Porsche 911 Black Edition joins the range

While Porsche is never a company to rest on its laurels, striving hard to perfect its sports car craft with every iteration of the 911, it’s fair to say that actually selling them is a much easier process.

UK sales are already up 10 percent by the end of April compared to last year, and the 911 takes a third of the segment’s sales.

This confidence is apparent in the latest 911 special edition, the Black Edition. One could list the differences between it and a regular Carrera without pausing for breath, and thanks to a coating of black paintwork even the most ardent 911 fans would struggle to tell it at a glance from any other black 911.

Only a set of 20-inch diameter alloy wheels sets it apart, and those are shared with the 911 Turbo. Mechanically, Black Editions are identical to the four base cars – the Carrera, Carrera Cabriolet, Carrera 4 and Carrera 4 Cabriolet.

That means a 3.4-litre flat six with 345bhp at 7400rpm and 288lb ft from 5600rpm. Time changes of the seven-speed manual transmission perfectly and 62mph will arrive 4.8 seconds after setting off in the Carrera, with a 180mph top speed.

The monochrome touch continues inside with a black interior, while standard equipment comprises a Sport Design steering wheel, cruise control, automatic dimming mirrors, rain-sensing wipers, heated seats, a Bose sound system and a reversing camera with front and rear parking sensors. Outside, LED headlights with Porsche Dynamic Light System Plus also mark out the car from regular Carreras.

Pricing starts from £75,074. Convertibles add an extra £6778 to that, and Carrera 4 models start at £79,309. All go on sale from today and the price includes a complimentary course at the Porsche Experience Centre at Silverstone.

The 911 Black Edition’s launch also coincides with a Black Edition version of the Boxster. This too features a moody paint scheme, LED headlights and a mechanical spec identical to the regular Boxster 2.7. Pricing begins at £46,164.