Frankfurt show: New Porsche 911 is all torque

PORSCHE’S all-new 3.0-litre turbo flat-six engine that will make its debut in the facelifted 911 at the Frankfurt motor show next month is shaping as a dramatically different drive, thanks to its ability to churn out greater peak torque much lower in the rev range.

While the current normally aspirated 3.8-litre 911 Carrera S achieves maximum torque of 440Nm at a high 5600rpm, the new blown unit reportedly hits its peak of 500Nm at just 1700rpm.

According to leaked figures published by Britain’s Autocar, the turbo flat six then goes on to produce 308kW of power – 14kW more than the superseded unit and just 8kW shy of the current 316kW 911 GTS.

Effectively, this means the new 911 will not only offer more punch across the rev range and much-improved fuel economy, but greater in-gear flexibility.

Official figures for the revised 911 range are expected to be revealed in the week ahead of the Frankfurt show that starts on September 15. European sales will start late this year, with Australian deliveries confirmed for the first quarter of 2016.

The new engine is expected to cut 911 fuel consumption by at least 25 per cent, down from 8.7 litres per 100 kilometres to just 6.2L/100km on the combined fuel cycle test for the seven-speed dual-clutch PDK-equipped Carrera S, Autocar says.

The standard Carrera is set to get the same 3.0-litre turbo flat six, but with 272kW of power and 467Nm of torque – up 15kW and 77kW respectively on the current 3.4-litre normally aspirated engine.

Autocar says this will cut the Carrera’s zero-to-100km/h sprint time by up to half a second, to about 4.2 seconds for the manual and 4.0s for the auto.

The “991.2” 911 is also set to get a number of cosmetic and technical changes, including a four-mode drive control and rear-wheel steering.

As GoAuto has reported, the facelifted 911 has been out and about in testing, with pictures of the new range snapped in both South Africa and Germany’s Nurburgring.

Four cylinder versions of the modular turbo engine are expected to surface in the revised Boxster and Cayman next year.

Although turbo-charging is new to the Boxster and Cayman, Porsche has produced forced-induction four-cylinder engines before, in models such as the 1980s 944 Turbo.