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New Porsche 911 Coming to Europe in July

Associated Press

FRANKFURT, Germany - Luxury carmaker Porsche AG said Tuesday it plans to launch the much-anticipated new version of its iconic 911 sports car across Europe on July 17.

The new version, which won't come to the United States and Britain until early September, sports new design features such as a return to oval headlights and a more muscular back end. The headlights are reminiscent of the so-called 993 version of the Porsche 911 from the mid 1990s.

Porsche is launching its new 911 on the market in Carrera and Carrera S versions.

The Carrera model has a sticker price before tax starting at 64,700 euros, the equivalent of about $76,900 at current exchange rates, a bit more than its predecessor. The Carrera S starts at 73,300 euros, equivalent to around $87,200.

The company says the biggest technical advance is an active suspension system, which is standard on the Carrera S and an option on the Carrera. The system allows the driver to switch between 'sport' and 'normal' driving dynamics with the push of a button.

The 911 is a crucial car for Stuttgart-based Porsche, which builds only three model lines. The Cayenne sports utility vehicle, in the market for more than a year, has been driving earnings while sales of the lower-priced Boxster, which is in its eighth year, are falling off.

Porsche has sold nearly 600,000 911s in the car's 40-year history.