Porsche 911 Turbo (2006-) Review

Overview

• Next: Reliability and Quality

The new Porsche 911 Turbo is, predictably, the fastest, most expensive version ever produced by the Stuttgart company and it will cost £97,840 when it goes on sale mid-summer.

It sits at the top of the 997 model range that, despite only being in production for two years, is already straddling a line between looking comprehensive and overcrowded.

But if the spec sheet appears to show that the new Turbo is quite close to the recently launched GT3 in terms of price and performance (the GT3 is 80bhp weaker and £18,000 cheaper), the reality is that the two have quite distinct intended roles. Whereas the GT3 is very much the hardcore occasional track day tool with no rear seats, the Turbo is an everyday road car.

Porsche's intention was simply to take the recipe for the previous 996 Turbo -rightly regarded as the definitive everyday, all-weather supercar - and add a good dose of extra ability in every conceivable area. Given how competent the old car was, the 997 version could represent an entirely new level of all-condition performance car.