THE FACTS
2019 Porsche 911 (992 series) Carrera 2S
TESTED 2,981cc twin-turbo, flat-six petrol engine, eight-speed twin-clutch PDK gearbox, rear-wheel drive via an electronically controlled limited-slip differential (4S has four-wheel drive)
PRICE/ON SALE from £93,110 (4S from £98,418)/March
POWER/TORQUE 444bhp @ 6,500rpm, 391lb ft @ 2,300rpm
TOP SPEED 191mph (4S 190mph)
ACCELERATION 0-62mph in 3.5sec (4S 3.4sec)
FUEL ECONOMY 31.74mpg/26.4mpg (EU Combined/Urban), 22mpg on test. (4S 31.4mpg/25.4mpg)
CO2 EMISSIONS 205g/km (4S 206g/km)
VED £1,240 first year, £450 next five years, then £140
VERDICT A classic replacement for a classic supercar. With the wealth of new supercars on sale it’s easy to forget how much fun, how practical – and just how fast – Porsche’s 911 is. And this, the eighth incarnation, is one of the best.
TELEGRAPH RATING Five out of five stars
THE RIVALS
Mercedes-AMG GT, from £100,000
Designed to take on the 911, this big gran turismo is certainly a looker and its 469bhp, 4.0-litre V8 engine gives it enough firepower, but this is a brutal beast and its traction control warning light glimmers in the dash at the least exuberance or sign of rain. Fun, but a bit limited in ability.
Aston Martin Vantage, from £120,900
An alternative use for a hand-built AMG V8 or brilliant new sports coupé in its own right; discuss. Actually the Vantage more than passes muster as a great if expensive GT with its own character and distinctive looks, in spite of the borrowed engine – albeit pumped up to 503bhp.
