With
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| Tiptronic automatic version is faster. What happened!? (Photo: Porsche Cars North America) |
this impressive new drivetrain package, the 911 Turbo once again delivers supercar-shaming performance. With the standard six-speed manual gearbox, the car rockets to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds and hits 200 km/h (124.3 mph) in 12.8 seconds. It's also fast under real world conditions, taking just 3.5 seconds to blast to 75 from 50 mph in top gear. And while this performance is certainly impressive, the real surprise is that the Tiptronic automatic version is even faster! 60 mph is blitzed in just 3.4 seconds, and the gap widens as the target speed increases. 200 km/h (124.3 mph) from a stand still takes 12.2 seconds, a whole 0.6 seconds quicker, while the flexibility dash (50-750 mph) is dispatched in 3.5 seconds. Both the manual and automatic cars have a top speed of 310 km/h (192.6 mph).
Like most new Porsches, the 911 Turbo gets the dash-top
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| Porsche Turbo. At home everywhere, including what appears to be Mars. (Photo: Porsche Cars North America) |
mounted stopwatch and a button that when pressed firms up the dampers, sharpens the throttle and other performance-honing alterations. Push the same sports button, and the Sport Chrono Package Turbo is activated, which puts the Turbo in berserk mode: the turbocharger's boost gets bumped up by 2.9 psi for a ten second window, which increases torque by 45 lb-ft to 502 lb-ft, allowing a manual 911 Turbo to leap from 50 to 75 mph in a lightning quick 3.5 seconds, making it as fast as... a 911 Turbo automatic. But the Turbo isn't all about time-warping acceleration forces; it's excellent at shedding speed thanks to an upgraded brake system that features six-piston calipers up front and four-piston ones in back. If you're really serious about stopping in a hurry, Porsche's very light but very expensive fade-free 380 mm diameter ceramic brakes can be had.
The
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| $122,900 911 Turbo is almost a bargen when you consider what kind of technology and performance it has. (Photo: Porsche Cars North America) |
2007 911 Turbo is slated to arrive in dealerships this July, however, obtaining one won't be as simple as walking in, dumping a bag of money on a sales associate's desk and walking out with a set of keys; it's going to be a scramble of deposits and agonizingly long waiting lists, even though the car carries a pricetag of $122,900. And while every car enthusiast young or old would have been elated with the Turbo's introduction, Porsche has been working overtime and will debut a second, and perhaps even more important car at Geneva, the 'race car for the road' 911 GT3. All we can say is stay tuned for more info.
