2022 Porsche 911

By New Car Test Drive January 18, 2022

The Porsche 911, with its heroic levels of grip and acceleration, is universally recognized as one of the best performance cars on the planet. It comes as a Coupe, Targa or Cabriolet.

The big news in 2022 is that there is a new GT3, the only 911 that isn’t turbocharged, making it the ultimate evolution of the old-school Porsche. It’s a 4.0-liter flat-6 with 502 hp and 346 lb-ft of torque.

Some smaller news is that Android Auto is added to the infotainment system, whose interface is now like that in the Porsche Taycan, with more subscription services such as real-time traffic bundled into a three-year period.

The 3.0-liter turbocharged flat-6 engine makes different amounts of horsepower depending on the model and its state of tune. It can be a mellow 379 hp or a monstrous 640 hp. Zero-to-60 mph times can be in the high three seconds, or as low as 2.6 seconds. The transmission on most models is an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic manual, with all-wheel drive also coming on most models.

The 911 measures 177.9 inches long, and rides on a 96.5-inch wheelbase, not much bigger than a Honda del Sol. At its lightest, it weighs less than 3400 lb and handles with flat precision. With struts and links and adaptive dampers and limited-slip differentials, the 911 picks a point on the horizon and screams toward it, on a run of handling glory. It’s beyond adept at finding grip, and thanks to brilliantly matched electronic controls for shift speeds, damping, ride height, steering weight, and torque distribution, it doesn’t feel complex or overdone.

The performance of the Cabriolet and Targa nearly match the Coupe, adding their power tops that fold down at 30 mph or less.

The cockpit offers comfortable form-fitting bucket seats with lots of range, with heating and optional cooling. Technically there’s a back seat, but it’s barely big enough to consider a seat. And the 4.7-cubic-foot front trunk isn’t much for road trips.

A Carrera S with a 7-speed manual transmission gets the best gas mileage, rated by the EPA at 18 mpg city, 25 highway, 21 combined. The Porsche Turbo drops to 15/20/17 mpg.

Neither the NHTSA nor the IIHS has tested a 911, and likely never will. Automatic emergency braking is standard, but Porsche charges extra for other important safety equipment, such as blind-spot monitors, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability, active lane control, night vision and a surround-view camera system.

Model Lineup

Made in Germany, Porsche sells the 911 as a Coupe, Cabriolet or Targa, with rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, and with an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic or a 7-speed manual transmission.

The base 911 Carrera Coupe costs $102,550, and comes with a 10.9-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an 8-speaker 150-watt audio system, navigation, heated front seats, leather upholstery, LED headlights, and keyless start.

The new GT3 goes for $162,450. Or you could spend more for a 911 S with quilted leather seats, a limited-slip rear differential with torque vectoring, 245/35ZR20 front and 305/30ZR21 rear Pirelli P Zero summer tires on alloy wheels, adjustable adaptive dampers, and big 13.8-inch brakes with 6-piston front and 4-piston rear calipers.

The 911 Turbo S Cabriolet starts at $221,150, and can approach $300,000 with all the options. Those include performance bits like a sport exhaust, active roll bars, adjustable adaptive dampers with a lowered ride height, rear-axle steering, carbon ceramic brakes, a sport suspension with firmer settings and a lowered ride height, and the Sport Chrono Package with launch control and additional driving modes.

On the comfort side there are 14- or 18-way adjustable sport seats with heating and cooling, Bose or Burmester sound, a surround-view camera system, adaptive headlights with automatic high beams, and a front-axle lift system. That’s not all. Have a favorite color? Choose it, and Porsche will deliver.

Porsche’s 4-year/50,000-mile warranty doesn’t come with free maintenance.

Exterior

The 911 keeps growing thicker and wider, but still somehow never loses its classic appeal. Maybe that’s because as it grows bigger, it gets more muscular.

It was recently restyled with more rounded fenders and wider hips that amplify its stance. The smart spoiler is way cool.

Interior

Inside its snug cockpit, the 911 fluently blends classic lines with modern technology. A pair of 7.0-inch instrument screens and a central 10.9-inch touchscreen invite the interface. There’s no ambiguity in the high-rent way Porsche finishes the cabin, not even from the minor swaths of piano-black console trim, or the forgivable plastic at the bottom of the instrument panel. Overall the cabin is a master stroke of discreet glamor. Trimmed in richly dyed leather and carbon fiber, it’s a stunner.

The 911 brims with flight-grade controls, from the quietly snicky turn signal to the nubby shift toggler. It’s functional despite the onslaught of touch interfaces, and sinfully rich with the right leather and trim choices.

The front seats belong in a sports car hall of fame. Six-footers can find a comfortable driving position. The thick steering wheel blocks some of the view of its digital side screens used for navigation, though.

The back seats are the penalty box, unless you’re a backpack, in which case they’re fine. The small trunk holds a couple of gym bags, but not much else.

Driving Impressions

The 911 is remarkable for its ability to provide super performance while being super easy to drive on the street: it can somersault around corners on the track or settle down to a relaxed groove on the street. It makes every driver a better driver.

Depending on the engine, it’s quick, very quick, or mind-blowing quick. The 3.0-liter turbocharged flat-6 in the Carrera and Carrera 4 cars offer 379 hp and 331 lb-ft of torque, with a paddle-shifting 8-speed dual-clutch automatic manual transmission that delivers crisp and quick gear changes. At just 3,354 lb, it can sprint to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds with the help of launch control, and blast to a top speed of 182 mph.

The S and 4S versions, also available as Coupe, Targa, or Cabriolet, use turbocharger boost to bring 443 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque, delivered via an electronically locking rear differential. Without so much as a hint of turbo lag, these 911s vault to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds, and can reach 191 mph. They’re available with a 7-speed manual that’s a joy to shift. It pairs with a mechanically locking differential.

The Porsche 911 Turbo, which still only weighs 3,635 lb, brings 572 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque; the Turbo S guise jumps to 640 hp and 590 lb-ft. With all-wheel drive, massive 16.1-inch front brake rotors, 20-inch front and 21-inch rear tires, and a slightly lower redline of 7,200 rpm, these cars can rocket to 60 mph in as little as 2.6 seconds, and reach 205 mph.

The handling is exceptional in the Carreras, with their adaptive dampers and 19-inch front and 20-inch rear ZR-rated tires. They’re tractable, have awesome grip, and are blessed with quick and hefty steering. The suspension, struts in front and links in rear, is perfectly tuned by the electronics that shuttle power to specific wheels.

The 911 S models have a wider track. There is rear-axle steering to snap the chassis around corners, and active anti-roll bars to keep the car flat in corners. The Sport mode lowers the car 0.4 inches and stiffens the suspension.

In the Turbo, the tremendous grip and laser-like handling goes with stunningly powerful aluminum monobloc 4-piston brakes (upgraded on the S to 6-piston front and 4-piston rear units), which have firm and progressive feedback. The brakes are great on the track, but if they’re still not enough for some drivers, carbon-ceramic brakes are optional for another ton of money.

The new 911 GT3 might be the last of its kind, with a non-turbo 4.0-liter flat-6 making 502 hp and 346 lb-ft of torque. With its sharp throttle response, this engine sings to a 9,000-rpm redline and sends power to the rear wheels through a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. With exotically reshaped aerodynamic bits, and a four-stage wing adjustment, the GT3 at speed delivers thrills with a glove that the turbo delivers with a hammer. It’s a keepsake of a car, and a performance benchmark even in the 911 lineup.

Final Word

The 2022 Porsche 911 family offers astonishing performance, even in base spec. Spend $102,000 on a 380-hp model or nearly $300,000 for a 640-hp 911? It’s still a great car, regardless of the numbers. What do they all have in common? Impeccable high-performance handling and mild manners around town, not to mention the badge of honor on the front trunk.

 

—by Sam Moses with driving impressions by The Car Connection