With small-displacement boosted engines becoming more the norm these days, it was only a matter of time before Porsche would fit a pair of turbochargers in the 911 Carrera range. The direction suits the sports-car company naturally; it has embraced turbo technology all the way back with the 930, and has honed the craft in racing through the years.
A 3.0-liter twin turbo now resides under the rear cover, with an output of 420hp and 500Nm for the Carrera S. It has 20hp more than its naturally-aspirated predecessor, as well as a 58Nm increase in torque.
Porsche has also been exhausting outstanding fuel efficiency out of its engine range, and you can expect even better consumption with the smaller force-fed mill.
The look of the new 911 has also been tweaked, with new LED headlights and taillights. But the best ways to tell it's a turbocharged Carrera are the redesigned air vent and the new exhaust pipes. Inside, there's a new touchscreen with Porsche Communication Management and a Sport Design steering wheel with the Sport Response Button.
The chassis receives major enhancements, such as the Front Axle Lift system, increasing ground clearance by about 4cm, and the rear-wheel-steering equipment from the 911 Turbo and GT3. The rear wheels and tires are also slightly wider.
The price of the new Carrera S? P12.5 million. The previous model had a sticker price of P10.7 million. It may be P1.8 million more expensive, but it's packed with more features. The Carrera S Cabriolet, meanwhile, goes for P13.5 million.
PGA Cars won't be bringing in the standard Carrera because the difference in price with the more powerful S is hardly justifiable, not to mention their respective price increases. A car collector once told us that if someone can afford a car above the P10-million mark, then getting the higher variant makes no difference.
Well, until we have that kind of disposable cash, we can only drool.
