Turbo 2dr All-Wheel Drive Coupe
2008 Porsche 911

2008 911 Photos
Click above for high-res gallery of the Porsche Carrera S As we approach the 45th birthday of the Porsche 911 and the dawn of yet another generation, we've finally managed to snag one in the Autoblog Garage for a full review. The 911 is the most direct descendant of the very earliest sports cars to wear that legendary German automotive name. It still uses the same basic layout as the first Porsche, the 356 (except for prototype No.1, which was mid-engined) with a horizontally opposed engine hanging out behind the rear axle. Of course, the 911 has two more cylinders now, and these days the engines are cooled by liquid rather then air, but the basic premise remains. Even though the 911 has gone through five generations, with another refresh for 2009 arriving momentarily, it remains instantly recognizable as what it is. Even with what some may consider an archaic drivetrain layout, the 2008 Porsche Carrera S remains one of the finest sports cars in the world. Follow the jump to find out how it performed in our garage. %Gallery-30351% Photos Copyright ©2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc. Another maxim that applies to the 911 like no other is that "racing improves the breed." Every manufacturer that gets involved in motorsports trumpets that line, yet few see as many direct translations of technology from the track to road as the 911. We can only guess, but it wouldn't be a stretch to say that a greater percentage of 911s have made it to the track at some point in their lives than perhaps any other car. Certainly the 911 has benefited greatly from things learned under the pressure of competition, from turbocharging to all-wheel-drive to water cooling. The 911 has long been offered in a variety of configurations to suit various tastes and budgets (although all are elevated to some degree). With a coupe, targa and convertible powered by normally aspirated and turbocharged engines from which to choose, we received a Ruby Red Carrera S. The non-turbo flat-6 engine in the S gets a bump in displacement from 3.6L to 3.8L overs its non-S counterpart with a commensurate increase in power from 325 to 355 hp, while torque goes from 273 to 295 lb-ft. Way back in the 1970s when the original 911 Turbo (also known as the 930) debuted, it was considered a beast, although back then it made a mere 256 hp, nearly one third less than today's S. Anyone who has ever laid eyes on a 911 will immediately recognize the latest model. Although the shape has been stretched a bit, the headlights swept back and everything slicked down to reduce drag, the basic look remains. The classic 911 greenhouse is the giveaway along with the back end that slopes down over the rear-mounted engine to the back bumper. Interestingly, we found that comparing dimensions between the 911 and potential rivals such as the Audi R8 and Chevrolet Corvette, reveals that all three are nearly identical in …
Full Review
Click above for high-res gallery of the Porsche Carrera S As we approach the 45th birthday of the Porsche 911 and the dawn of yet another generation, we've finally managed to snag one in the Autoblog Garage for a full review. The 911 is the most direct descendant of the very earliest sports cars to wear that legendary German automotive name. It still uses the same basic layout as the first Porsche, the 356 (except for prototype No.1, which was mid-engined) with a horizontally opposed engine hanging out behind the rear axle. Of course, the 911 has two more cylinders now, and these days the engines are cooled by liquid rather then air, but the basic premise remains. Even though the 911 has gone through five generations, with another refresh for 2009 arriving momentarily, it remains instantly recognizable as what it is. Even with what some may consider an archaic drivetrain layout, the 2008 Porsche Carrera S remains one of the finest sports cars in the world. Follow the jump to find out how it performed in our garage. %Gallery-30351% Photos Copyright ©2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc. Another maxim that applies to the 911 like no other is that "racing improves the breed." Every manufacturer that gets involved in motorsports trumpets that line, yet few see as many direct translations of technology from the track to road as the 911. We can only guess, but it wouldn't be a stretch to say that a greater percentage of 911s have made it to the track at some point in their lives than perhaps any other car. Certainly the 911 has benefited greatly from things learned under the pressure of competition, from turbocharging to all-wheel-drive to water cooling. The 911 has long been offered in a variety of configurations to suit various tastes and budgets (although all are elevated to some degree). With a coupe, targa and convertible powered by normally aspirated and turbocharged engines from which to choose, we received a Ruby Red Carrera S. The non-turbo flat-6 engine in the S gets a bump in displacement from 3.6L to 3.8L overs its non-S counterpart with a commensurate increase in power from 325 to 355 hp, while torque goes from 273 to 295 lb-ft. Way back in the 1970s when the original 911 Turbo (also known as the 930) debuted, it was considered a beast, although back then it made a mere 256 hp, nearly one third less than today's S. Anyone who has ever laid eyes on a 911 will immediately recognize the latest model. Although the shape has been stretched a bit, the headlights swept back and everything slicked down to reduce drag, the basic look remains. The classic 911 greenhouse is the giveaway along with the back end that slopes down over the rear-mounted engine to the back bumper. Interestingly, we found that comparing dimensions between the 911 and potential rivals such as the Audi R8 and Chevrolet Corvette, reveals that all three are nearly identical in …
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Retail Price

$126,200 MSRP / Window Sticker Price
Engine 3.6L H-6
MPG 16 City / 23 Hwy
Seating 4 Passengers
Transmission 6-spd man w/OD
Power 480 @ 6000 rpm
Drivetrain all wheel
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