Abstract
The particularly ambitious weight targets of the new Porsche Boxster and 911 had been fixed for three main reasons, i.e. in order to meet the targets for low fuel consumption defined for all newly developed cars, comply with the high demands on sport cars in terms of agility and power-to-weight ratio, and to allow for the long model cycle times of Porsche cars by introducing a major technological step forward with the new model generation. The cost limits stipulated for the development of the Boxster and 911 were as ambitious as the weight targets. The development teams decided to focus on cost oriented lightweight design and the use of multifunctional components wherever this was possible. This paper describes the weight reduction measures taken with regard to the BIW, interior equipment, soft top and add-on parts. In combination with the weight reduction efforts made in other areas, these improvements allowed the curb weight of the new 911 coupé (internal codename 996) to be lowered by 50 kg as compared with its predecessor (internal codename 993). At the same time, considerable improvements were achieved in terms of body stiffness, passive safety, heating ventilation and air conditioning, but also in terms of maximum engine power and active safety. Last not least production times have been considerably reduced as well.