Facing increasingly tough competition, the Porsche Turbo gets substantial improvements under its skin.

More than one year after the regular Porsche 911 migrated to Phase II of the 997 architecture, the Turbo follows. The most important change: A new twin-turbocharged, direct-injection flat-six engine with higher compression (9.8:1, from 9.0:1), a displacement of 3.8 liters (up from 3.6) and 20 more horsepower—the new 911 Turbo makes 500 hp at 6000 rpm, versus the previous model’s 480 hp. Maximum torque for the new car is 479 lb-ft at 1950 rpm (516 lb-ft at 2100 rpm with the optional Sport Chrono package), while its predecessor delivered 460 lb-ft (505 lb-ft with Sport Chrono).

Porsche says the revisions improve the Turbo’s already stellar performance, with the company claiming the run to 60 mph now takes 3.2 seconds; a 0–60 sprint of 3.4 seconds is the best we’ve recorded for the previous model. Top speed rises 1 mph to an ungoverned 194. However, a more noticeable improvement is the Turbo’s efficiency. Carbon-dioxide emissions are said to be 18 percent less than before, and while U.S. EPA ratings are not yet available, combined fuel economy in the European cycle has increased from the equivalent of 18 mpg to 20 mpg for 2010.

Part of the improved fuel economy is due to the optional ZF-supplied, seven-speed Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) dual-clutch automated manual transmission. It replaces the former Aisin five-speed automatic, and its seventh gear is extremely tall for more-efficient cruising. As with non-turbo 911s, the gearbox also is configured to upshift more quickly when you push the “Sport” or “Sport Plus” button, which also are part of the Sport Chrono package. More important, though, is that the counterintuitive and awkwardly positioned steering-wheel buttons that operate the manual-shift function—they require you to push away to upshift and pull towards you to downshift, and are easy to hit accidentally—can now be replaced with proper, wheel-mounted paddle shifters; pull the left one to downshift, the right one to upshift. Bravo to Porsche for offering the option and we hope the new steering wheel becomes available across the company’s entire lineup.

Of course, you can also opt for the standard six-speed manual, which we’ve found in the previous model to be smooth, precise, and perfectly suited to the Turbo. All-wheel drive remains standard and a new, available torque-vectoring system is likely to push the Turbo’s agility and handling limits to new heights. Also featured are the dynamic engine mounts introduced on the 2010 911 GT3, revised traction- and stability-control systems, optional carbon-ceramic brakes, and available multi-spoke, 19-inch RS Spyder wheels with center-locking hubs.

There are surprisingly few changes to the exterior. The front fascia is unchanged, except for slightly accentuated horizontal strips on the huge front air intakes. The xenon headlights are carried over from the regular 911. Most noticeable are the current 911’s LED taillights. The rear bumper is slightly altered for bigger exhaust openings, but you really have to see the old and new car next to each other to tell the difference.

At $132,800 for the coupe and $143,800 for the cabriolet, the 2010 Turbo is priced about $2000 more than the 2009 model. And it’s facing strong competition, namely from the Nissan GT-R, and the upcoming Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG and Audi R8 5.2 V-10. Only the rear-wheel-drive GT2 has yet to be fitted with the 997’s latest advancements. However, Porsche already is busily working on the next generation of the 911, internally called 991.

The new Turbo will officially debut in September at the Frankfurt auto show, with European sales starting November 21 and U.S. deliveries commencing in January 2010. We hope to drive the new car shortly after its unveiling, at which time we will of course bring you our initial thoughts of it on the road.

PRESS RELEASE:

Stuttgart. Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, is proudly presenting a new top model at the pinnacle of its broad range of production sports cars: The new Porsche 911 Turbo combines far-reaching innovations in technology with fine tuning and supreme refinement in design. All key features of this high-performance sports car have been significantly improved, the new 911 Turbo combining a substantial improvement in fuel efficiency and lower weight with more power, even higher speed, and enhanced driving dynamics.

Particularly in terms of fuel economy and dynamic performance, the new top-of-the-range 911 from Zuffenhausen now stands out even more than before from its competitors in the market. Porsche’s new top model will be presented to the public for the first time at the Frankfurt Motor Show from 17 – 27 September.

The heart and highlight of the seventh generation of the Turbo is the new power unit displacing 3.8 litres and delivering maximum output of 500 bhp (368 kW). The first entirely new engine in the 35-year-history of the Turbo comes with features such as Direct Fuel Injection and Porsche’s exclusive turbocharger with variable turbine geometry on a gasoline power unit. And as an option, the new six-cylinder may be combined for the first time with Porsche’s seven-speed PDK Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (Double-Clutch Gearbox).

Models equipped with PDK are also available with a new, optional three-spoke steering wheel with gearshift paddles as an alternative to the standard steering wheel with its proven shift buttons. Fitted firmly on the steering wheel, the right paddle is for shifting up, the left paddle for shifting down. In conjunction with the optional Sport Chrono Package Turbo both the gearshift paddle and the PDK steering wheel with its shift buttons come with integrated displays for Launch Control and the Sport/Sport Plus mode, which are however designed differently on the two steering wheels.

The combination of PDK, Direct Fuel Injection and turbocharging ensures an unprecedented standard of efficiency, agility, responsiveness and performance, the Porsche 911 Turbo reducing CO2 emissions versus its predecessor by almost 18 per cent and therefore ranking unique in its segment also in this respect. Depending on the configuration of the car, the new top model requires just 11.4 – 11.7 ltr/100 km (equal to 24.8 – 24.1 mpg imp) under the EU5 standard. And unlike most other cars in its segment, the new Turbo remains even further below the crucial level of fuel consumption for gas guzzler tax in the USA, the special tax imposed on cars with substantial fuel consumption. All this despite acceleration to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds. Top speed, in turn, is 312 km/h or 194 mph.

The Turbo driver of the future will also enjoy a further improvement in driving dynamics, detailed enhancement of PTM fully controlled all-wheel drive and PSM Porsche Stability Management being further supported by new PTV Porsche Torque Vectoring available as an option. This makes the car even more agile and precise in its steering for an even higher level of driving pleasure.

Sales of the new Porsche 911 Turbo in both Coupé and Cabriolet guise are starting in Germany on 21 November 2009. The Euro base price without value-added tax and national specifications is Euro 122,400.- for the Coupé and Euro 131,800.- for the Cabriolet. The gross retail price in Germany, therefore, is Euro 145,871.- for the Coupé and Euro 157,057.- for the Cabriolet, in each case including 19% value-added tax and national specifications.

Petrol-electric version of classic sports car is caught testing

Auto Express Car Reviews By Luke Madden 30th July 2009

Here’s a shocking revelation – it’s an electric hybrid version of the Porsche 911!

With the announcement of hybrid versions of the Cayenne and the Panamera, it was only a matter of time before the brand’s performance models received the same treatment.

These photos show a 911 prototype with an interesting bulge on the bonnet carrying a lightning bolt sticker. Our photographers noted that the prototype seemed unusually quiet as it pulled away.

The position of the bulge suggests the electric motor will be located at the front of the car, powering the front wheels whilst a boxer engine at the rear will drive the back wheels.

This technology could offer the option of a front-wheel drive, all electric vehicle or, when performance is needed, a four wheel drive petrol-electric hybrid.

Porsche purists may be sceptical as weighty batteries in the front will balance out the trademark rear-heavy 911, however, a high-mpg, high performance supercar may prove to be a winning formula.

As regulations on CO2 emissions become ever stricter, the hybrid 911 could open the floodgates for other high-performance hybrids

SPORTEC SPR1 T80 – THE 860BHP PORSCHE

Insane Swiss supercar is anything but neutral

For those who think a GT2 isn’t mad enough…

Swiss tuning house Sportec has come up with a modified Porsche 997 Turbo packing a truly bonkers 858bhp.

The T80 will be revealed at the prestigious Salon Privé motor show in London later this month, and is among the most hardcore Porsche conversions you’re ever likely to see. With an increase of 373bhp over the standard 997 Turbo and a headline torque figure of 642lb ft, the twin-turbo T80 is claimed to hit 62mph (100kmh) in three seconds, and 186mph (300kmh) in just 18.9 seconds, before going on to a Veyron-bothering 236mph top speed.

This stunning performance is achieved through an extensive set of modifications to every aspect of the engine and drivetrain, including titanium connecting rods, forged alloy pistons and a dry sump lubrication system. There is also a hand-crafted exhaust system, twin throttle bodies and specially made hybrid turbochargers, and several electronic management systems able to control a vast number of parameters as well as the engine itself.

The shock absorbers and ride height are adjustable, and an unspecified ‘active suspension’ system should make some headway toward keeping that much power on the road. Should you wish to take the car off the road and onto a track (possibly a wise decision), Sportec can also equip customers with a custom-made motorsports exhaust, which should ensure a small additional power increase. The specially designed high-performance clutch should be able to withstand track abuse, as should the all-round cross-drilled and ventilated ceramic disks.

The body gets some carbon/kevlar composite panels to help get the weight down, and aerodynamics are given a helping hand with a flat carbonfibre underfloor and an adjustable rear spoiler. There are also some more subtle bulges and furrows to optimise airflow into the engine and intercooler.

Despite the hardcore track appeal of T80, it is being offered with more-or-less the full suite of 997 accessories, including sat-nav, air conditioning and a multifunction steering wheel. It even meets tough Euro IV emissions standards, though fuel economy figures are not mentioned in the press release and are probably quite amusing.

Porsche 911 GT3

The last GT3 was as good as a Porsche gets, so can the new one really be any better?
Text: Henry Catchpole / Photos: Matt Vosper
June 2009

The ‘So what’s your favourite car, then?’ question is tricky. I get asked it a lot. It’s a staple query from random, well-meaning people at christenings and engagement parties, most of whom like watching Clarkson & Co on Sunday evenings. I used to launch into a small speech about why it’s simply impossible to pick a favourite and how you need a big barn with at least ten parking spaces so that there’s room for a car for every situation. Five minutes later, just as I’d be explaining why an F40 is not really a choice but a necessity, I’d realise that their eyes had glazed over – they didn’t like cars that much and this wasn’t the quick, satisfactory answer they wanted.

Then I drove a GT3. I still maintain the ten-car principle, but now I always say that if I won the lottery I would walk straight out the next day and buy a 911 GT3 (although this brings its own eye-glazing problems because if people don’t really care about cars then talking in numbers and letters is about as comprehensible as talking Klingon). Anyhow, the point of all this is that the chance to drive the new GT3 is both exciting and nerve-wracking. It’s unlikely that Porsche will have over-egged the pudding and produced a bad car. But it’s just about possible – and I really don’t want to go back to the ten-car explanation.

The first time I catch sight of the new rear wing, centre-locking wheels and road-grazing front spoiler is early morning in a village south of Stuttgart. I’d dragged my legs out of bed at first light to go for a run and everyone is still asleep when I return to the hotel and spy the Porsche Motorsport truck outside. There are a couple of GT3s parked up round the back, dew clinging to their curves. Walking around them in the stillness, there’s nothing particularly striking or unexpected. The rear end looks slightly fussier and the wing is perhaps more function and less form than some of the previous GT3 pushbars, but the new wheels look great, particularly with the 30mm drop in ride height compared with a standard Carrera, which tucks them up into the wheelarches beautifully.

A couple of hours later, while we’re waiting for the press conference to begin, a glance down the spec sheet appears to confirm something that had been worrying me since I’d noticed the numbers on the endplates of the rear wings. The engine is now 3.8 litres, not 3.6. But further investigation reveals that there’s no need to worry. It’s not the direct-injection unit from the Carrera S (lovely though that is), but rather it’s still the titanium con-rodded engine that’s appeared in all GT3s to date – and originally in the GT1 – but with the bore increased from 100 to 102.7mm. The engine was actually used in last season’s GT3 RSR racers, and how it can rev to a heavenly 8500rpm and still meet Euro 5 emissions standards is beyond me, but it does. The flat-six now produces 429bhp at 7600rpm (up 20bhp) and 317lb ft of torque at 6250rpm (up 19lb ft), but Porsche claims that the biggest and most noticeable improvement is in mid-range torque. Combined with a weight of 1395kg (the same as the last GT3) the 0-62mph time has dropped to 4.1 seconds.

At the end of the press conference we’re given a warning about the police in the local area. Then, just before we’re allowed out of the door in an orderly stampede, we’re shown a video of Walter Röhrl (who I happen to be sitting behind) driving the new GT3 in a spine-tingling fashion around the Autodromo del Levante. Sorry, you were saying something about police…?

Outside, all the cars have now been revealed and there is one that stands out. Cobalt Blue is the colour. It hasn’t been seen on a 911 since the 993 generation but it looks utterly stunning. Unfortunately the Americans have nabbed it, so we settle for a yellow car with the no-cost-option Clubsport pack (half cage, battery switch and a fire extinguisher, plus a six-point driver’s harness supplied but not fitted).

This car also has the lightweight carbonfibre bucket seats first seen in the Carrera GT. They are a rather extravagant £3063 option but they save a massive 34kg over the standard sports seats and 10kg over the optional sports buckets from the GT2. Elsewhere inside there is the usual grey Alcantara on all the contact points and the familiar five-ring dials. It’s clearly not an interior designed by someone with flamboyant shirt cuffs and it’s arguably a bit dull for an £82K car, but then that’s never been what the GT3 is all about.

One option that’s not fitted to our car is the lift system for the front axle, which temporarily increases ground clearance by 30mm at the press of a button. Unless you live near particularly vicious road-humps or have a vertiginous American-style driveway, then you probably needn’t bother.

We trundle out of Odenwaldstetten and the GT3’s first noticeable trait is the unashamedly heavy controls. Depress and re-engage the clutch and you can feel the muscles in your foot, shin, calf and thigh working against the pedal’s resistance. All GT3s come with a six-speed manual because, thankfully, it was deemed inappropriate to use the 30kg heavier PDK. The shift itself is short, chunky and feels like it will last several thousand years, let alone miles.

It’s a common misconception that the GT3 has a rock-hard ride. It’s firm and ruthlessly well controlled but there is also uncanny damping which takes the edge off manhole covers in towns and kerbs on the Nordschleife alike. There are two stages to the PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management) accessible via a button on the centre console. However, the firmer Sport setting is really only for super-smooth circuits. The PASM will also finely adjust its control mapping automatically depending on the speed and road surface.

The roads of the Swabian Highlands are probably the best I’ve driven in Germany. They are (obviously) largely smooth but there are some narrower, bumpier sections too and the corners are frequently very well sighted with their little white marker posts. Turn in and there is tremendous grip from the GT3. Turn harder and there’s more grip. Push the chassis and the Pilot Sport Cups through a long third-gear corner and the outside of your face will actually start to feel like it’s trying to detach itself from your cheekbones. You might have initially thought the seats were a little unnecessarily tight around your rib cage, but not now.

You always know how the weight is distributed in the car and you still have that wonderful feeling of traction out of a corner as the engine pushes a little bit harder at the base of your spine than 429bhp ought. However, the most incredible thing about the new GT3 is its stability and precision. The reaction when you turn into a corner is absolutely instant, faithful and solid, allowing you to pick up a clipping point with complete confidence. It reminds me of the Audi R8 but more hardcore. Under braking too, where a 911’s heavy bum can sometimes start to feel unwieldy as it unweights, the GT3 seems to remain utterly unflustered. Twice during the day I hit the middle pedal very late into an uncomfortably downhill hairpin and still make the apex. It is simply astonishing and leaves you grinning at the sheer absurdity of its limits.

Except in trace form, as the front or rear gently smears through or out of a corner, under- and oversteer simply don’t exist on the road. There are buttons to disable the stability control on its own (presumably for a wet track, where you want help with traction but would like the car to slide) but you’d have to be Walter Röhrl to feel the need to disable it on the road.

Over supper the night before, Carsten Schebsdat, the quietly spoken project engineer for the GT3, talked me through the changes that have been made. First up was a tweak to the front suspension geometry, carried over from the GT2 (and without which the GT3’s big brother was apparently almost undriveable, with lots of snap oversteer…). Then they drastically lowered the centre of roll at the front and raised it at the rear. This was all designed to get the back axle reacting more quickly because, as Schebsdat explained, turn-in alacrity is actually more dependent on the reaction of the rear axle, not, as you might think, the front. This tautening of the rear end is also aided by the new optional (£776) dynamic engine mounts, which help secure the movement of masses at speed. These adjust their viscosity to the style of driving by the use of magnetic fluid and an electric pulse (just like a Ferrari 599’s dampers).

Halfway through the morning’s drive is a brief section of Autobahn where the GT3 hits a composed 189mph in an amazingly short distance before traffic appears. The revised aerodynamics have apparently doubled the downforce over the last generation car.

The road route in the afternoon (obviously we didn’t actually stop for lunch, merely fuel) is arguably even better and the GT3 seems to get more and more impressive in its abilities. And if the thought of all that stability and grip is a bit too clinical for you then there is, of course, the ultimate emotional compulsion for buying a GT3 – the sound it makes. With a new exhaust system its howl is seemingly louder and more glorious than ever, particularly as the engine ramps up at around 4400rpm. If you manage to secure a test-drive then make sure you open the windows.

Because I loved the last GT3 so much I would argue that I came to the 997.2 as potentially its biggest critic, yet I really, honestly couldn’t pick any holes in it. Progress demanded that the new model be quicker, faster and dynamically improved, and it is. And without a shadow of a doubt it is a five-star car. When I sat next to Walter Röhrl in the GT3 later he was still smiling at the car’s abilities. Yet even he admitted that, extraordinary though it is, he enjoys driving his historics because they require more of him. And that’s the only question mark I can throw over the new GT3: is it almost too good? Nah.

Porsche Spyder returns!
All-new entry-level Porsche will share its platform with the VW Bluesport and takes inspiration from original 550 Spyder

Auto Express Car Reviews

23rd June 2009
One of the most revered names in sports car history, the Porsche Spyder, is back! And our exclusive illustrations show for the first time how the sub-Boxster two-seater will shape up when it arrives in 2013.

Based on the VW Bluesport Concept’s underpinnings, also set to be shared with the forthcoming Audi R2, the new ‘baby’ Porsche will be aiming to maintain the firm’s reputation for unrivalled driving dynamics, but in a much lighter, fuel efficient and affordable package than any model in recent memory.

The new Spyder will offer the same open air driving experience as the Boxster, thanks to its folding canvas roof, but at just 3.99 metres long, it will be significantly smaller than the current entry-level Porsche. That means a range of four-cylinder turbocharged engines raided from the VW parts bin will be plenty to deliver genuine sportscar thrills.

Entry-level cars will use a version of the 200bhp 2.0 TFSI engine borrowed from the VW Golf GTI, mounted behind the driver and between the two axles for optimum handling balance. A Sport version will feature the same unit, but turned up to around 280bhp for a scintillating turn of pace.

Prices will start from around £28,000, keeping the Spyder far enough away from the cheapest Boxster’s asking price of around £33,700, while maintaining a reassuring premium over the cheaper VW Bluesport.

Inspiration and the design philosophy behind the new Spyder, comes from the first Porsche 550 Spyder, unveiled at the 1953 Paris Motor Show. The compact two-seater was originally designed for racing and took a famous class-victory at Le Mans. But the notoriously tricky-to-handle roadster cemented its place in history when the Hollywood legend James Dean died at the wheel of one in 1955.