How about going from a standstill to 100 km/h in less than four seconds? How about doing so in a package as civilized and (almost) as easy to drive as a Honda Civic? Welcome to the new 911 Turbo.
For this newest Turbo incarnation, Porsche integrated the refinements and improvements from the rest of the lauded 997 family and changed the all-wheel drive system and the turbos - both of them.
The legendary flat-six is now turbocharged with a pair of variable turbine geometry (VTG) turbos: the exhaust side of the turbine uses electronically adjustable guide vanes, that modify their compressing performance according to the needs and revolution of the engine. In plain english, they act like small turbos at low-rpms and progressively more like big turbos as the revs climb. This modification by itself is responsible for a 14 percent increase in peak power.
The results? How about 480 hp at 6,000 rpm and a torque rating of 460 lb-ft available between 1,950 and 5,000 rpm? These numbers don't tell the whole story though. This engine not only feels strong when pushed in anger, but also at the lower part of the powerband and all the way to the end of the rev band. It never seems to be out of breath.
All this power goes through either a 6-speed manual transmission or a 5-speed automatic with Tiptronic 'manual,' shifting.
Fabulous speed and grip, but still practical
We miss the old whale-tail