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Latest 911’s interior deftly mixes retro cues with the latest technology


20 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 8 APRIL 2 020


Δ anywhere, just one exceptional


s t r e a m of u r ge f r om not muc h mor e


than 1000rpm all the way to the


7200rpm ignition cut-out on a


loaded throttle.


The smoothness of the delivery


and rapid action of the kickdown


from the gearbox mask the improved


response of the new engine, but it


i s t he r e. T h i s l at e s t v e r sion of


Porsche’s traditional six-cylinder


unit isn’t rabid in the character of a


f lat-plane-crank engine, but there’s


still added resolve to the way it goes


about its business. That’s especially


true at the upper end of its rev range,


where it feels stronger and more


determined than its predecessor.


There’s more to the dynamic


appeal of the Turbo S than just its


straight-line speed, though, and that


all starts with the steering. There’s a


lovely slickness and immediacy to the


speed-sensitive electromechanical


four-wheel system.


The weighting remains consistent


over a wide speed range, creating the


sort of engagement that no recent


Turbo S has managed to offer. In a


bid to improve agility, Porsche has


revised the steering action on the


rear wheels, increasing the ratio


by 6% for even sharper and more


decisive turn-in traits than before.


For the first time, Turbo S


buyers can specify optional sports


suspension with a 10mm-lower


ride height and retuned active roll


compensation system among other


detailed changes over the standard


underpinnings. This is allied as


standard to the Porsche Active


Suspension Management system,


which brings adaptive damping


into the mix.


Also on the optional equipment


l i s t i s a l i f t f u nc t ion t h at pr ov ide s


a n a dd it ion a l 4 0 m m i nc r e a s e i n


ground clearance on the front axle.


The sports suspension breathes


nicely over longer-wave undulations


and remains superbly controlled over


higher-frequency bumps, without the


c h a r a c t e r i s t ic no s e b ob t h at a f fe c t e d


previous generations, keeping the


Turbo S well planted on all but the


most badly pitted surfaces. This is


t h a n k s i n pa r t t o t he a dop t ion of


new helper springs that provide


a preloading effect to the main


springs for more controlled rebound.


If there’s a weakness, it’s the


incessant road roar on anything but


super-smooth surfaces, especially


f r om t he r e a r e nd. St i l l , t he t u n i n g


really is sweetly struck, bestowing


the new model with adequately


absorbent long-distance properties


in Comfort mode and a firm but


c ont r ol le d r ide i n b ot h Sp or t a nd


Sport Plus modes.
All this makes the new Turbo S,

a car that makes well over twice the


power of the original, eminently


approachable. Yes, it’s absurdly


fast, but the calmness of its ride and


its otherwise superb resistance to


pitch and dive under acceleration


and braking is all the elixir you


ne e d t o t a k e f u l l a d v a nt a ge of it s


exceptional grip, which now comes


via a combination of standard


255/35-profile tyres at the front


Turbo S is furiously quick at full chat and sounds suitably menacing


TESTER’S NOTE


The new 911 Turbo


is quite a heavy car,


tipping the scales


at 135kg more than


the base 911 Carrera.


However, it doesn’t


feel it. There’s an


engaging fluidity


to its actions that


marks it out as not


just a devastatingly


effective grand tourer


but also, with just a


turn of the driving


mode controller, a


true sports car. GK

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