911 (997) Official: New facelifted 997 Turbo revealed

This is the new Porsche 911 Turbo, which is faster, lighter, more powerful and sharper than ever.

Stuttgart has responded to ever-quicker rivals from Ferrari, Lamborghini and even Nissan with the GT-R by bringing the 911 Turbo bang up to date.

The current twin-turbo 3.6-litre engine has been ditched in favour of a blown version of the direct-injection 3.8-litre flat six from the Carrera S.

The variable-vane twin turbochargers have been extensively revised to increase responsiveness, and the intercooler and fuel system have been uprated, giving a 20bhp power boost, to 493bhp.

While the current Turbo is supremely surefooted, Porsche is determined to inject more fun into the car. The new Turbo should be more playful, thanks to an overhauled Porsche Traction Management system, which distributes the torque between the front and rear wheels through an electronically controlled multiple-plate clutch.

A Porsche insider told Autocar that the changes will “provide more of a sporting flavour” over the old car, with extra throttle adjustability and a more rearward power bias.

Forged alloy wheels, as seen here on the cabrio, will be standard fit on all 911 Turbos. The lightweight 19in RS Spyder rims seen on these coupes will be available as an option.

A six-speed manual gearbox is standard and a seven-speed dual-clutch PDK is optional, with larger clutches and revised ratios compared with the unit used in other 911s.

For the first time, the 911 gets proper paddle shifters to change gears in PDK models. The paddles are mounted to the back of the steering wheel — right shifts up, left shifts down — and are a no-cost alternative to the flawed double-function shift buttons currently used.

The steering wheel also houses a display showing when Sport, Sport Plus and launch control have been selected through the optional Sport Chrono package. The 911 Turbo now hits 62mph in 3.4sec with PDK (0.3sec quicker than today’s Tiptronic auto) and top speed rises by 2mph, to 194mph.

Despite the extra performance, fuel economy has improved from 22.1mpg to 24.1mpg in the manual and from the Tiptronic’s 20.8mpg to 24.8mpg with PDK. The 911 Turbo goes on sale in November, priced at £101,823 (coupé) and £109, 048 (cabrio).

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Ultimate Car Guy said:

I wish they included the red strip that runs across the rear- just like in the Carrera 4s.

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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.

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Sunny said:

Now that it has a DCT (and little more power), wonder how it will stack up against the GTR. BTW does any one know if 996 Turbo got a facelift? AFAIK, it didn't.

The old wheels where infinitely better. The new ones look like the X5M ones.

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coolraoul said:

The Turbo remains my least favourite of the 997 line-up, strangley. Less emotional than a Carrera, less brutish than a GT3.

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