Porsche’s more potent ‘Turbo’ badged twins have been revealed ahead of their Detroit Auto Show début.
The 911 Turbo and Turbo S are widely regarded as the most extreme Porsche road cars this side of the 911 GT3. The 991 series raised the game with more power, better driveability and, of course, electric power steering, although many would deny that last bit, on the pretext that they aren’t supposed to be that way.
In the new 991.2 cars, power gets bumped-up by 20 PS, taking the 911 Turbo up to 540 PS, with the Turbo S now having 580 PS, with meatier torque curves though the outputs are the same. The results are not from a simple bump up in boost pressure, the details are deeper. The inlet ports have been altered, there are new injection nozzles and a higher fuel pressure. The Turbo S also gets new turbochargers that run larger compressors. Both still run the seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (twin-clutch gearbox) but the higher outputs have led to even quicker acceleration times and top speed.
The Turbo manages a 0-100 km/h time of 3 seconds flat, with a top speed of 318 km/h. The Turbo S, with its Huracán-rivalling power manages an Aventador-equalling 0-100 km/h time of 2.9 seconds with a top speed of 330 km/h, matching the old 911 GT2 RS! The new ‘dynamic boost’ function in Sport and Sport Plus now keeps the throttle valve open when you briefly lift off – with injection cut off, so you still slow down – so there’s virtually no lag at all when you get back on the gas. The driving modes on offer are now selectable via a manettino switch on the 918-inspired steering wheel. Visually, there are revised LED headlamps, and 3D tail-lamp clusters, revised air intakes and grilles and wider wheels on the turbo, now matching the width of the Turbo S.
Moroever, the new cars are a tad more efficient than their predecessors. Surely a win for Porsche. Expect the new cars, right from the non-‘Turbo’ Carrera turbos and the Targa cars to these four, coupé and cabriolet, to arrive shortly in India.
Story: Jim Gorde
