THIRTEEN seconds. That's the ultimate measure of the all-new Porsche 911.

Those 13 seconds are the difference in lap time around the Nurburgring between the upcoming 991-series 911 and the car about to head into the history books.

The upcoming Porsche Carrera S with a PDK gearbox and sports suspension has lapped the famed German course in seven minutes 40 seconds, already at the same pace as the GT3 and Turbo from the outgoing 997 series.

The 911 program director, August Achleitner, says the stopwatch provides the proof of the improvements in only the third all-new 911 design since the car was created in 1963.

The car gets everything from a 10-centimetre longer wheelbase to seven- speed manual and PDK double-clutch gearboxes, electrically-assisted power steering, more-powerful engine and a slippery new body with a drag co-efficient of just 0.29.

But he focusses on two major changes for the car that will reach Australia early in 2012, one that is down to major noise-supression work and the other that comes from the optional active rollbar system in the 991.

"First, it's the wide range in comfort and the operating range of the car," says Achleitner. "Then, one button and this car changes so dramatically from a modern comfortable car to almost a racing car."

He says Porsche focussed heavily on weight reduction for the new 911, achieving a 35-48 kilogram cut despite a stiffer bodyshell and extra equipment that adds around 80 kilograms.

One key was comparing Porsche parts to the lightweight motorcycle components used by Ducati.

"We laid out all the parts and discussed them. We even compared them to motorcycle parts to see why they are so light and we are so heavy,"
Achleitner says.