engines were already fuel injected, but are you saying that the injection happens somewhere upstream in the intake runners and not in the combustion chamber itself, vs. a direct injection into the chamber? Why is one better than the other? I would think injection into the intake would allow the air and gas to mix better vs. direct injection into the cylinder but maybe I'm confused. Technical help please!

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K-Man S

Direct injection had been around for a while!! Main use is diesel engine! Modern diesel engine use technology such as common rail to put the diesel fuel under very high pressure in order for the fuel to ignite.
In petrol engine, you do not need the high pressure but you do need the right fuel ( I think it got something to do with the sulphur content)
Advantage of direct injection---better torque low down
better fuel economy
higher compression ratio-more bhp
egs. inc cars from VW group Audi RS4
Golf GTI
BMW 335i
New Mini Cooper S

Wouldn't improve the performance like a turbo or supercharge but will make the same engine more efficient and reponsive. I will trade in my cayman s if the 2008 cayman s power by direct injection!

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Andy

I think it has to do with "misting" the fuel into the cylinder providing more surface area and efficient combustion. I think this is more about economy than HP.

From Wikipedia but appears to be correct explanation:
Gasoline direct injection or GDI is a variant of fuel injection employed in modern four stroke petrol engines. The gasoline or biobutanol is injected right into the combustion chamber of each cylinder, as opposed to conventional multi point fuel injection that happens in the intake manifold.

GDI enables stratified charge (ultra lean burn) combustion for improved fuel efficiency and emission levels at low load. Further improving efficiency and high-load output-power, the engine power is governed by modulating fuel injection, like a diesel engine; as opposed to restricting intake airflow, like a conventional gas internal combustion engine

DSG! Still an automatic in terms of human factors engineering perspective. There's no substitute in rowing cogs.
Direct injection is a new era in spark-ignition where fuel is directly injected into the combustion chamber. This makes the engine management even more complex to mod. Say bye bye to after market air filters and other components that will easily affect the stoichiometric combustion mode. These kind of motors are for increase fuel efficiency, increase torque, and decrease emissions.
Also the GDI motors is sensitive to sulphur contents in fuels. May be by that time, the gas on our pumps have changed also. New motors from BMW and AUDI that has GDI have been around for some time but we don't know what the long terms effects of it using US gas.

Traditional Gasoline fuel injection injects fuel directly into the intake port at somewhere between 25 and 45 psi depending on the system,at the begining of the intake stroke.This was efficient but had limitations. Direct injection injects the fuel under very high pressure directly into the cylindernear the end of the compression stroke.Extremely efficient as high pres raises fuel temp and causes more rapid eveaporation in cylinder as only vapor ignites not liquid.This also allows higher compression ratios because you injecting the fuel at the end of the stroke so you dont get detonation(fuel igniting under the heat of compression prior to spark) It aalso gets better fuel mileage because you are vaporizing so much more of the fuel.