New 911 Porsches here next year...

Porsche's new 911 Turbo coupe and Cabriolet will arrive in Australian dealer showrooms early next year after making their debut at September's Frankfurt motor show.

The cars will be powered by the first entirely new engine in the Turbo's 35-year history and Porsche says the result is more fuel efficiency and power and C02 emissions that are 18 per cent lower than the outgoing model. While the current model runs a 3.6-litre engine, the new 997-type 911 Turbos will have a 3.8-litre unit and power is up from 353kW to 368kW. The new found power has been achieved by the use of direct fuel injection and a turbocharger with variable turbine geometry.

While the outgoing Tiptronic S transmission-equipped Turbo could make it to 100km/h in 3.7 seconds, the new model can manage a blistering 3.4 seconds and make it to 200km/h in less than 12 seconds. Top speed is 312km/h and depending on the configuration of the new 911, buyers can look forward to a combined fuel consumption figure of between 11.4 and 11.7-litres/100km. Cars specified with the PDK transmission are also available with a new, optional three-spoke steering wheel with gearshift paddles as an alternative to the standard steering wheel with its somewhat fiddly shift buttons.

The more sensible paddles are fixed to the steering wheel and they work intuitively with the right paddle handling the up shifts and the left paddle the down shifts. With the further option of the so-called Sport Chrono package, the new Turbo's steering wheel also houses integrated displays for launch control and the sport/sport-plus modes.

Porsche's PTM traction management all-wheel drive system has been further enhanced and the PSM stability-management system is now further supported by the new optional torque vectoring system that spreads out drive power variably on the rear axle.

Australian pricing will be announced closer to the car's arrival early in the new year.

Source: JUST CARS, October 2009, Collectors Issue #164