All Sections

Porsche 911 Turbo and 911 Turbo S pictures, specs and details emerge

Rather than celebrate 40 years of the 911 Turbo with a big Victoria sponge cake and a few dozen candles, Porsche is gearing up to release new versions of the 911 Turbo and a new 911 Turbo S, based on the latest ‘type 991‘ generation of the iconic car.

From the outside the new cars are typical 911, but a number of notable changes and additions have been made, including full-LED headlights, a significantly wider body (28mm) and new two-tone 20-inch wheels.

It’s the performance in the new 911 Turbo and 911 Turbo S that are most inspiring. Both cars use a 3.8-litre flat-six, twin-turbo engine with either 520bhp or 560bhp, fired through a PDK 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox (no, there’s no manual option). 0 to 62mph is achieved in 3.2 in the 911 Turbo and 3.1 in the 911 Turbo S, with both models offering a top speed of 197mph.

Quite a bit of work has gone into getting that power down. Porsche has introduced a new Porsche Traction Management all-wheel drive system for improved acceleration and torque distribution, and the car comes with adaptive aerodynamics — a system that allows its front and rear spoilers to adjust when more or less downforce is needed. The driver can choose between three settings: ultimate dynamic performance for maximum downforce, optimal efficiency for speed and lower fuel bills or a halfway point between the two.

Handling should be sorted, too – we hope. The new Porsche 911 Turbo and Turbo S can vary the angle of its rear wheels by up to 2.8 degrees during steering, depending on your speed. Two electro-mechanical actuators on the left and right side of the rear axle turn the rear wheels in the opposite direction to the fronts at speeds up to 31mph, helping turn-in. According to Porsche, the system has the same effect as shortening of the wheelbase by 250mm, so expect it to corner like a gnat and be more wieldy during low-speed manoeuvres.

Above 50mph, the system steers the rear wheels in parallel with the front wheels, improving stability at high speeds and, in theory, providing better handling and control in the corners. Using the system in such a way is equivalent to lengthening the wheelbase by 500mm, according to Porsche.

The new Porsche 911 Turbo and Porsche 911 Turbo S include Bi-Xenon headlights, a DAB radio, Porsche’s navigation system for getting from A to B without hassle, a radar-controlled cruise control system, a camera-based road sign recognition system and either Bose or high-end Burmester stereos.

Although you would be foolish to buy a 911 Turbo for fuel efficiency, you can, in theory get as much as 29.1mpg, thanks to stop/start technology and an engine shut-off system that now does its thing when coasting to a stop.

Tickled by the new 911 Turbo and 911 Turbo S? You can pop along to a Porsche dealer and order one now. Prices for the 911 Turbo start at £118,349 while the 911 Turbo S comes in at £140,852. Deliveries will start to arrive in September, 2013.

Porsche 911 Turbo & 911 Turbo S pictures

 

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *