First look: Extra huff for puffed Porsche

PORSCHE has unveiled a significantly more muscular 911 Turbo.

Dubbed the 911 Turbo S, it is based on the three-and-a-half year-old, all-wheel drive 996-series 911 Turbo, not the substantially revised 997-series 911 unveiled two weeks ago.

Just 22 of the 331kW 911s - 17 coupes and only five convertibles - will come to Australia in the last quarter of this year, around the same time as the first Carrera 2 variants of the 997 arrive.

Although not yet finalised, prices should be in the vicinity of $350,000 for the S coupe manual and $25,000 more for the S drop-top manual.

Currently the equivalent Turbo retails for $308,900 (coupe) and $345,500 (convertible).

For your extra $41,000-odd the S secures larger turbochargers, a more efficient intercooler and revised engine electronics, which ensures better performance from the water-cooled 3.6-litre flat-six cylinder engine.

Power output rises 22kW to 331kW at 5700rpm, accompanied by an 80Nm jump in torque – up from 540 to 620Nm between 3500 and 4500rpm.

The latter figure is the same as the recently discontinued 340kW rear-wheel drive 911 GT2, although the 2004 GT2 Porsche still offered in the US has upped its torque ante to 640Nm.

In six-speed manual coupe guise, the Turbo S tops the 0-200km/h mark in 13.6 seconds on the way to a 307km/h maximum, 0.8 seconds and 2km/h ahead respectively of the regular Turbo version.

The company’s five-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission will also be available.

Putting the brakes on all this go is the standard fitment of Porsche’s Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB) on the S.

PCCB consists of 350mm in diameter punched and internally ventilated ceramic brake discs featuring six-piston monobloc fixed callipers at the front.

In contrast, today’s Turbo uses 330mm steel brake discs with a diameter of 350mm and four-piston monobloc fixed callipers.

Once standing still, Porsche punters can spot the S with its ‘GT silver metallic’ 18-inch alloy wheels ensconcing a coloured company crest in the centre, a ‘Turbo S’ logo on the boot lid, door mouldings and centre console, and the exclusive availability of a new colour (dark olive metallic).

Inside there’s more standard equipment (including cruise control, a six-CD changer and a green tinted band on top of the windscreen), while the ‘Turbo S’ logo is embossed within the special silver instrumentation, as well as on the optional leather-trimmed steering wheel, seats, shift lever and hand-brake hold.