Spy Shots: Porsche 911 Turbo due for upgrades, intent on beating GT-R
With Porsche releasing its revisions to the 997 911 Carrera, Carrera S and its all-wheel-drive stablemates, the automaker is turning its attention to its turbocharged 911 and is intent to regain its crown from the Nissan GT-R.The new 911 Turbo is expected to get a boost in output by 20 hp to net over 490 hp total, along with a similar bump in torque through the use of the new direct injection system that's been implemented on the revised 997s. Not only will power increase, but fuel efficiency should grow by almost 13 percent, with a 14.5 percent reduction in CO2 emissions. The twin-turbo'd flat-six is also expected to get a slight increase in displacement, along with a new crankshaft and upgraded oil and water pump to ensure that things stay cool while thrashing the 'Ring. Expect a modified version of the new, seven-speed Doppel Kupplung (dual-clutch) gearbox to make an appearance on the new 911 Turbo, with tweaks to handle the prodigious torque of the blown mill.
The new Turbo is expected to be revealed later this year, with exterior tweaks seen on the standard 911s, including rear LEDs, daytime running lights, upgraded wheels and a new underbody diffuser similar to that on the GT3. But will it be enough to unseat the GT-R's 7:29 Nurburgring lap time? Porsche hopes so.
[Source: Carcentral]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
why not the LS2LS7? 12:37PM (6/25/2008)
I doubt Porsche is terribly concerned about the GT-R.
The 911 and Turbo have been outperformed by many cars in the past, and it doesn't hurt its cachet. Turns out people don't buy Porsches for the 0-60 or for the N-Ring times. They buy them because they bring a particular driving experience that you don't get from any other car, especially a front-engined one.
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Sergio 12:48PM (6/25/2008)
Tottalllllyyyy agree.
Sam 12:58PM (6/25/2008)
I absolutely concur. I would suspect that few (any?) potential 911 Turbo buyers are cross-shopping at Nissan dealerships. Which isn't to say that what Nissan has done with the R35 isn't absolutely mind-boggling, but rather merely that no one in the market for a Porsche is cross-shopping a GT-R.
Jason 12:58PM (6/25/2008)
Exactly. I'm sure both cars seem equally as fast in the hands of mere mortals. It's all about the driving experience.
BigMcLargeHuge 1:06PM (6/25/2008)
The GT-R has 0 ability to hurt Porsche sales, its more that the GT-R was a proof of concept for what the Turbo should be capable of.
Porsche's clutch-based AWD systems were capable of controlling slip by adding traction to the front axle.
Nissan used pitch and yaw vs. driver input to use the front wheels as thrust-vectoring to steer the car onto its intended course.
In light of this, time to create a slightly better brain for the Turbo, and realize its full potential.
Soccer Mom 1:28PM (6/25/2008)
Yes and no. Nissan is not going to hurt Porsche sales immediately as it plays in a different league. At the same time, price premium of 2x+ dictates the necessity for something special. In a long run, people will begin taunting Porsche as overpriced and underdelivering piece of machinery. And why wouldn't they, if much cheaper cars deliver better performance and same luxurious features? Then it will be a problem, as bad image takes too long to change.
JerryL 1:29PM (6/25/2008)
Couldn't agree more !! Nissan is trying to get all the cache they can from the comparison to icons like the Porsche and the Corvette.
Gregory 3:17PM (6/25/2008)
I think you'd find as many people who decided to buy a GT-R to park next to their Turbo as you would people who bought a GT-R instead of a Turbo.
They are completely different beasts and real enthusiasts that I've met with that level of cash would appreciate the two for their own merits.
JZeke 3:56PM (6/25/2008)
Where exactly is it stated from official or unofficial sources that this is Porsche's intent? I read the link and there was no mention of "internal sources" or a press release. Power upgrades are par for any mid-cycle refresh at Porsche, they don't necessarily correspond to some childish desire to "beat" the GTR's lap time.
Please, try to refrain on making statements such as these without some sort of authoritative source.
IK47 6:16PM (6/25/2008)
the r35 might not be a market competitor to the Porsche 911 turbo, but that doesn't mean that Porsche would just ignore it's presence.
Ford Wannup 6:24PM (6/25/2008)
SoccerMom got it exactly correct. It may not hurt Porsche's sales now, and they won't admit it in public, but like any GOOD, well-managed company, they will response in a subtle way. If you don't think all these new supercars are not causing discussions in Porsche, Ferrari's offices, you must be a remnant of the old management team from US domestic that dismissed the early Datsuns, Toyotas, and Hondas.
One only has to look at NSX and Ferrari 348. It is doubtful that 348 lost major sales to NSX, but NSX was one of the best things to happen to Ferrari in the early 90's, leading to their recent glory days.
J.Crew 12:37PM (6/25/2008)
Did anyone see the Exxon ruling today? Horrible!
On a side note, the 911 Turbo needs a serious upgrade in performance or downgrade in price to match the GTR...
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M 2:59PM (6/25/2008)
I agree, that ruling was some BS. I agree with Justices Breyer and Ginsberg: "The new law made by the court should have been left to Congress," wrote Ginsburg. Justice Stephen Breyer made a similar point, opposing a rigid 1 to 1 ratio of punitive damages to victim compensation.
Yar 4:53PM (6/25/2008)
Are you kidding? I'm ecstatic about the ruling. $2.5 Billion was complete BS, and, as a stockholder myself, way too much for Exxon to have to pay. Hell, they already lost $800+ million in oil from the accident.
carsteve 12:39PM (6/25/2008)
I think Porsche has a good chance.
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Dustin 12:43PM (6/25/2008)
Larger wheels? I hardly think it will have larger wheels.
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jjpg2000 1:10PM (6/25/2008)
Likely means Wider wheels.
TKOsoccer03 12:53PM (6/25/2008)
only 20 hp.. the new handling will have to be the best in the world to make up 15 + seconds on the ring. not certain, but the Turbo runs low 7:40's, 20 hp won't do anything.. maybe a second or two.
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porschedevotee 7:47PM (6/25/2008)
It isn't just the handling. If a 2009 911S can beat a 2008 911S by four seconds and then shave off a whole 8 SECONDS MORE with the new dual clutch Tiptronic, I see no reason why a Turbo wouldn't be able to gain at least similar performance increases with a 7-speed Tip, especially with larger displacement and DI.
It'll be a travesty if they ever decide to drop the manual though. I don't care if it's slower; if I ever bought a 911 Turbo, it would be for the car's sake, not for the sake of trying to beat my neighbor's GT-R.
mk 12:50PM (6/25/2008)
Direct injection with variable geometry turbos = Holy SMOKES!
Higher static compression, just as high turbo pressure, and NO pre-detonation, and can maybe even burn regular unleaded with timing advance... All not possible without Direct injection due to pre-detonation of the fuel mix in the intake ports. (and thus backfiring into the intake manifold, etc..)
Inject fuel into the combustion chamber directly, as the intake valve closes, to contain the combustion properly in the cylinder at the proper timing... and you have LOTS of power.
Almost 500hp out of a twin turbo 3.6-3.8 boxer 6... sounds about right. Maybe capable of even more.
This will be interesting to see. :pulls up a chair:
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