The original 911 Turbo was not just the fastest sports car money could buy in the mid-1970s, an evil streak made it every bad boy’s ride of choice: The combination of a dopamine-like power surge and wobbly suspension demanded skilled hands and quick feet to keep the tail-heavy Turbo Carrera pointed in the desired direction.
Power in the 2007 911 Turbo increased by 61PS compared to the outgoing model for a total of 487PS. Weight is down by 5 kilograms, thanks to more aluminum, composite plastic and high-strength steel used in the car’s construction.
Armed with two quick-acting, variable-geometry turbochargers, electronically controlled all-wheel drive and massive brake rotors with powerful calipers, the 911 Turbo is the passion-filled marriage of raw speed and charming deportment. It's ready to impress the most jaded performance addicts.
Porsche didn't offer a 911 Turbo for the 2006 model year. The last 911 Turbo was a 2004 model which, when new, cost $4,500 less than the current version. The 911 Turbo S of 2005 was pricier (starting MSRP of $131,400) than the new 2007 911 Turbo because it included special options like expensive ceramic brake discs as standard equipment.
Exterior
Porsche knows better than to fiddle with one of the motoring kingdom’s most iconic shapes, so visual alterations are evolutionary.
They’re also practical: To handle elevated cooling and combustion needs, portals that ingest and exhaust air are more aggressive in size and appearance. Front-corner grilles are decorated with a cantilevered row of sparkling LED daytime running lamps, Porsche’s subtle way of registering “outta-the-way, Turbo coming through!” in rearview mirrors.
Side scoops are large enough to ingest kittens. Rear haunches are nearly an inch wider, and the compound rear wing and spoiler system is Cessna-size. Like on other Porsches, a section of the rear spoiler raises at a certain speed to aerodynamically improve high-speed stability and automatically lowers at another.
Exhaust tips are larger and positioned higher to let the twin turbochargers — now equipped with variable vanes — spin free and fast. In keeping with contemporary footwear fashions, wheels are an inch larger in diameter (19 inches total) and the tires are 10 millimeters (0.4 inches) fatter in section.
Interior
In contrast to low-slung supercars, you sit upright and enjoy a tour-bus view of the outside world. The 911 Turbo’s cockpit mood is organized and businesslike, with no doubt that the business is fast driving. Standard leather upholstery grips your backside securely, thanks to firm, form-fitting seats. Even though belts are provided for the rear jump seats, those perches are best suited to parcels, not passengers. Six airbags are standard — including two head and two torso inflatables for front occupants’ lateral protection.
Cupholders that swing out from a secret compartment in the dash are thoughtfully included. Another noteworthy addition to this 997-series (the internal designation that company insiders and car geeks use) 911 Turbo is a small liquid-crystal display within the centrally located tachometer dial that reports turbo boost in tenths of a bar (one bar equals 14.5 psi).
Porsche’s Communication Management System encompasses the entertainment and DVD navigation displays, which reside in the center dash. To tell the world you spent big bucks ($1,840) for the optional Sport Chrono Package Turbo, a combination digital and analog timer sits prominently atop the leather-swathed, French-seamed dash. While this feature may seem frivolous, in the 911 Turbo it has a “sport” function that tweaks the turbochargers for more boost, briefly raising peak torque from 651 Newton-meter to 685 Newton-meter (more on this in the next section).
Performance
Porsche has done some ingenious things with turbocharger technology in the new 911 Turbo, which we’ll explain in the next two paragraphs. If you’re not a gearhead, just skip them to find out the net results of the gritty details.
Variable-vane turbochargers employ a set of movable stators to guide exhaust flow inside the turbine section of the turbocharger. At low engine speeds, they restrict flow to build pressure, simultaneously aiming the exhaust toward the turbine wheel’s periphery to induce spin even when the energy level of the spent gases is low.
As the engine wakes up and begins delivering a more energetic stream, a computer-controlled servo pivots the eleven vanes a few degrees to open up the flow area and direct exhaust toward the turbine wheel’s hub. This hurls the turbine wheel to its maximum 180,000 rpm and provides the most expeditious exit for exhaust gas.
All that you need to take away from this explanation is that these ingenious new turbochargers help provide a heap of torque, with 620 Newton-meter available from 1,950 to 5,000 rpm. That’s a lot of power through a wide rev range.
The variable vanes also limit intake manifold pressure (boost) to 14.5 psi. When a “sport” button, which is available only with the $1,840 Sport Chrono Package Turbo, is pressed, 10 seconds of “overboost” — to a lusty 17.4 psi — hikes torque to a stratospheric 685 Newton-meter.
While variable turbo vanes have existed for at least a quarter of a century, the white-hot conditions prevalent in gasoline-engine exhaust systems have restricted their use to cooler-running diesels. Experimental collaboration with supplier Borg-Warner finally yielded a relatively affordable nickel-based superalloy (Porsche won’t divulge the exact material) for the variable vanes that make them capable of withstanding this 982-degree-Celcius environment.
More power is just part of the 911 Turbo’s invigorated psyche. Door shells are now made of aluminum to save 20 kilograms. Brakes are 0.8 inches larger in diameter and tires are also larger for better grip. The Porsche Traction Management System uses a new computer-controlled multiplate clutch to energize the front wheels only in certain instances. The front tires augment rear traction when maximum acceleration is desired and when the stability control system determines that the rear of the car is on the verge of sliding wide in a corner.
See photos of the Porsche 911 Turbo
Fruitful interaction between powertrain, stability and traction systems is what makes the new 911 Turbo one of the world’s most sophisticated supercars. Thoughtful programming and automatic control let the driver use all the available power and performance without venturing down dynamic blind alleys at breakneck speed. With all systems active, this car tracks with a minivan’s sense of civility, showing minimal understeer and oversteer. On damp pavement, small slides never grow into scary wobbles, because torque is quickly juggled between the front and the rear axles and one or more brakes are applied to help maintain the path selected at the steering wheel.
Switching the stability system off leaves only ABS active. In this mode, the 911 Turbo shows its playful side. Tossed aggressively into a tight bend, it will slide its tail wide without threatening mayhem. Reeling the car back into line with casual steering corrections or a dab of throttle is no problem for sports-car drivers with average-or-better skill levels, but given this car’s prodigious width and speed, slide antics are best reserved for closed circuits.
One venial sin is a slightly numb dialogue with the driver as this computer-controlled machine goes about its business. The turbos take the edge off the exhaust note, leaving a wake bubbling with super-Hoover whoosh. Burdened with some of the propulsion responsibility, the front tires are too busy to provide subtle insights regarding what’s going on at the pavement interface. The active-damping suspension delivers a plusher-than-expected ride, at least until you push the “sport” button to select the tauter and more punishing calibration.
Final proof that microprocessors have seized control is that those committed to winning the race to 100 kmph must now drive the Tiptronic S edition (Porsche’s code for five-speed automatic transmission) instead of the traditional six-speed manual 911 Turbo: Mash the brake and throttle pedals, and turbo boost rises to preload the lift-off sequence. Release the brake, hold the throttle flat, click the Tiptronic’s steering wheel shift-paddle on cue and your inner ear is rocked at 0.8 g while you hurtle to 100 kmph in 3.4 seconds.
Those who prefer the more engaging six-speed manual transmission will lose the static-start race (3.7 seconds to 100 kmph) but regain the upper hand on the high side of 160 kmph. According to Porsche, the top speed is 311 kmph, whether you choose the manual or the automatic transmission.
This is the classic case of diligence as its own reward. Thirty years ago, loading way too much power in the tail of a sports car was a bad idea. But systematic improvements — better suspension, AWD, electronic controls and persistent refinement — eventually yielded a perfectly stable rear-engine platform able to uphold even more power. The result is a supercar with the manners to behave itself, come what may.
See Specs of Porsche 911 Turbo Variants
Closest Competitor
BMW M6, Lamborghini Gallardo,
Audi R8
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