It takes much more than just raw data to form a good story. But with the thoroughly updated 911 Turbo, it’s fair to make an exception. The reason: there’s just no better way to fully understand the colossal thrust that this car generates. The reason for this propulsion is the new direct injection turbocharged flat six, which is crucially mated to one of Porsche’s new twin-clutch gearboxes. Porsche’s Doppelkupplung or PDK gearbox reduces shift times and keeps loss of momentum to a strict minimum.

Photographs by author

Using the launch control of the new 911 Turbo requires you to select the Sport Plus mode, slam the brake pedal down hard and completely depress the throttle. The words ‘Launch control’ that will light up on the steering wheel prepare you for the launch. At this time, the motor is screaming wildly as it spins at 5000rpm, causing the rear of the car to squat like a big cat, ready to pounce.

And when Porsche says launch, it means LAUNCH! As soon as you get off the brake, the system waits a fraction for turbo boost to build up to 0.5 bar and then it lets go. The experience is similar to being shot off a giant bowstring. Zero to 40kph comes up in a ridiculous 1.1 seconds. In two seconds you’re doing 70kph and you hit 100kph in a superbike-like 3.2 seconds!

The manner in which the 911 goes about making this speed is slightly different from what you expect. It’s not seamless or smooth — the car shoots forward in a succession of tightly packed bursts of power. As the turbo motor dumps approximately 460bhp on all four wheels at 5000rpm, the launch control system allows only a foot and a half of wheelspin.

When the FWD system hooks up the power in second gear, you’re slammed back into your seat before the gearbox executes another lightning-quick short-shift. By around 120kph, you are permanently pinned to your seat. 0-150kph is dispatched in a scarcely believable six and something seconds and 0-200kph takes an absurd 10.9 seconds.

Even better is the fact that you can use a lot of this performance on the road. After timing these cars on the track, we were let loose for a day on Portugal’s best winding roads and highways. Naturally, we expected billiard-smooth tarmac en route; this car does have 500bhp after all.

But Porsche’s pre-selected route initially served up poorly surfaced roads full of rough patches and badly executed repair work. Despite the ultra-low profile tyres, the 19-inch rims and the stiff suspension set-up, the new Turbo rode quite comfortably.

When attacking corners the 911 Turbo remains unfazed by constantly changing surfaces, even at building speeds. Yes, bigger holes and dips do upset it. Still, the relatively friendly ride should work wonders for this car in Indian conditions. And you can thank Porsche’s adjustable dampers and active engine mounts for this.

Porsche’s Torque Vectoring system sets the car up perfectly for cornering with individual wheel braking. The paddle shift PDK gearbox allows for crisp downshifts and with not that much weight over the front wheels, the steering is deliciously accurate. Accelerating hard out of a corner, with the 911’s weight on the rear tyres is a thrill few cars can match.

Of course, there’s just no using the ‘Sport Plus’ or even the ‘Sport’ button, unless the road is billiard-table flat. Even at 250kph, you need suspension to be supple to flatten out bumps and that means the car must be driven in its normal street setting. Let the Turbo loose on a track though and Sport Plus is the only way to go. Sport Plus gives you much more leeway with the ESP (PSM in Porsche-speak) and that of course means that the 911-rear-end-slip manifests itself at track speeds.

The only problem with the new Turbo is when it is driven in traffic. In mustering greater fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions, the gearbox rapidly shifts gears when it’s driven in ‘D’, leaving you to deal with the turbo lag below 2000rpm. Also, higher-profile tyres would be safer in Indian conditions as would more ground clearance.

But with its massive performance, incisive handling, a big safety net and half-decent ride, the 911 Turbo would make a very useable hypercar given our conditions. Though expensive, the Turbo has always been a halo car for Porsche, and with a little nudge from the Nissan GT-R, this version could probably be the best one ever.

spec check

PORSCHE 911 TURBO

Price: Rs 1.59 crore (est)
Top speed: 312kph
L/W/H: 4450/1852/1300mm
Engine: 3800cc flat six, twin turbo, direct injection petrol, rear engined
Power: 500bhp at 6000rpm
Torque: 66.28kgm at 1950-5000rpm
Brakes (F/R): 350mm ventilated discs