THE expectation begins with that “veerr-umph” as the flat-six engine comes to life with an enthusiastic burst of extrawelcoming revs, before settling into a totally even idle. By now you will have opened the die-cast aluminium door and dropped down into a seat that is not overendowed with adjustment, but immediately form-hugging anyway, clicked-in the belt, inserted the key and twisted it against the ignition’s strange spring-loading – no fanciful start button here. The even engine beat is muted: after all, the motor is strung right out back, and muffled with a catalysed and turbo re-cycled exhaust.
You are sitting in one of the world’s greatest supercars. Behind the wheel lies the instrument pack with the rev-counter – complete with Turbo logo, in case you did not know – dominating centre stage. A hint, then, that you are in something special. But just how special you will not appreciate until you find some clear, uninhabited blacktop.
Until then, meander into the congested traffic, and this latest 911 Turbo merges with absolutely no qualms. Six gears are provided to administer the 353 kW and 620 N.m of torque waiting to be exploited by your right foot, and there are four driven wheels to apply it all. Fuss, bother, temperament, jerking? Forget it. It is one of Porsche’s trump cards: the ability to handle any driving condition with total and utter aplomb. Go with the flow of buses, taxis, commuters, shoppers, ’bikes. Your time will come…
Away from the city and into the countryside, and the Turbo finds its spiritual home. A ripple of undulating, meandering tarmac winding off towards the horizon. The bar graph readout in the instrument pack advises the motor is currently running without boost, which is a bit of a surprise, because the shove is already considerable. Drop down a couple of gears – the clutch is nicely weighted, far from heavy, and the elegant shifter moves very precisely without any exposed metal gate to negotiate – and plant the throttle. Oh, and hang on…
The effect is monst rous . Once on the torque plateau between 1 950 and 5 000 r/min, acceleration is as relentless as it is unruffled. And yes, the highly distinctive and inspirational Porsche flat-six bleat is very evident, but there is nothing raw or raucous about it. Anyone possessing mechanical empathy will acknowledge this engineering excellence that epitomises Porsche. Even a two-and-a-half-year-old Cars movie character aficionado giggled with glee every time “Sally” blipped her engine… And if the need, or simply the desire, arises for an extra dose of boost, at the press of a button the optional Sports Chrono Pack provides a 0,2 bar increase in turbo pressure in the mid range, increasing torque by a further 60 N.m to a mammoth 680 N.m between 2 100 and 4 000 r/min. Remember, this a from just a 3,6-litre six-pot motor…
It is tempting to call the boxer engine “classic”, but purists will claim that the original air-cooled generation lays claim to that. But what Porsche has done with the current water-cooled offspring will undoubtedly earn similar respect in the future.
And nothing is more admirable than the Turbo’s turbo installation, a pair of sophisticated VTG variable turbine geometry units, developed by Porsche with technology partner Borg Warner, made from nickel based alloys (exactly which is a closely guarded secret), spin to 150 000 r/min at 1,0 bar pressure (180 000 on overboost), and can run at 1 000 deg C. Each turbo has an electric stepper motor controlling the 11 vanes that effectively act as two impellers in line, opening the blades at high engine loads to maximise flow, and closing them at lower speeds to create higher pressure for fast response. The resultant flexibility is extremely impressive.
With the computer-controlled suspension damping set in standard mode, the 911 hurtles along, gifting the driver with feedback of every single nuance of the road surface. It is not unsettling, but highly communicative, and one soon learns not to wrestle with the fidgeting wheel when riding on uneven surfaces. The body wriggles a little in harmony, but there is no question that the wheels are very, very firmly planted on the road, and going where you have pointed them.
Such stunning stability is due, in part, to the 911’s revised fourwheel drive set-up that features Porsche Traction Management (PTM), a new active system that distributes drive to the front and rear, apportioning the requisite amount of extra torque to the front wheels via an electro-magnetically controlled multi-plate clutch when some extra “pull” is needed to balance the “push”. Any transfer takes no more than 100 milliseconds, so is practically imperceptible.
Along with the established Porsche Stability Management (PSM) comes Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), whereby if the road is smooth, depressing a button realises a more sporting, gossamer- sensitive ride from the active suspension that, incredibly, still never manages to jar. Selection demands sharpened responses from the driver to match…
And when it is time to haul in the 1 583 kg (5 kg lighter than before) Turbo, the brakes are typically extremely effective. Our test car came with optional carbon ceramic discs borrowed from the company’s flagship Carrera GT – 350 mm ventilated rotors are fitted all round, 34 mm wide with bright yellow six-pot calipers up front, and 28 mm with fourpot units at the back. Two-circuit ABS with pre-load and brake assist is standard, helping to achieve an excellent 2,7- second average stopping time in our brake test routine. Utterly confidence inspiring, with an occasional cheeky squeak after hard use.
OK, so the 911’s dynamics are exceptional, but what about performance? Bearing in mind CAR’s tests include two people on board and virtually a full fuel load, our 0-100 km/h time of 4,03 seconds stacks up well against the factory’s claim of 3,9. The standing kilometre was eclipsed in a breathtaking 21,91 seconds at 247,5 km/h, and the 911 Turbo tops out around 309 km/h. Mind-blowing figures for a car that will happily pootle along a scenic drive in sixth gear at little more than tickover revs. Just for the record, from the urban 60 km/h limit to the 120 km/h national limit in third gear takes 3,68 seconds. Close your eyes and count to four…
Aerodynamics help considerably in achieving such figures. The rear of the car is 22 mm wider than before, but with careful attention to the design of the underfloor, and the adoption of a newly-contoured two-plane rear wing – which rises at 120 km/h and retracts at 60 – the Turbo’s drag factor is an impressive 0,31 Cd. As a matter of interest, 4 000 litres of air per second is forced through all the radiators at 300 km/h, with the side ducts channeling 1 200 litres into the intake system…
As for home comforts, the two rear seats will accommodate small people for a short while, but they will be of more use as a luggage area (the backrests can be folded down), albeit with nothing to either restrain or conceal whatever is placed upon them. The front seats have electric adjustment, the driver’s with threeposition memory – one of which is the default position when the key is inserted – and even our 1,9-metre tester easily managed to get comfortable behind the adjustable wheel. There is space to stretch the left leg, but no actual rest.
A chronometer sits atop the facia for the benefit of owners who like to hone their race-track skills. Climate control is standard, and a new, 13-speaker Bose sound system offers in-car entertainment should you want a change from the engine’s mellifluous soundtrack, but the CD changer in the front boot steals some valuable luggage space. The interior mirror is selfdimming, and the test car came with rear park distance control, but the “seeing eyes” would be more useful for the protruded front.
Test summary
Will the evolution of the 911 ever stop? The Turbo is an awesome machine. Period. Porsche’s “hewn from solid” build integrity and appliance- like reliability, combined with shattering performance and flawless dynamics, make this one amazing machine that somehow manages to get better with every incarnation. An engineering tour de force like no other. Wunderbar!