Evolution, not revolution, for the new 2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S

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  The 2020 Porsche 911 Carerra S is the eighth-generation 911. [credit: Jonathan Gitlin ]

Porsche has been making the idiosyncratic, rear-engined 911 sports car since 1963. Every few years, it gets an update—often just incremental improvements and styling tweaks, occasionally radical clean-sheet redesigns. The newest 911, known to Porsche people by the internal designation “992,” is the eighth generation to wear those three digits, and it’s new for model year 2020. It’s more evolution than revolution this time; a new eight-speed PDK transmission, a more connected cockpit, and a sharper take on that classic silhouette are the highlights.

It’s wider at both axles than the car it replaces, growing 1.8 inches (45mm) at the front and 1.7 inches (44mm) at the rear. And there’s no longer a mix of narrowbodies and widebodies—all 911s will be the full-fat size for this generation. New LED lights at the front and back give the car a distinctive look after dark, but otherwise there’s nothing about the styling that will offend the more sensitive 911 devotee. A tip for the trainspotters—you can tell a rear-wheel drive 992 from an all-wheel drive 992 because the former has a black grille over the engine and the latter has chrome bits in the grille.

Our test car has a black grille because it’s a $113,300 911 Carrera S, which means rear-wheel drive with the more powerful 3.0L flat-six engine. You can also get an AWD Carrera 4S that has the same engine, or RWD and AWD versions of the cheaper, less powerful 911 Carrera, and all either as coupés or convertibles.