It would be fair to say that the new 911 Turbo S has been received pretty well. No great achievement for a £150k Porsche, you might think, though the Turbos have not always been met with a rapturous reception in recent years. Dan P's verdict was unequivocal, however: "It's the best four-wheel drive rocket ship for the road I've ever driven." High praise indeed.
So, confirmation of the regular Turbo should only broaden the 992's already expansive repertoire, bringing as it does much of the S goodness to a slightly lower price bracket. The key difference, as always in very senior 911s, is in performance. The Turbo gives away 70hp and 37lb ft to the S flagship, for peaks of 580hp and 553lb ft. Which are still momentous - matching the old 991.2 Turbo S in fact - and sufficient for a 199mph top speed and 2.8-second sprint to 62mph, aided by the eight-speed PDK transmission. Interestingly, this is the first time in 911 history that a regular Turbo has gone sub-three seconds to 62mph...
Otherwise, the engine spec reads a lot like the Turbo S. Same 3,745cc capacity, same use of symmetrical VTG turbos, same electrically controlled wastegates and piezo injectors. It's just turned down a little; no doubt the tuners will be on hand to liberate the extra power should 580hp become tedious.
Also like the S, this 911 Turbo boasts wider tracks than the 991 - another 42mm at the front, and 10mm at the rear - which Porsche claims will deliver "greater steering precision", with standard 255-section front tyres and 315-section rear assisting. Brakes from the factory are cast iron, 408mm diameter at the front and 380mm at the rear. Naturally, these can be upgraded to ceramic rotors should the customer wish, which means it's probably time to talk about 911 Turbo options...
The standard PASM suspension, claims Porsche, "offers a greater spread between sporting responsiveness and ride comfort", presumably compared to a 991. That can be upgraded to PASM Sport, 10mm lower and slightly firmer - which "enhances the agility of the new 911 Turbo still further." The Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control that's standard on the S is optional here, though the rear-wheel steer is standard.
Then there are the Lightweight Design and Sports packages, offered for the first time on the 911 Turbo. The former is potentially of most interest, ditching the rear seats, switching the front ones for slimmer buckets and trimming away some sound insulation. Spec it with the sports exhaust that's also on that very long extras list and you're halfway to a GT2 - right? The Sports package is perhaps less interesting than it sounds, combining the Sport Design package premiered on the S (new bumpers front and rear, plus an active spoiler) as well as Exclusive Design tail lights.
Cosmetically, the 911 Turbo is pretty hard to distinguish from its 650hp sibling, Porsche itself even speaking of "the... distinctive, muscular appearance similar to that of the 911 Turbo S." Note the big, chunky wings front and rear, gaping air intakes on the side (now for induction air, not cooling air) and the louvred grille. It's fairly unmistakeably a 911 Turbo.
Intrigued? Your local OPC will only be too keen to hear from you, with orders open from today for the 992 Turbo Coupe and Turbo Cabriolet. Prices start at £134,400 for the hardtop and £143,560 for the convertible, £21,570 and, oddly, £21,567 less respectively than their Turbo S equivalents. Which, given how much is shared with the Turbo S and the performance still on offer, doesn't look like bad value. As has so often been the case, how much faster do you really need to go than a 911 Turbo?
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