The new Porsche 911 is turning heads at the Los Angeles Auto Show and it's not just about the car's classic looks. It seems that Porsche is dedicated to making its latest release of the Porsche 911 a safer ride for its drivers in more ways than one.
Wired recently featured the new Porsche 911 and notes that it has been modernized quite well in its current incarnation. The new Porsche 911 still retains the basic form and layout of the original design but has gotten upgrades to its engine power based on improvements in the vehicle's fuel injection system and a new turbocharger. These improvements have significantly affected the Porsche 911's track time performance shaving off seconds from the previous models' performance.
In addition, the publication notes that the new Porsche 911 in the auto show featured PDK paddle shifters as a standard inclusion for the vehicle's gearbox. Porsche will still be offering stick gears for the Porsche 911 for customers who prefer the transmission setup. While such options and improvements in the Porsche 911 are expected from the manufacturer, one of the 911's more surprising improvements is not due to its hardware.
Wired notes that the new Porsche 911 features a system called "Wet Mode" that detects how wet a surface is using acoustic sensors located in the wheel wells. Such safety technology currently exists but more common setups make use of sensors that reactively sense changes in traction.
The Porsche 911 "Wet Mode" sensors adjust the vehicle's handling based on the identified condition of the driving surface. The 911's system will immediately warn a driver when road conditions are not ideal before adjusting the driving settings to compensate for the change in surface conditions. As the publication notes, such a setup is a more proactive management of road hazards considering the driving habits of most Porsche customers.
In addition to "Wet Mode," Cnet has taken notice of the other safety features included in the Porsche 911. Apparently, future Porsche 911 owners can also expect a new camera-based automatic braking system and adaptive cruise control. The publication also notes that Porsche 911 owners even have the option of including a night vision camera with their purchase for evening drives.
Porsche enthusiasts looking forward to getting behind the latest Porsche 911 Carrera S or Carrera 4S can look forward to making their orders at dealerships by summer of 2019. With Porsche's many improvements to the 911, it seems that thrill-seeking drivers will be safer behind the upcoming car's wheels.
