At just under an inch wider than the outgoing 996 variant
and half an inch longer, it was easy to see why the first generation of 997
Turbo was nearly 100 kilograms heavier than the model it was replacing. To
ensure the proportions looked right, a move to 19-inch wheels was a necessity.
Yet, with more traditionally shaped headlights creating a better visual experience,
Porschephiles overlooked the 997’s growing middle-age spread, this being the car
that took the strain into its fourth decade.
Instead, the focus was on the tarmac-eating performance
Porsche had extracted from a car whose engine was ostensibly the same in design
as the 996 it succeeded. 480bhp; 620Nm; 193mph – they are statistics that
continue to impress nearly ten years on from its heyday, and that’s without mentioning
the fact this was the first production 911 to reach the 0-62mph sprint in under
four seconds, in part thanks to the new, electronically controlled, multi-clutch,
four-wheel-drive system.
991 Turbo 2003
The majority of the Gen1 Turbo’s gains came from two new
turbochargers, still mounted in parallel, but now utilising Variable Turbine Geometry,
a technology not uncommon on turbodiesel motors, but until now unseen on a
massproduced petrol-powered car (where temperatures often caused such systems
to fail). As we explained in the last issue, VTG adjusted the turbine’s guide
vanes depending on engine speed to provide the benefits of both a small and
large turbocharger. The result was a much-improved responsiveness, completely
eliminating lag, according to owner of the 997 in our pictures, Andy Ransley.
“The power delivery is just instant,” he explains. “From pretty much 1,900rpm
you’re straight onto full boost.”
As 2009 moved towards its conclusion, Porsche revealed that
there was more to come from the 997 Turbo platform. A year earlier, the Carrera
models in the range were treated to a facelift, bringing in LED rear lights and
front running lights integrated into the bumper-mounted air intakes.
Design-wise it wasn’t a huge departure from the Gen1 car; just a case of
keeping up with the automotive Joneses.
Mechanically though, the 997 Turbo Gen2 (like its naturally
aspirated cousins) marked another technological leap for the Zuffenhausen
manufacturer. The venerable ‘Mezger’ engine was ousted, and in its place was a
new 3.8-litre motor featuring direct fuel injection. With a compression ratio
that would make the original 911 Turbo blush, the 997 Gen2 became the first
Porsche 911 road car to reach the 500bhp barrier, while also generating an
Earth-moving 650Nm of torque, all with fuel economy improved by 16 per cent.
The transmission wasn’t forgotten. Gone was the Tiptronic
unit first seen on the 996, and gears could now be shifted by Porsche’s PDK
system, making the automatic version faster to 62mph than the manual for the
first time, partly thanks to Sport Chrono’s Launch Control mode. It was the
biggest change to the Turbo since the introduction of water cooling nine years
previously. The age of the automatic was dawning.
Just when you thought the 997 had reached the zenith of the
911 Turbo’s capabilities, Porsche released the significantly revamped 991
Turbo, now boasting 520hp. Headline news for the latest generation of forced
induction included the introduction of rear-axle steering, superseding the
100mm increase in wheelbase to retain the litheness of the car through corners.
Active Aerodynamics was also instilled on the front apron as well as the rear
wing, the rear now adjusting not only its height, but also angle of attack to
maximise downforce, while the front apron aided downforce on the front axle at
speed before retreating in town to allow for greater access to steep roads and
driveways.
991 Turbo 2003
Engine
However, the tech-laden Turbo did not arrive without causing
controversy among purists, who lamented the introduction of electric steering,
a hallmark of the 991 generation that rather brilliantly eliminated the
majority of ‘noise’ previously transmitted through the wheel.
Likewise, the switch to PDK-only transmission proved another
divisive move. Porsche’s most accomplished automatic gearbox was available as
an option on the Gen2 997 Turbo, but owing to the sheer torque running through
the drive gear, Zuffenhausen executively decided to not offer a manual option
by the turn of the 991. In similar zest, the four-wheel-drive system is
electro-hydraulically controlled, while the front axle is water-cooled to cope
with such monstrous torque inputs.
"The
cumulative effect of all the technologies is mesmerising”
The seven-speed PDK is noticeably more refined in its latest
iteration, and gear shifts are lightning quick when the driver shifts up or
down via paddles on the steering wheel. As such, the 991 is a technological
masterpiece as much as it is automotive perfection. We were wowed upon its
release back in issue 105, Kyle Fortune best surmising this when he said: “The
cumulative effect of all the technologies is mesmerising”.
The 991’s performance is backed up by a uniquely aggressive
stance. A hallmark of the Turbo has always been its wide body, usually imitated
on Carrera 4S models from the 993 onwards, but for the latest Turbo model, the
body gets wider still: 28mm wider than even the Carrera 4.
The 911 Turbo is ferocious in its delivery of power, picking
up pace with frightening conviction to the point where the additional 25
kilograms of weight bestowed upon the 991 feels inconsequential. With the
omission of that third pedal, the 991 is effortlessly easy to drive, too –
perhaps too easy, according to some purists.
Parked next to the very car that gave the 991 Turbo its name
some 40 years earlier, there is clear lineage in the evolution of
Zuffenhausen’s most glamorous 911. The Turbo moniker has forever been
synonymous with superior performance and an unsurpassed opulence, and this has
remained through every generation of Turbo over 40 years of evolution. The 911
Turbo is now faster, safer, more economical and intelligent than ever before,
and as we now head towards the hallowed 50th anniversary of the model, you can
bet that Porsche will raise the bar yet further still.
