Has any car better championed the cause of ceaseless development? The 911 clings to its rear-drive, rear-engined, air-cooled layout, but a new aluminium double-wishbone rear suspension, wider tracks and new geometry for the MacPherson front suspension have created the first 911 that’s truly chuckable. The changes also allowed the Weissach engineers to reduce the steering ratio to improve sharpness, while increased castor advances high-speed stability. Add a six-speed gearbox and bigger brakes, in conjunction with the first use of Bosch’s new ABS-5 anti-lock system, and you understand just how thorough this latest modernisation has been. The new rear suspension will almost certainly be an engineering highlight of the forthcoming 986. The styling is still pure 911 yet also modern and surprisingly different.
