Porsche’s Dilemma: The Iconic 911 Grows Too Large Amid Safety and Power Demands

Even Porsche acknowledges the 911 has become too bulky

The head of design desires a more compact 911, yet this change is unlikely to occur during the gasoline-powered vehicle era

It's a familiar pattern with few exceptions; each successive car model tends to outsize its predecessor. This trend has been observed for decades, primarily due to increasingly stringent safety regulations and consumer demand for greater performance. As cars become more technologically advanced, they also become heavier. This trend has affected even the traditionally small and nimble sports cars, which have grown significantly in size.

Porsche acknowledges the troubling pattern of growth but concedes that currently, there's not much they can do about it. In an interview with the Australian magazine Drive, Porsche's head of design, Michael Mauer, pointed out that legal requirements for safety standards among other necessities have played a significant role in the substantial size increase of the 911 model. Additionally, the substantial boost in power has compelled engineers to fit larger wheels and brakes into the design.

Government regulations and the design of the vehicle significantly shape it. Looking back over the past 20 to 30 years, there's a noticeable difference in the horsepower of the 911 model from then to now, which in turn impacts the dimensions of the wheels, the brakes, and other related components.

Porsche has aspirations to produce a more compact version of the 911, but the feasibility of such a project is limited by the constraints of current internal combustion engine technology. According to Mauer, advancements in electric vehicle technology could potentially make this possible. This would include improvements in energy density and the miniaturization of batteries, which might allow for a reduction in the size of the 911 model. However, Porsche has definitively ruled out the introduction of an all-electric 911 within this decade. Whether a 911 devoid of a traditional combustion engine would hold the same allure remains a separate question altogether.

In an ideal scenario, Mauer wishes to design the 911 to be as streamlined as possible, aiming to bring it back to its original form as a "compact little sports car." However, at present, common issues with packaging stand in the way of realizing this goal – a challenge that is not unique to sports cars but affects nearly all types of vehicles.

In essence, the latest 992 model has upped its game with the recent introduction of its revamped version. Specifically, the 911 GTS, which has made history as the first 911 series to be endowed with a hybrid engine. With the addition of the new powertrain, the vehicle's weight has increased by 50 kilograms, tipping the scales at 1,595 kilograms for the rear-wheel-drive variant. However, our testing of the 992.2 has proven that the benefits of the new system far outweigh the minor increase in weight.

Reflecting on the past, it's a bit disappointing to note that a 1972 911 Carrera RS 2.7 tipped the scales at a mere 960 kg. Yet, as we look ahead to 2024, it's still possible to find a sports car that weighs only slightly more than the venerable RS 2.7. This car is the Mazda MX-5, but let's be clear, this iconic convertible is not in the same league as the current Porsche 911. Additionally, the future for the MX-5 involves inevitable electrification to comply with more stringent emission regulations, which will likely increase its weight as well.

The electric 718 Boxster, captured here in its prototype form, is set to be unveiled in 2025.

Porsche's smaller mid-engine sports models, the 718 Boxster/Cayman, are set to be discontinued as we know them. These iconic corner-carving machines will cease production in 2025, with their successors being fully electric. Presently, there's no indication that the electric 718 models will be smaller than their gasoline-powered predecessors. At least, the prototypes observed so far do not appear more compact. A reduction in the weight of the vehicles seems highly improbable; in fact, they are expected to be heavier.

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Source: Drive

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