One brand that has come under fire in the past 12 months has been Porsche. There's a pretty good reason for it too; 911s have been receiving a lot of special editions recently. Essentially, it has become the Mustang of the German variety.
A peculiar car that Porsche has cooked up is the 911 Black. It will definitely be a relatively rare car as only 1,911 will be produced globally and according to Porsche's press release approximately 30 percent will find their way onto U.S. soil. For those math impaired that is about 570-575 units earmarked for America.
After getting a good look at the car, I wasn't impressed. That's because it seems to be a murdered out 911. Oh-kay, that's nothing new.
Au contraire, Pierre. There is one thing that does stand out to my eyes: a similarly optioned 911 would cost you around $6,000 more, says Porsche.
If my math is correct that is just under seven percent savings if we assume a comparable 911 costs $87,300. Not too shabby when you know you'll be one of 570 or so.
What say you, Spies? Does the 911 Black's savings make any difference to you?
Porsche's press release follows:
ATLANTA - January 25, 2011 - Based on the 3.6-liter, 345 horsepower (hp) 911 Carrera, the upcoming 911 Black Edition features a comprehensive list of standard equipment and will be available as a Coupe or Cabriolet and only in black. Exclusivity and price help make this new 911 Carrera distinctive as the 911 Black Edition will be limited to just 1,911 worldwide units. MSRP will be $81,300 for the Coupe and $91,300 for the Cabriolet, and they will be available in the spring of 2011.
The 911 Black Edition will only be available in black, with two paint choices: Solid Black or the optional Basalt Black Metallic, with highlights provided by the 19 inch 911 Turbo II two-color wheels, their dichroic effect complementing the discreet elegance of the exterior color. In addition, the rims provide an unobstructed view of the brake's black, four-piston aluminum monobloc fixed calipers.
Exclusive to the Black Edition, black lettering on the stainless steel door entry guards provides the first hint of the high-quality interior design and continues the exterior color scheme. Also included is a sport design steering wheel while the instrument cluster remains black. On the glove compartment lid, a badge testifies to the 911 Black Edition's limited production run while the decorative molding on the dashboard, gear lever or selector and air vents provide a contrast with their aluminum look paint. The rear center console is painted in the exterior color.
An acoustic highlight of the 911 Black Edition's additional equipment is the BOSE® Surround Sound-System that is now standard in the 911 Black Edition, along with the Porsche touch screen Communication Management (PCM) system, XM Radio, XM NavTraffic and GPS based navigation.
All told, the 911 Black Edition represents an approximate $6,000 savings over a similarly equipped 911 Carrera.
The 911 Black Edition's technology conforms to the Carrera standard: Under the rear lid lies the Carrera flat-six cylinder engine, producing 345 hp at 6,500 rpm from 3,614 cubic centimeters. Coupled with the six-speed manual gearbox, the Carrera achieves a top-track speed of 180 mph in both body versions. When fitted with the Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) seven-speed double clutch transmission and Sport Chrono Plus Package, the Coupe can reach 60 mph in as little as 4.3 seconds, the Cabriolet in 4.5. Despite the impressive performance figures, fuel consumption remains moderate with EPA ratings of 19 mpg city, 27 highway, also with the PDK.
2012 Porsche 911 Black Photo Gallery
[Source: Porsche]
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