How Porsche Has Kept The 911 Alive Through Evolution – SlashGear

For 2005, a heavily reworked version of the 996 was released, the 997, which returned the styling of the 911 closer to its roots. There weren’t any huge leaps within this generation, but Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) debuted on certain models, as did a dual-clutch “PDK” automatic transmission that was well suited for manual shifting. A Porsche Sport Exhaust (PSE) was also available, which allowed drivers to change the exhaust from a quiet tone to a louder, deeper one remotely.

In 2012, Porsche unveiled the most sophisticated and technologically advanced 911 ever. It was longer and wider than any 911 before it, gaining interior comfort while not sacrificing the nimble handling  Porsche is famous for. The manual transmission had seven forward speeds, a first-ever in any car from any manufacturer.

A removable “Targa” roof panel had been a fixture of the 911 lineup for decades, but the sixth-generation 991 elevated the experience with a powered mechanism that cantilevered the entire rear window to allow the roof panel to retract behind the rear seat — all with zero effort from the car’s occupants.

Technology we now take for granted began to filter into the 911, including Apple CarPlay and driver assistance features such as automatic emergency braking and forward-collision avoidance. The 991’s final party trick was an optional steerable rear axle, which helped the seventh-generation car go around the famed Nürburgring a full 10 seconds quicker than the prior model.