New Porsche 997 Turbo

Porsche has revealed the new 911 Turbo supercar ahead of its September debut.

Ignore the like-for-like styling compared to the outgoing car; there are some big changes underneath. Over the back wheels is the first all-new engine in the Turbo’s history, while Porsche has overhauled its maligned PDK transmission and fitted proper paddles.

That’s big news for us – the confusing push button change made PDK our disappointment of 2008, so the introduction of proper left for down, right for up wheel-mounted paddles is great. Porsche is remaining tight-lipped on whether the rest of its range will get the new version of the gearbox, but it seems highly likely.

The new engine is a direct injection 3.8-litre flat six, putting it in line with the rest of the updated 997 range. It boasts twin turbochargers mated to variable turbine geometry, something Porsche boasts as a brand exclusive on a petrol engine. Power is up 21bhp on the outgoing car to 493bhp. No torque figure’s been announced.

Performance is impressive, with the 0-62mph benchmark being cleared in ‘well under four seconds’ and a top speed in excess of 192mph. As usual for a 911 Turbo, it’s all-wheel drive, while there are the usual Porsche acronyms, with a debut for PTV. That’s Porsche Torque Vectoring, a system that spreads power variably across the rear axle to aid agility and steering precision. It’s an option for now, though.

Weight is down (although no firm figure’s been confirmed yet) with the inevitable improvements to both fuel economy and emissions as well as the dynamics.

On the outside, it’s as per usual with a facelifted 911. Changes are minor, with new light designs, extra dashes of chrome trim and some new alloys (with central locking wheel nuts, like the 997.2 GT3) the only exterior telltales.

The fettled 997 Turbo gets its public unveil at the Frankfurt motor show next month (where evo will be providing full coverage), the car going on sale in the UK in November priced at £101,823 for the coupe and £109,048 for the cabriolet.

You can read a full rundown of the new 911 Turbo in Issue 135 of evo, on sale August 19 2009.Don’t forget to follow evo on Twitter by clicking here