Every year, Porsche engineers find themselves in the unenviable position of having to improve upon near-perfection. They agonize over minute changes in gear ratios or daytime running light shapes with full knowledge that even the smallest adjustment will cause an explosion of controversy.
And yet, they soldier on, adding more impressive features year after year — and usually more horsepower to go along with it. 2017 is no different. Porsche — for better or worse — buried the naturally-aspirated 911 once and for all, delivering twin-turbochargers with every model all the way down to the base Carrera. Not to be outdone, the Porsche 911 Turbo proper gets a heavily tweaked powertrain, good for 540 hp and 200+ miles per hour, assuming you have any autobahns handy.
Other big changes include swapping out flat sixes for flat, twin-turbo fours in the Cayman/Boxster and a revised 7 inch touch infotainment screen for most of the line. Get the full run-down below.
2017 Porsche 718 Boxster/Cayman
The “bottom end” of the Porsche range still means you get beautiful, impressively fast cars. Porsche changed out the six cylinder configuration for a tiny, twin-turbo 2.0 L Boxer four-cylinder, good for 300 hp.
“Turbo” badged versions for the Cayman/Boxster will not be released in 2017, presumably holding off until MY 2018. Here’s hoping they keep the flat six!
Also, there seems to be no new GT4 until 2018, so thrifty-minded track lovers will have to wait.
2017 Porsche Panamera
Porsche has been mum on the details of the redesigned-for-2017 Panamera but a Car & Driver preview points to some correcting of their previous design that essentially made it the ugly stepchild of the Porsche lineup. A lowered roofline manages to come across a lot more Porsche-y. Oh, and now all Panameras have all-wheel drive standard — a great fact to bring up for anyone who wants to be snooty about your choice in two extra doors.
Projected changes include a twin-turbo V6 for the regular models and a turbocharged 4.0 L V8 in the Panamera Turbo.
2017 Porsche Macan
Mirroring the Cayman/Boxster changes, the 2017 Macan gets a 2.0 L twin-turbo inline four. Subtle interior and exterior tweaks are also expected. No details have been released on a 2017 Turbo version.
2017 Porsche Cayenne
2017 marks the last of the second generation Cayenne models, so chances are good that Porsche won’t mess with one of their top money-makers this year. An available Platinum Edition for the Cayenne and S E-Hybrid models makes for the most significant change, adding features like unique wheels and standard parking assist.
2017 Porsche 911 Carrera
For all you who wanted to scroll through the chaff, here are the big boys.
As mentioned in the intro, the most significant change is the death of the naturally aspirated flat-six. Twin-turbocharged 3.0 L versions will replace it, which have an emphasis on reducing any turbo lag and imitating the natural engines in everything but engine sound. So it goes.
Significant refreshes have also been applied as part of the ceremonial mid-cycle update, providing us with new lights front and back and a redesigned rear cooling panel.
Despite the change in engine size, Stuttgart’s finest managed to eke out a 20 hp boost, bringing the grand total on base Carrera models to 370 horsies and a Tommy Chong-esque grin-inducing 420 hp on the S model. Using the PDK and Sport Chrono package on the base Carrera means hitting 0 – 60 in an even four seconds, something else worth smiling about.
2017 Porsche 911 Turbo
Not to be outdone by unofficial 911 “turbos” sans-badges, the real deal Turbo with a capital T gets an overhauled powertrain and lots of new goodies to justify its six-figure base price tag. The S version boasts 580 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque. Porsche also gives drivers lots of new toys to play with using a rotary “mode switch” ring that offers different personalities to suit your mood.
We highly recommend reading Porsche’s own write-up or Road & Track’s breakdown to get all tea on what Porsche has in store for Turbo enthusiasts.
2017 Porsche GT3
Perhaps most exciting of all is the dropping of a new Porsche: the 911R version of the GT3 RS. With more carbon fiber than the GT3, the 911R is light, naturally aspirated and raring to go. It also has a six-speed manual! Gods be praised!
Rumor has it that the GT3 base will gain the six-speed manual option, thanks to Porsche’s dreammakers.
Aside from the 911R and other murmurings, not much is known about the refreshed GT3. Chances are good that it will receive under-the-hatch tweaks to add horsepower. Some say that the suspension will be refined, but consider it all hearsay until details are leaked later this summer.
Oh, and bad news for GT2 lovers: it will debut as a late 2018 model by most expectations.
2017 Porsche 918 Spyder
Well, it’s already sold out, but we bet it was just as amazing as it was last year!
Where to Race the 2017 Porsche Lineup
There’s no point in buying one of these beautiful beasts just to keep it locked up in your garage. Take it to Atlanta Motorsports Park to try your Porsche out on our track.