2021 Porsche 911 Gets Smarter Tech, Retro Leather Option

Porsche has announced a round of small changes to its iconic 911 sports car for the 2021 model year.

The current 992-generation 911 is only two years old, with the latest addition to the family being the ballistic, 911 Turbo S. That 640-horsepower missile’s options list is trickling down to the rest of the range for the year, alongside new technology.

Debuting on the tech front are Porsche InnoDrive and Smartlift. InnoDrive first appeared on the Cayenne and Panamera, and will be available for PDK-equipped 911s. The system uses navigation data to enhance the adaptive cruise control, optimizing driving speeds for the next 1.8 miles (3 km). InnoDrive operates the engine, brakes and PDK system, while allowing the driver to set a max speed. Porsche says the system takes corners, gradients and even roundabouts into consideration, and adapts to current traffic situations.

The Smartlift system, meanwhile, will be available on both manual transmission and PDK-equipped 911s. It works in conjunction with the optional front axle lift system, which raises the nose by 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) at speeds up to 21 mph (33 km/h). Smartlift saves the GPS coordinates every time the driver manually does this, and can then do it automatically afterwards.
On the aesthetic front, the 930 Leather package, which debuted on the Turbo S (shown above), will now be available on Carreras. Paying tribute to the first 911 Turbo (Type 930), this option drapes yet more leather around the 911’s interior, with quilting in the seat centers and on the door sills. Porsche hasn’t revealed the price for this ’70s-tastic treatment yet. The optional lightweight, noise-insulating window glass of the Turbo S is now on the Carrera option list too, shaving around nine pounds.

Rounding out the updates are a name change for the interior lighting package—now dubbed Ambient Light Design Package—and the addition of Python Green to the exterior palette. For Europe and other markets the seven-speed manual transmission will now be available as well.

Porsche hasn’t announced US pricing yet, but we don’t expect the base price to creep up much past the current $98,750 (including destination).

[Source: AutoGuide.com]