Porsche’s icon gets pricier, but the love is still there
Love fades and trends come and go, but for sports car fans, the Porsche 911 is forever
PORSCHE’S most famous car is back, looking familiar but sharpened in all the right places. The latest 992.2-generation 911 Carrera made its debut here on Valentine’s Day, a fitting date for a car that inspires lifelong devotion.
The event at Helutrans gallery in Tanjong Pagar Distripark is a love letter to the 911’s legacy. Porsche Singapore drenched the venue in red and invited more than 200 customers and fans to celebrate the car’s arrival.
Dr Henrik Dreier, director of Singapore Importer, Porsche Asia Pacific, described the 911 as “the one and always” sports car, for its ability to serve up thrills at the Sepang racing circuit and contend with everyday driving with equal prowess.
The new 911 Carrera starts at S$569,268, without Certificate of Entitlement (COE) or the optional extras that customers usually splurge on, which seem endless in variety.
For those who want something a little more special, the 911 Carrera T, a lightweight, manual-only model with a purist driving experience, comes in at S$620,488, while the more powerful 911 Carrera S costs S$682,988.
The 992.2 is a facelift of its predecessor, but then again, no other sports car has stuck to its original formula quite like the 911. Its silhouette is unmistakable, with its rear-engine layout a throwback to the 1963 original. “Every new 911 is different, but somehow the same,” Dr Dreier told The Business Times. “It’s always an evolution, not a revolution.”
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Refine instead of reinvent
That philosophy carries through to the 992.2-generation Carrera, which refines rather than reinvents the breed. The front end now integrates all lighting functions into its new LED headlights, creating room for larger cooling vents in the front bumper. At the back, a redesigned light strip makes the rear appear lower and wider.
The instrument cluster is now fully digital, replacing a traditional centre dial with a 32-cm curved display. One concession to purists: a Classic mode that recreates the 911’s traditional five-dial layout.
The beating heart of the car has evolved gently, too. The basic 911’s three-litre twin-turbo flat-six has been reworked with tech borrowed from higher-end versions, such as turbochargers lifted from the previous GTS. The result is a bump in horsepower and torque to 394 hp and 450 Newton-metres, respectively, giving a 0-100 km/h sprint time of 4.1 seconds (or 3.9 seconds with the optional Sport Chrono pack) and an exhilarating 294 km/h top speed.
The 911’s performance has never come cheap, but the car’s sales are stronger than ever. Last year, Porsche produced 50,941 911s – an all-time record. In Singapore, it accounted for roughly 20 per cent of the 642 Porsches sold in 2024, even when the new 992.2 was still on the horizon.
Dr Dreier admitted that he isn’t sure why the 911’s sales are so resilient, but pointed out that Porsche owners are more enthusiastic about the brand than ever. Porsche Club Singapore has grown from 250 to roughly 800 members in a decade, a remarkably high number given that there are only about 6,000 Porsches on the island. “They do one event per week. It’s very active, and a lot of the members are 911 owners,” Dr Dreier said.
Legendary Singaporean racing driver Ringo Chong is among the car’s fans. He has kept a pristine white 1989 model for 26 years. “There’s just something special about it: The combination of being small, light and having that iconic flat-six hanging off the rear axle. The way it sings with that unmistakable air-cooled sound is pure magic,” he told BT. “And then there’s the way it keeps you on edge, especially when you’re pushing hard into a corner, braking late and feeling that weight shift, reminding you that this machine demands respect. It’s equal parts exhilarating and terrifying in the best possible way.”
For all that, the industry’s shift towards electrification raises the possibility that the 911 could someday be consigned to history, maybe even by other Porsches – the brand’s electric cars already account for one in three sales here.
Yet, asked if there will always be a 911, Dr Dreier invoked Ferry Porsche, the founder’s son, who oversaw development of the original. “He once said, ‘The last car built on earth will surely be a sports car,’ and if any car represents that, it’s the 911,” Dr Dreier said.
If the 911’s appeal has been steady, its price has not. Buying one today costs almost double what it would have cost two decades ago, thanks to rising Additional Registration Fees, excise duties and COE premiums. Porsche has tried to soften the blow, adding more standard equipment while keeping the price increase over the previous model to just S$2,800, Dr Dreier pointed out. But for true believers, cost is secondary anyway. “I mean, it’s a dream,” he said. “If I could, I would buy one.”
Porsche 911 Carrera
Engine 2,981 cc twin-turbo flat-six
Power 394 hp at 6,500 rpm
Torque 450 Nm from 2,000 to 5,000 rpm
Transmission 8-speed twin-clutch auto
0-100 km/h 4.1 seconds (3.9s with Sport Chrono Package)
Top Speed 294 km/h
Efficiency 9.4 L/100 km (estimated)
Agent Porsche Singapore
Price S$569,268 (without COE)
Available Now
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