The new Porsche 911 unveiled last Sunday is different for one important feature: it is turbocharged for the very first time (at least for the base model Carrera). The engineers behind the upgrade must have been quite pleased with their work; one advertisement released as part of the car's marketing campaign has been solely devoted to paying tribute to how it sounds like (see video below).
To be fair, the upgrades made to the 911 is more than just the turbocharged engine, which - for its part - is outfitted with a 3.0-liter engines that is capable of 370 horsepower and 331 pound-feet of torque for the base model. After owners have had their fill of the roaring turbo, they will begin to notice that it is significantly faster and more powerful than the model it will replace. For instance, it only takes 13 seconds to open the roof and it can be done at a speed of 35 mph to boot, according to The Guardian. With the turbo change, the 911 engineers took pains to underscore that the upgrade has boosted both efficiency and performance.
Then, there is also the new infotainment system equipped with all the tech bells and whistles such as Apple CarPlay, Google Earth and Google Street View, with support for multitouch gestures, Mashable noted.
The turbo-charged engine is important for 911 because it is really a defining characteristic of a sports car. Porsche has resisted turbocharging the its engine for years fearing that it would dilute the Porsche-ness of the 911, according to Drive. But when it finally did, it bested competitors from the Maserati and BMW stables in getting the turbo sound enticing.
Porsche Carrera 911 base models will be sold at $89,400 while the Carrera S starts at $103,400 before options.
