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It’s no secret that Porsche is hard at work on the next generation of the iconic 911 sports car, code-named 992. Porsche now has even released some rather revealing camouflaged photos of the car. Along with the photos, the company also released an internally produced interview with 911 chief engineer August Achleitner that includes some interesting tidbits about his stance on driver-assist features and autonomy.
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While the new 911 is sure to offer features such as adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist, which Achleitner admits are “convenient and useful things,” he’s less keen on the push toward fully autonomous driving, at least when applied to the 911. He claims that “a 911 will always have a steering wheel,” and that Porsche will resist the urge to keep up with the rapidly accelerating pace of autonomous driving technology, saying that even as acceptance of the technology expands, “the 911 will be one of the last cars to drive autonomously.”
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The official document also confirms what we learned when we spoke with Achletiner a few weeks ago, which is that electrification is back on the table for the 992. While a plug-in-hybrid version had previously been ruled out, he now says that his stance has changed on electrified drivetrains after more experience with the upcoming all-electric Mission E and Porsche’s LMP hybrid race cars.
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- Porsche Mission E Spied Testing Alongside Teslas
- 2020 Porsche 911 Spied: It Has a Cupholder!
- 2018 Porsche 911: The In-Depth, Everything-You-Need-to-Know Review
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As the official launch of the 992 approaches—it’s expected late next year—we’ll certainly continue to learn more about the car that Achletiener claims will be “the best 911 of all time.” Watch this space for obsessive coverage of any more news that breaks about the highly anticipated redesign of the 911.
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