Porsche previews new 911 Turbo and Turbo S before Detroit debut
The top-end turbocharged 911s will make their official debut at the Detroit auto show in 2016
Once upon a time, Porsche made 911s, and it made 911 Turbos. Standard 911s were naturally-aspirated, and the Turbo was turbocharged. Today, the standard Porsche 911 is turbocharged. But it isn’t called the 911 Turbo – that name is reserved for... a turbocharged 911. It's about as clear as Weißbier.
If you're still following, Porsche has now revealed the latest iterations of the 911 Turbo and Turbo S, which sit atop the range of existing turbocharged 911s just as they did to those cars’ naturally-aspirated predecessors.
Thankfully, they can still be differentiated by their swollen power outputs and a host of visual indications, including revised front and rear bodywork, a wider body than Carrera and Carrera S models, and a set of generously-proportioned alloy wheels.
The engine is still central to the 911 Turbo and Turbo S’s appeal, however. Each produces 20bhp more power than before, raising the Turbo’s total to 532bhp, thanks to modified inlet ports, new injection nozzles and higher fuel pressure. The Turbo S climbs to 573bhp, largely down to new turbochargers with larger compressors.
Both models also feature ‘dynamic boost’, a system that improves engine response as throttle position changes. In transient conditions – for example, a lift of the throttle before re-applying it – the engine can cut power by interrupting fuel injection rather than fully closing the throttle, maintaining charge pressure and improving response. Porsche describes the effect as ‘more pronounced’ in Sport and Sport Plus modes.
Acceleration figures are as minuscule as before – the Turbo reaches 62mph in three seconds flat and hits 199mph flat out, while the Turbo S shaves a tenth from the Turbo’s 0-62mph sprint and adds 6mph to its top speed. Overtaking performance will be strong too; the standard Sport Chrono package featyres a Sport Response button on the steering wheel’s mode switch, which preconditions engine and gearbox for 20 seconds of ‘optimal acceleration’.
The cars’ cornering prowess is enhanced with several revisions to their electronic systems. PASM is standard and broadens the gap between performance and comfort modes, with PDCC roll compensation and PCCB carbon ceramic brakes also standard. Optionally available is a lift system for the front axle, which raises ground clearance by 40mm.
The Porsche Stability Management system has new Sport Mode, which allows for detailed exploration of the car’s limits without significant stability control intervention.
Those limits are sure to be high, not least as the Turbo has wider wheels front and rear – 9x20in at the front and 11.5x20in at the rear, matching the Turbo S. As well as their effect on grip, the new design freshens up the Turbo’s styling, and joins detail changes from the rest of the revised 911 range.
Pricing begins at £126,925 for the standard 911 Turbo, and £145,773 for the Turbo S. Both are also available as Cabriolet models, which adds £8841 to the cost of each coupe. All are available to order from today, with deliveries starting in January 2016.
