Porsches New 911 Turbo Packs a 480 hp Punch

Faster, Faster, Faster!

This car is the Granddaddy of all sports cars. Its the big Kahuna, the King of the Hill, the One. After six generations of impressive 911 Turbos, the latest generation has broken the cover, and by the looks of things it was worth the wait. This latest model, which will debut at the Geneva Motor Show this February, will be the fastest, most powerful to date, and adds another exciting chapter to the fantastic Porsche 911 Turbo history book.

For a Porsche Turbo, the latest 997-type is more understated than over the top. The vast majority of exterior changes take place below the waist and include typical aerodynamic

This badge tells you all you need to know. (Photo: Porsche Cars North America)

and performance-inspired exchanges. The 997-type 911 Turbo sports a front valance with gaping intakes segmented by LED cornering lamps and offset by tiny projector foglamps. Around the rear, the 911s haunches have swollen up, punctuated by vents and slashed with grates to cool the brakes and feed the charge-air intercooler; nothing conceptually new here. Overall, the car is 0.9 inches wider than

Changes to the exterior are minor, but are completely functional. LED cornering lamps split the air intake. (Photo: Porsche Cars North America)

the previous generation, a gain present for no other purpose than to provide a manhandling grip of the road, no matter the conditions. And though the trademark Whale Tail from the air-cooled 911 Turbos has diminished in size compared to years prior. No worries as far as aerodynamics though, as the smaller active wing does an even better job at keeping the tail glued to the ground.

When it comes to such a monumental vehicle as the 911 Turbo, what

480 horsepower. Thats more than most people could ever use. (Photo: Porsche Cars North America)

matters isnt the way that the exterior looks, or, what kind of changes were made to the interior (of which there are none of great importance over the new 997 although many compared to the previous 996-based Turbo): its the engine thats the center of the conversation, the masterpiece of modern engineering that, in defiance of all conventional wisdom, continues to sit at the very back of the vehicle.

The flagship Porsches engine is a 3.6-liter turbocharged horizontally opposed six-cylinder that generates 480-horsepower and 457 lb-ft of torque, which, all things considered, should make

PTM means you can go fast in less than optimal conditions as well as bone-dry deserts, without fear. (Photo: Porsche Cars North America)

for a good discussion piece. Not only is this motor 60-hp more powerful than the outgoing 911 Turbo, but its also more efficient and more responsive thanks to a variable vein geometry turbo (see automotive news section of this website for November 16, 2005: Porsche Celebrates 100 Years of Turbochargers with Innovative New Turbo Technology), the first of its kind applied to a gasoline-powered vehicle.

To ensure that all of the power and torque doesnt convert the rear tires into a cloud of costly smoke and melted rubber, the 911 Turbo features a new all-wheel drive system evolved from the Carrera 4S. Called Porsche Traction Management (PTM), the system uses a beefier version

Tiptronic automatic version is faster. What happened!? (Photo: Porsche Cars North America)

of the electronically-controlled multi-plate disc clutch to divide the power and send it to the appropriate wheel, resulting in the most hair-raising, pulse-rising drive of your life. The 911 Turbos PTM also happens to be one of the lightest and most powerful AWD systems in the world, which is good since this latest 911 Turbo has put on an additional 88 lbs of curb weight.
With this impressive new drivetrain package, the 911 Turbo once again delivers supercar-shaming performance. With the standard six-speed manual gearbox, the car rockets to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds and hits 200 km/h (124.3 mph) in 12.8 seconds. Its also fast under real world conditions, taking just 3.5 seconds to blast to 75 from 50 mph in top gear. And while this performance is certainly impressive, the real surprise

Porsche Turbo. At home everywhere, including what appears to be Mars. (Photo: Porsche Cars North America)

is that the Tiptronic automatic version is even faster! 60 mph is blitzed in just 3.4 seconds, and the gap widens as the target speed increases. 200 km/h (124.3 mph) from a stand still takes 12.2 seconds, a whole 0.6 seconds quicker, while the flexibility dash (50-750 mph) is dispatched in 3.5 seconds. Both the manual and automatic cars have a top speed of 310 km/h (192.6 mph).
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Like most new Porsches, the 911 Turbo gets the dash-top mounted stopwatch and a button that when pressed firms up the dampers, sharpens the throttle and other performance-honing alterations. Push the same sports button, and the Sport Chrono Package Turbo is activated, which puts the Turbo in berserk mode: the turbochargers boost gets bumped up by 2.9 psi for a ten second window, which increases torque by 45 lb-ft to 502 lb-ft, allowing a manual 911 Turbo to leap from 50 to 75 mph in a lightning quick 3.5 seconds, making

$122,900 911 Turbo is almost a bargen when you consider what kind of technology and performance it has. (Photo: Porsche Cars North America)

it as fast as... a 911 Turbo automatic. But the Turbo isnt all about time-warping acceleration forces; its excellent at shedding speed thanks to an upgraded brake system that features six-piston calipers up front and four-piston ones in back. If youre really serious about stopping in a hurry, Porsches very light but very expensive fade-free 380 mm diameter ceramic brakes can be had.

The 2007 911 Turbo is slated to arrive in dealerships this July, however, obtaining one wont be as simple as walking in, dumping a bag of money on a sales associates desk and walking out with a set of keys; its going to be a scramble of deposits and agonizingly long waiting lists, even though the car carries a pricetag of $122,900. And while every car enthusiast young or old would have been elated with the Turbos introduction, Porsche has been working overtime and will debut a second, and perhaps even more important car at Geneva, the race car for the road 911 GT3. All we can say is stay tuned for more info.

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