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New 911 turbo caught testing

Porsche's next-generation 911 Turbo is racking up development miles all over the world - and in all sorts of climates. It's pictured in this month's mag undergoing severe cold weather testing in northern Scandinavia prior to its public unveiling at the Geneva motor show in March. (Geneva was also the launch venue for the first iteration of the iconic turbocharged 911 which wowed the crowds in 1974.)

21st December 2005

Typically, Porsche is releasing no official information on the 997 Turbo prior to its launch, leaving the gate open for some educated speculation. It seems likely that the Turbo will stick with a 3.6-litre engine capacity, rather than adopt the 3.8 of the Carrera S. Power output will be somewhere between 450bhp - the level of the current (996) Turbo S - and 500bhp, a figure fast becoming the minimum acceptable for guaranteed entry into the supercar club. It's possible that Porsche will achieve the power gain through Variable Turbine Geometry (VTG), a technology in use for a while now in diesel engine turbochargers that alters the angle of the turbine's blades to change the power and torque delivery characteristics.

Four-wheel drive will continue to be the transmission of choice for the regular Turbo, with the next GT2 staying faithful to the rear-drive cause. We've yet to hear whether Porsche will persist with Tiptronic for two-pedal versions of the Turbo, or if there's a DSG-style twin-clutch arrangement now robust enough for the Turbo's substantial muscle.

As our photographs show, changes to the bodywork are subtle yet effective, in the tradition of more recent 911 Turbos. Fatter rear arches with gaping engine air vents give the new 911 its signature Turbo look, while at the front there's a deeper front apron, liberally vented and sporting recessed driving lamps at its outer edges. We can't quite determine precisely what they are, but there are also LED-type lights on the strakes that divide the two outermost vents.

At the rear there are more slatted vents in the trailing edges of the bumper moulding (it's also pierced by a pair of flat tail-pipes), while the rear spoiler is modestly proportioned until an upper wing elevates from it to provide stability at high speed. We're not sure if the alloys in the pictures are destined for production, but they certainly seem to suit the car well.

A cabriolet version of the Turbo is also up and running but won't get its day in the spotlights until 2007. Prices will inevitably rise slightly over the outgoing model, but the Turbo should still slide in comfortably under the ΂£100K mark when it goes on sale in the second half of the year.