Road Test: 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo
The Superstar of Supercars
Review and photos by Russell Purcell
For 2010, the Porsche 911 Turbo has been redesigned to ensure that it is armed with the equipment to compete with the swollen ranks of high performance offerings that are now vying for the attention of wealthy enthusiasts. The car’s overall styling has been updated, but the big news is under the hood and iconic bodywork, as the car benefits from an entirely new drivetrain and the availability of one of the world’s greatest automatic transmissions.
The 2010 911 Turbo is the seventh generation of the German company’s supercar offering and as significant a milestone as this is, it pales in comparison to the substantial mechanical upgrades featured on the car. The first 911 Turbo hit our shores in 1976, and though the family resemblance is obvious in the 2010 edition, the driving experience and performance is not. With more than twice the horsepower of the original and all-wheel drive, this car may just be the ultimate canyon carver. In fact, it is so well-balanced that you can attack corners with abandon, executing the perfect line, lap after lap.
The big news is that there is an all-new engine shoe-horned into the rear engine compartment – a 3.8-litre flat-6 sporting twin turbochargers and direct injection. Substantially lighter than the outgoing 3.6-litre variant, this new powerplant generates more horsepower and torque, and Porsche engineers have almost completely excised turbo lag from the equation.
The car now has 500 horsepower and 480 lb-ft of torque on tap, but the advanced all-wheel drive system helps distribute this prodigious power to all four wheels in a very efficient and predictable manner. The wide power band (1,450-5,000 rpm) ensures that passing manoeuvres are stress-free, as extra power is instantly accessible when you apply your foot to the throttle. The car accelerates like a cruise missile and I kid you not, second gear pushes you so deep into the seatback that active resistance on your part may help you tone your abdominal muscles. Sprints from 0-100 km/h happen in the blink of an eye, as a Turbo equipped with the PDK transmission and launch control reaches that seemingly novel target in a mere 3.4 seconds.
Porsche fits the Turbo with a 6-speed manual transmission as standard fare, but most buyers will likely pony up for the optional 7-speed Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) double-clutch gearbox ($6,200). This innovative transmission is a technological marvel, and is so fast in its execution of gear changes that most of Porsche’s factory drivers prefer this transmission to the manual box.
Models equipped with the PDK can also be ordered with the optional three-spoke steering wheel ($670) with lightweight gearshift paddles (a first in a 911) as an alternative to the standard steering wheel and its somewhat lazy shift buttons. A discrete display on the left-side spoke indicates whether you have activated either Sport or Sport Plus mode, while a similar notice illuminates on the right-side spoke when Launch Control is active.
Handling is this car’s forte, as the combination of PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management), PTM (Porsche Traction Management) all-wheel drive, and the best brakes in the business help keep the car’s lightweight wheels (wrapped in sticky rubber) planted to the tarmac as you apex hunt using the car’s lightly assisted steering. The new car also benefits from a lighter curb weight, which translates into an increase in speed, but also helps make the car more fuel efficient despite the increase in its engine size and substantial power gains.
Styling is evolutionary rather than revolutionary, but new LED running lights and the sinister taillights first featured on the lesser 911models finally find their way to the Turbo. Spoilers and ducting direct air to the brakes and turbos while other aerodynamic tweaks channel airflow in such a way that the car is able to reach its 300+ km/h terminal velocity with little resistance and sufficient downforce. The active, dual-plane spoiler that sits atop the rear engine cover differentiates the car as a Turbo, and unlike those affixed to many cars, is more than window dressing.
There is no doubt that this car is one of the fastest cars on the planet. The problem is, however, that everyone knows it. This means that every yahoo on the road wants to test his mettle against this Germanic rocket, and you will soon notice that each and every time you stop at a traffic light, it would appear you are being beckoned into the staging area by the driver in the next lane.
As annoying as this proved to be, it isn’t nearly as annoying as the fact that cruising around in a 911 Turbo is akin to hitting the streets with an assault rifle tucked under your arm. You’re going to attract the attention of the local constabulary on a regular basis. Trust me, I felt like my name had been penciled in at the top of the Most Wanted list by the amount of police contact this car seemed to beg for.
Unlike some drop-top designs, the 911 Turbo Cabriolet retains the rigidity of its fixed roof counterpart and its handling capabilities are on par as well. This means that there is virtually no cowl shake and rattles are non-existent. I had the opportunity to pilot the Turbo Cabriolet on a 700-km extended road trip that included a mountain highway whose surface had been ravaged by the hardships of winter, and despite the poor road conditions, the car tracked straight and true, and the cabin remained free of unpleasant road and wind noise.
The roof itself is still a canvas-type structure rather than a folding hard shell design, but it is lightweight, impeccably finished and very quick to deploy. I should point out that even at triple-digit speeds and faced with adverse weather conditions, the roof proved excellent at reducing the intrusion of both wind and road noise.
With the top down, there was only mild turbulence, and it was easy to converse with my passenger without having to raise the volume of my voice. A folding wind blocker resides in the front boot, and when fitted over the rear seating area, it made the cockpit a very serene place to be.
If you plan to use the car to its fullest potential, then you might want to consider a couple of upgrades to the menu. Porsche offers Ceramic-Composite brakes (PCCB) as a stand-alone option. At $12,050 they are far from cheap, but if you plan to explore the performance and handling limits of the car on a regular basis (read: track day), it might be a small price to pay. I had the opportunity to play with a coupe so equipped on the twisty road course at Mission Raceway Park, and came away impressed with the incredible braking power of these specialized binders. After extended use by a handful of drivers throughout the day, I was unable to detect any degradation in stopping power. With a car as potent as a Porsche Turbo, having confidence in the car’s braking system is a top priority.
My test car featured Porsche’s Sport Chrono Package, which apart from allowing the driver to monitor and record lap times, also adds an over-boost function to the car’s twin turbos. Torque rises to a tire-scorching 516 lb-ft, but the sweet spot in the power band shrinks to 2,100-4,000 rpm. In reality there will be very few occasions where it will come into play, but when it does, the road ahead had better be clear.
Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV) is the company’s innovative system that employs a mechanical limited-slip rear differential to actively enhance vehicle dynamics and stability in an effort to make the car’s steering more precise and the handling more agile.
Porsche’s Exclusive and Tequipment departments offer a palette of special colours and leather interior options, but if you really want to go crazy you can order a host of carbon-fibre accessories including bucket sport seats that can be adapted for a harness.
The 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo represents the perfect blend of cutting-edge technological innovation, ultra high performance, and world class luxury in a car that is civil enough to use for everyday transportation.
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