2016 Porsche 911 Carrera gets twin-turbo engine: images and details
Turbocharging across the range
IN THE 1970s and ‘80s, telling people you drove a Porsche 911 Turbo would get a similar reaction to saying you were a lion tamer. It was the pinnacle of Porsche performance and the wild child of the sports car world, and suffered fools like Jeremy Paxman conducting an interview after a foul night’s sleep. Few were brave enough to buy one, fewer still foolhardy enough to drive it on a wet and winding road.
Browse the used Porsche 911s for sale on driving.co.uk
However, in a sign that the red tape of emissions legislation is getting the better of even the best engineers at Porsche, the “turbo” will be extended across the entire 911 range. British drivers after a new 911 can now only buy a turbocharged model (with the exception of the GT3) after Porsche announced a facelifted and reengineered 911 range which only features turbocharged engines.
Priced from £76,412, for a Carrera coupe, and £85,857 for the Carrera S coupe, the revised 911 models use a 3-litre, flat-six cylinder engine with two turbochargers, compared with the last version’s 3.4-litre naturally aspirated motor.
The new Carrera develops 364bhp, up from 345bhp, and 331 Ib ft at just 1,700rpm (before, 288Ib ft at 5600rpm), which some critics may argue will change the car’s character immeasurably. The Carrera S now boasts 414bhp, and 368 Ib ft.
The company claims the new models are noticeably quicker than their predecessors, with the Carrera accelerating from 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds (4.2sec for a PDK with Sport+) and the Carrera S taking 4.3 seconds (3.9sec for a PDK with Sport+.) The Carrera manual manages 34mpg, and the S version does 32.5mpg.
All models ordered with a Sport Chrono Package get a selectable driving mode on the steering wheel – with Normal, Sport, Sport Plus and Individual – and an adaptive, lowered sports suspension, know as PASM, is now standard on all models. As an option, the rear-wheel steering system employed by the 911 Turbo, GT3 and GT3 RS models is available on the Carrera S.
Accompanying the new generation of twin-turbo engine is a facelift and mildly revised centre console for the car’s cabin. For the first time, the Apple CarPlay system will be available.
The revised 911 model range is on sale now and deliveries of the first cars to British drivers will begin in December. Driving will be reporting on the revised engines’ performance soon.
