Porsche 911 debuts in style
It was cheers and applause for the 2020 Porsche 911 as it rolled off Knutsford Boulevard into the ATL Motorsports’s showroom for its launch on Wednesday.
“This is probably the most exciting car we’ve launched, and will launch anytime soon. It’s just amazing to have the most iconic sports car back in our showroom and we can’t wait to see it on Jamaican streets,” David Henriques, head of business at ATL Motorsports, told Jamaica Observer’s weekly Auto magazine.
ATL Motorsports is the division of ATL Automotive responsible for Porsche brand.
The 2020 Porsche 911 is the eighth and current version of the car that put the brand on the map. Called the sum of its predecessors, it retains the classic silhouette, as held by the very first 911 created in 1963 and every iteration since. However, the 911 is truly only beholden to one main concept, that of the daily driven luxury, high-performance sports car. Externally, the new 911 receives the wide-body styling that was previously reserved only for the turbo models. This comes with the knowledge that all new 911s are turbocharged.
As classic as the shape is, modernity is a must, as all 911s represent the peak of technology at their time of creation. High-tech LED lighting is fully integrated into the vehicle design, keeping the signature-shaped front headlights. In back, the tail lights have been sculpted into a three-dimensional light strip, including a newly designed Porsche logo. The third brake light, surrounded by nine vertical strakes, are themselves two larger vertical strips that signify ’11’ when illuminated. Other fine touches are flush-mounted door handles that extend when opened.
Inside the 911 is as luxurious as it is driver-focused. Once again, leaning on company’s heritage, the iconic centre tachometer has been restyled and is now flanked by two seven-inch digital screens on either side that mimic circular gauges for continuation of the 911’s five-gauge layout. Stitched leather is abound as well as carbon and metallic accents, but like all Porsches, the interior can be customised to the owner’s desire. Standard across the board is the new 10.9-inch touchscreen that runs the 911’s infotainment system. Still there are five main physical buttons kept for access to essential driving functions.
While the inside of the 911 is a nice place to be, it’s the driving experience that defines the model. Hints at its abilities are first noticed by the staggered wheel setup, with a 20-inch wheel and tyre package in the front and a 21-inch package in the rear. The 911 can be had in four or rear-wheel drive, but one constant is its rear mounted engine, a twin-turbocharged three-litre flat-six cylinder with an output of 450bhp in the Carrera 4S model launched.
“It may be the most exciting car I’ve sat in. It does everything you want it to do. It is just an amazing machine to drive,” said Henriques.
All this power is routed through an eight-speed PDK transmission giving it a 0-60mph time of 3.8 seconds. Top speed is 190mph. Opt for the Sport Chrono package and that time drops by .2 seconds. It’s not all straight-line prowess as the 911 has the chassis to match with various driver aids activated based on the several driving modes, one of which is the revolutionary Wet Mode. Sensors in the front fenders of the car listen out for the sounds of water on the tyres and roads only to then prompt the driver to switch to Wet Mode when the car detects such.
“We are the first island in the Caribbean to have it. We also have this car before the United States, so for Jamaica to have this car first just shows you the brand is making leaps and bounds in the automotive scene,” Henriques added.
The 2020 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S as launched, starts at US$270,000, but as with all Porsches, they can be optioned to the customer’s specifications.
