Porsche 911 Coupé (04 on) - Review

Review by David Ross on
Last Updated: 18 February 2011
Now in its fifth decade of continual evolution, the 911 is more honed and polished than ever. It retains those classic looks which have made Porsche such an iconic carmaker, but underneath lies some of the most sophisticated technology around. It's still rear-engined, but it's not intimidating to drive and offers incredible traction along with stunningly effective brakes. There's a wide range of models available from the entry level Carrera up to the racetrack-inspired GT3 RS, but all offer storming performance along with that unmistakable Porsche engine soundtrack. In mid-2008 the 911 was facelifted with new engines, styling tweaks and the introduction of a twin-clutch automatic gearbox called PDK.
4 out of 5

Safety

There are no official Euro NCAP crash test results, but the 911 comes with driver and passenger, front, side and head airbags, a sophisticated electronic stability control called PSM (or Porsche Stability Management) and some of the best brakes in the business. These can be further upgraded to carbon-composite for the very ultimate in braking capability. They aren't cheap though at more than £5,000 although they are standard on the Turbo S.

NCAP Test

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5 out of 5

Reliability

One of the biggest factors that keeps owners coming back to Porsche is the largely hand-built construction process for the 911 which creates a product that is exceptionally well engineered and reliable.

Car check problem points

Body

No problems reported.

Engine/Gearbox

A recall in 2008 on Carrera 4 and 4S models where engine spacers may detach.

Other

Two recalls in 2006. One for an issue where the weld seams on the exhaust tailpipe may fail on some Carrera S models. Another where the parking brake could fail on Carrera and Carrera S cars.