IRVINE, CA – When the current Porsche 911, known to purists as the 996, debuted six years ago, styling was an issue. Replacing the beloved 993, itself a direct descendant of the original 911 that bowed in 1963, was no easy task, and virtually any new model was certain to undergo close scrutiny from devotees of the quintessential German sports car. But Porsche inexplicably placed the entire front clip from the significantly less expensive Boxster roadster onto its new 911 and called it a day, instantly reducing the car’s exclusivity and desirability.

This did not sit well with critics or owners of the brand. Now, six years after the 996 arrived, the redesigned 997 debuts and rights that wrong, while improving the car across the board. For 2005, the new Porsche 911 will be initially available as a Carrera and a Carrera S in coupe format only. In keeping with Porsche tradition, the Carrera S is the higher performance model.

Also in keeping with Porsche tradition, the 3,075-pound 2005 Porsche 911 Carrera is powered by a rear-mounted, water-cooled, aluminum 3.6-liter flat six engine generating 325 horsepower at 6,800 rpm and 273 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,250 rpm on premium unleaded fuel. This is a modest increase of ten horsepower over the 2004 model, good for 0-60 mph acceleration in 4.8 seconds, according to Porsche. Additionally, the motor is 15-percent less polluting than before thanks to a revised emissions and exhaust system.