911 closer to perfection

Nov 23 2009 Jonathan Smith

911 closer to perfection

AMONG that elite band of supercars none has stood the test of time better than the Porsche 911. With its hunchback styling and rear engine it stands out as almost an anachronism against an array of swoopy, aerodynamic coupes, many with Italian designers.

And if there's a single icon within this iconic German range, it has to be the 911 Turbo - an absurdly fast sports car that nevertheless has enough luggage space and sufficient practicality to serve either as everyday transport or the ultimate express for trans-continental travel.

It even has two - very small - rear seats, would you believe.

Well, the Turbo which has now been around 35 years in various forms, has just got even quicker.

With its first all-new engine since birth, it now pushes out 500bhp - up by 27bhp - from the 3.8-litre engine which can be driven by either a six-speed manual gearbox or a seven-speed twin-clutch automatic, know as the PDK.

This is actually marginally more rapid than the manual. But with times of 0 to 60mph in 3.4 seconds or 3.7 seconds, the difference is pretty academic. Still more stunning is acceleration to 100mph in seven seconds.

The Turbo finally runs out of steam at 194mph - for those with a private road at their disposaland an awful lot of bottle. Despite shaving fractions of the acceleration times, the new car is 18 per cent cleaner and correspondingly more frugal.

As before, the latest version comes either in Coupe or Cabriolet form and each have two tiny seats complete with belts in the rear which can accommodate small kids or can be flipped down for more luggage.

When it comes to price, it's probably like the super-yacht salesman who told the potential buyer: 'If you have to ask the cost, you can't afford it'. For the record, the Coupe comes in at £101,823 and the Cabriolet starts at £109,048 but there are options such as PDK transmission at, £2,552, ceramic composite brakes £5,677 and 19inch wheels £2,288.

The majority of buyers opt for the auto PDK box which comes with either paddle shift of steering wheel buttons to over-ride the automatic when required.

To start with I sampled the basic - hardly the right word - manual version. The change is on the heavy side and the clutch is pretty weighty but the gear lever slots from ration to ration precisely and quickly as the rev counter needle races round the clock. There are huge amounts of torque so there's no great need to take it up to 6,000rpm but I do - just for the fun of it.

Unlike most other supercars I've driven, this has as good rear and sideways visibility as a shopping hatchback, so it's easy to drive and even easier to exceed the speed limits. Even over rain-sodden Welsh road with corkscrew bends that forever double-back on themselves, the Porsche's massive rubber stays firmly in touch with the Tarmac. Electronic four-wheel drive imperceptibly defies the forces of gravity and you can feel even slightest change in roads surface through your finger tips.

But even £100,000 coupes have their Achilles' heel. While the massively powerful engine isn't unduly vocal, noise from the road is intrusively high. Over a long distance this became wearing and it's probably partly caused by the huge 11inch wide rear tyres. Significantly, the cabriolet with hood up was quieter - perhaps the fabric roof prevented some of the transmission of that noise.

After the manual version, I bagged a PDK complete with paddle change and 'launch control' which allows racing starts and trims the odd fraction from acceleration runs. This has all the urgency of the manual plus a truly instant response that can't be better by the human brain and hand. By far the best option.

The Cabriolet looks even better that the Coupe, to my eyes. And despite an inevitable - though marginal - reduction in stiffness, it would be the model of choice for me. With a fast rising hood that can be operated on the move up to 30mph, less cabin noise than the hardtop and that fresh-air feel (even in autumnal Britain) it is just about the ultimate form of transport.

The new 911 Turbo range might look only marginally different from the last model, but it has inched closer still to perfection. Which is probably why there's already a seven month long waiting list.