► Mid-life updates for Porsche 991 Turbo
► To be revealed at the 2016 Detroit show
► Still two models: 911 Turbo and 911 Turbo S
Turbocharging might have spread to the entry-level models in the 911 range, but for many fans there’s only one real 911 Turbo. Hot on the heels of the freshly updated (and now turbocharged) 911 Carrera models, the Porsche 911 Turbo (and faster-still Turbo S) gets its own raft of refreshments for 2016.
Read CAR’s first drive of the 2016 Porsche 911 Carrera here.
What’s new?
A 20bhp power boost. The Turbo’s 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat six has been in the engine shop for some detail fettling, with altered inlet ports, new injection nozzles and higher fuel pressure the primary tweaks. The result is a 533bhp total for the Turbo, and 572bhp for the Turbo S, which also gets new turbochargers with larger compressors.
Getting from 0-62mph in the Turbo S now takes a gut-churning 2.9sec and top speed’s risen to 205mph (3.0sec and 198mph in the Turbo). And yet both cars are a touch more fuel-efficient than before thanks to revised engine and gearchange mapping. As before, dual-clutch PDK is the only transmission option.
Also new is a ‘dynamic boost’ function for faster-than-ever response. When the car’s in Sport or Sport Plus driving modes, the throttle valve stays open if the throttle pedal’s released briefly (but fuel injection doesn’t, so you’ll actually slow down), supposedly virtually eliminating lag when you put your foot down again. Sounds interesting…
Incidentally, the driving modes are now accessed via a manettino-style rotary switch on the steering wheel, rather than groping around near the gearlever.
Anything else?
Like the rest of the updated 991 range, there are a few detail design tweaks. Very detail; it might take a glance or two to work out what’s different, but new LED light inners at the front, 3D-effect tail-lights, altered air intakes, grilles and wheels are the main spot-the-difference clues. As well as gaining a new-look design, the wheels have also grown wider by half an inch on the Turbo, to the same size as the Turbo S.
Inside, there’s that new steering wheel, with a design borrowed from the 918 Spyder, and a much-improved multimedia system with internet-enabled sat-nav mapping.
On sale now, deliveries in 2016
Both models go on sale today, with deliveries in the UK and Ireland from the end of January 2016. As before, buyers can pick from Coupe or Convertible bodystyles, both available from the start.
RRP prices are as follows:
- 911 Turbo Coupe: £126,925
- 911 Turbo S Coupe: £145,766
- 911 Turbo Cabriolet: £145,773
- 911 Turbo S Cabriolet: £154,613
Read CAR’s review of the existing Porsche 911 Turbo S here. And watch our video review of the latest second-gen 991 Carrera S here: