Performance upgrades for the 2005 Porsche 911 Carrera S include 19-inch wheels with 235/35 tires in front and 295/30 treads in back. The brakes are 13 inches all around, with larger brake pads. Optional on both 2005 911 Carrera models are Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB), previously only offered on the 911 Turbo. Benefits include a 50-percent reduction in unsprung weight, less wear for brake pads, and more consistent braking performance.

Porsche Active Suspension Management uses active damping to provide a more civilized ride for daily driving and optimum handling response when the road turns twisty. Normal and Sport models are available, and in Sport mode the 2005 Porsche 911 Carrera circles the famed Nurburgring race course five seconds faster than the standard MacPherson strut front and five-arm independent rear suspension setup on 911s without PASM.

With PASM, the shock absorbers continually adjust to road and driving conditions, while accelerometers measure vertical body motions. In tandem with sensors that monitor steering angle, road speed, brake pressure and engine torque, PASM is able to adjust the suspension according to road and driving conditions. Furthermore, the system has five special software settings for lane change, vertical control, lateral acceleration, braking, and load changes to accommodate the most frequently experienced ride and handling situations.

Not only is the new 911 more powerful and a better performer; it looks the part. Porsche has widened the 2005 911 Carrera’s track by nearly an inch while retaining last year’s wheelbase and tapering the body in the middle. The new 911 Carrera is also taller top to bottom, wider fender to fender, and shorter stem to stern, and slices through the atmosphere with more grace than before. With the return of traditional round headlamps and a more curvaceous body, Porsche provides its flagship sports car with a more traditional appearance that enthusiasts are likely to embrace.