Porsche 911 Turbo 2007 Review

On a weekday morning, even the fastest accelerating production convertible in Australia can take an hour to get from the Harbour Bridge's southern approaches to the F3 turn off.

“Toupee-ripping” is how a colleague described the acceleration figure claimed by Porsche for its stunning 911 Turbo Cabriolet.

“Hair-tearing” is usually the reality; in a city where noted stand-up comedian and part-time roads minister Eric Roozendaal reckons traffic is no heavier than 10 years ago.

Although I long ago bid my follicles farewell; partly as result of enduring endless scenarios like this, it's a measure of this Porsche that it remained capable of shaking us to the roots.

You won't often have the chance, but even so you'd need to have lapsed into a fairly deep coma not to be affected by the reality-blurring manner in which the 911 Turbo achieves 100km/h from standing.

Flatten the go pedal of the five-speed automatic, surge forward, receive a turbo-charged kick in the pants and within half the time it takes you to get cognisant of what's occurred, a third numeral has flashed up on the digital speedo and the rear wing rises triumphantly.

At a claimed 3.8 seconds, the hundred occurs 0.3 seconds quicker than in a Ferrari F430 Spyder. At least, it does in the version that teams the Tiptronic auto with the 3.6-litre twin-turbo six, good for 353kW and 620Nm.

Although the $8000 cheaper six-speed manual is quicker over the 400 metre mark, the longer-geared auto dispatches the first benchmark 0.2 faster. But with either transmission, the topline all-wheel-drive 911s outsprint not only the Ferrari, but the nearest open top Lamborghini and Mercedes-Benz; these get there on the other side of four ticks.

And at $357,500 for the manual and $365,500 for the auto, an example of which we drove, the Porsches are also much less expensive, even at a $22K premium over the 911 Turbo coupes. The cabrios do what they do whether the wind's whistling over the fabric roof that folds in 20 seconds or searing your scalp.

But then the flow of air is, well, elemental with the 911 Turbo.

A purpose-sculptured front bumper and aerodynamic planes directs air into the gaping intakes, which at 300km/h would channel 6400 litres a second of the breathing stuff. Most is rushed into the front vents to provide downforce and cooling, the rest into the intercoolers by way of those that open unmissably at the side.

The rear-mounted powerplant features two fan-shaped turbochargers that alter the angle of their vanes to force-feed the engine.

The last public frontier on this continent for fully exploring such a car closed when the Northern Territory government decided that excessive speed caused its constant road toll.

Thus track days (and advanced driving lessons) are of the essence in 911 ownership; as would be optional $19,000 ceramic brakes.

Yet even on our lamentably surfaced and ineptly governed roads the blown open topper cannot but convey its outlandish nature.

Drive defaults predominantly to the rear wheels in Porsche's all-paw fashion, though with an electronic multi-plate clutch that will in extremis feed up to 100 per cent to front within 100 milliseconds, which is faster than any mere human could react.

It could be argued that the human element is missing from a car that grips, corners and corrects with such an authoritarian poise and control. I'm among the 95 per cent who would be simply awed by the thing's ability to carve through tight corners at a rate we could not hope to approach in any lesser vehicle. This thing is clinically brilliant.

Steering? It's a Porsche, so it's about as close to perfect as makes no odds.

You could reasonably carp about the old, button-activated Tiptronic, though, which is not the sharpest of such things. Dominating the Volkswagen Group as it does, Porsche plans to move to a DSG set-up soon and a version such as the R-Tronic of Audi's new R8 would fit the 911 Turbo like lycra.

All this power comes with PASM (Porsche Active Stability Management), which can be button-switched from normal to sport and is attached to the its latest traction control technology. These measures combine to ensure that, bar certifiable madness, the Porsche won't overwhelm you.

As to kit, there's not much wanting with six airbags, Bose surround sound, bi-xenon lamps, 19-inch alloys and sat-nav. Like all 911s, there's rear seat room for two people aged less than 24 months. Not much to be done about this, but given the massive premium over a mere Carrera, a bit of differentiating trim would be in order.

Which brings us back to where we started, stationary in the slow lane, far from anything like the Turbo Cabrio's natural habitat.

Yes, either of the Italians, and certainly the Merc, might be more comfortable cabins at such times, but there's the consolation of knowing you can get away from here quicker than any of them. Even if only by a hair's breadth.

Snapshot

Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet

Price: $365,500 (auto)

Engine: 3.6L/6-cylinder twin tubro, 353kW/620Nm

Economy: 13.7L/100km

0-100km/h: 3.8 seconds

Quote: “Steering? It's a Porsche, so it's about as close to perfect as makes no odds”

Rivals

Ferrari F430 Spider
 

Price: $425,000

Engine: 4.3L/V8, 360kW/465Nm

Economy: 18.3L/100km

0-00km/h: 4.1 seconds

Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder

Price: $439,999

Engine: 5.0L/V10, 382kW/510Nm

Economy: 17L per 100km

0-100km/h: 4.3 seconds

Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG

Price: $374,900

Engine: 5.4L/V8 supercharged, 380kW/720Nm

Economy: 13.5L/100km

0-100km/h: 4.5 seconds