Is the 911 Turbo our favourite Porsche, ever?
We’re of the mind that every Porsche is special, but the 911 Turbo takes that to a different level.
It’s not just the fact that it has lots of horsepower that it channels to the rear wheels and will see you blast through the 100 km/h mark from standing in the blink of an eye. It’s not even the fact that it is one of the most appealing and instantly accessible sports cars on the planet. It’s that it is simply the perfect driving machine, without question.
That’s not opinion either. With countless thousands of club, national and international race victories under its belt over the past 52 years, the 911 has become synonymous with success. Whether you see that as performance on the track, the road or in business, the 911 remains a motoring icon. Every drive is special.
Believe it or not, the 911 Turbo first made its debut 40 years ago, and was largely responsible for keeping Porsche ahead of the motorsport curve throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s. Just recently, Porsche confirmed that it is going to turbo charge the whole 911 range in 2016.
There’s a very good reason for this. Shifting to a new 3.0-litre turbo flat-six engine not only cuts emissions and improves fuel economy, but it means engineers can extract more power without compromising either. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.
Our test car is a proper beast. The engine is a 3.8-litre flat-six that makes 520 horsepower and 660 Nm torque. Like F1-cars, it has an over boost function which means it will generate 710 Nm of torque when you really need it.
With the Sport Chrono Package, you get launch control – and with launch control, you’ll hit 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds. To put that into some kind of context, the Turbo S has 560 horsepower, and it’ll only nip you to 100 km/h by 0.1 seconds.
The car is not only fast but it is also precise. The steering is weighted perfectly, the brakes never fade and the PDK gearbox with paddle-shifters perfectly positioned behind the steering wheel, ratchets the next year almost before you’ve asked it to.
Of course, the car isn’t all about speed. The active engine mounts help loosen the car up at lower road speeds, making the 911 Turbo a pleasant car in which to rack up the miles in. Quite how Porsche manages to straddle the cavernous divide between ultimate performance and uber luxury is beyond comprehension.
It’s a more practical car than you may imagine too. The luggage compartment is relatively large, ground clearance is not an issue over speed humps, and the cockpit is festooned with little storage compartments for the everyday detritus we must all travel with.
The 911 Turbo really is all things to everyone. After just three days behind the wheel, adjusting to life without the car parked up the drive is something that I’m gradually getting accustomed to.
THE VITALS
Engine: 3.8-litre flat-six cylinder
Power: 520hp
Transmission: Seven-speed PDK
0-100kph: 3.2 secs
Top speed: 300kph
Price: AED554,800
