As Addictive as Morphine and Twice as Effective
What's not to like? OK, I would have liked it if Porsche had lined the cockpit of my
911 Turbo loaner with gorgeous carbon-fiber trim like it did in the C4S I most recently borrowed, but I can understand why the sports car brand would want to keep the as-tested price of this specially tuned rocket south of $200K.
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| Rather than giving specialty tuners such as RUF all the aftermarket business, Porsche decided to upgrade the Turbo in-house. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
Specially tuned? You heard me right, but I can appreciate why you might need to give your head a shake. I certainly didn't think my ears were hearing correctly when I was told on the phone this particular Turbo was rated at 450-hp.
Doesn't the stock 415-hp horizontally-opposed twin-turbo six-cylinder produce enough output? Evidently it doesn't, at least for some Porsche owners. Rather than give specialty tuners such as RUF all of Stuttgart's aftermarket business, the world's largest independent automaker has decided to keep some of the action in house. The result is an increase of 35-hp without affecting the car's warranty, all for a cool $24K and change.
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| Few cars that I've previously driven have the ability to accelerate with the ferocity of the Turbo. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
I've been fortunate to have driven quite a few Turbos over the years, both in 6-speed manual and 5-speed Tiptronic automatic modes. Each delivered what seemed like an interstellar blast off the line, optimized by grippy all-wheel drive traction. Truly, few cars that I've previously driven have the ability to accelerate with the ferocity of the Turbo, especially with the optional power upgrade.
