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