The word icon seems today almost devoid of meaning, due to the misuse and abuse of its application, but when it comes to the Porsche 911 , there must be no better word to define it. The 911 remains an unavoidable reference in the sports car landscape by which everyone else measures itself, more than half a century after its introduction.
A new generation is coming soon, the eighth (992), which will arrive on the European market at the beginning of next year. And, unsurprisingly, it will be a bet on continuity and evolution, with the revolution being pushed forward — a Porsche 911 without a boxer looks like it's really going to happen…
But if the watchword is evolution, Porsche's rigorous approach to its development is no less than that of a model created from scratch. At the moment, pre-series prototypes complete the final testing of the development program that spans the globe.
From the torrid temperatures (50º C) of the UAE or Death Valley in the USA, to the frigid temperatures (-35º C) of Finland and the Arctic Circle; all systems and components are pushed to the limit to ensure they function in any scenario.
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It is also in Death Valley where it reaches the lowest point of the tests, 90 m below sea level and, still in the USA, in Mount Evans in Colorado, it reaches its highest point, at 4300 m altitude — a challenge for the filling the turbos and for the fuel system.
The endurance tests take the Porsche 911 to other places, such as China, where it not only has to face monumental levels of traffic, it also has to prove its reliability with fuels where the quality can vary enormously.
At the ring in Nardo, Italy, the focus is not only on maximum speed, but also on thermal and dynamic management and, of course, tests on the Nürburgring, the demanding German circuit, where the engine, transmission, brakes and chassis are carried out, could not be missed. to its limit (temperature and wear).
Regular tests are also carried out on public roads in Germany, simulating the day-to-day life of future owners, even complying with traffic rules, which guarantee not only the capacity, but the durability of all the systems present.
Porsche claims that the eighth generation 911 will be the best ever. Confirmation or not of this statement is forthcoming… The public presentation should take place at the Los Angeles Salon later this month.
