The New 992 Turbo and a Brief Turbo History!
Porsche and Turbos go together like wheels and tires. They have shared a symbiotic relationship that has defined both the brand and technology. The genesis of this partnership began on the racetrack and motorsport history was made in 1972 with the first turbocharged Porsche racecar, the famed 917/10. Turbos would find their way into a 911 bodied racecar 2 years later, in the form of the legendary 911 Carrera RSR 2.1L Turbo. The FIA attempted to prevent Porsche’s exploitations of turbos by forcing manufacturers to comply with homologation rules requiring the production and sell of 400 vehicles through dealer channels to participate in Group 4 (934 Turbo) and Group 5 (935 Turbo) during the 1976 racing season. While the original purpose of the 1975 911 Turbo was to gain homologation for racing, it quickly became a driving enthusiast favorite and established itself as the universal benchmark that all other sports cars would be measured against for the next 45 years.
The brand-new Turbo doesn’t fall far from the proverbial Porsche Turbo Tree. The new 992 inherits that prestigious Can Am DNA and is an unmistakable blood relative of its 930, 964, 993, 996, 997 and 991 turbo brothers. But this latest generation of the Porsche Turbo has grown not only more powerful, but considerably more refined, sophisticated and efficient with age. Of course, power and torque are up, but this time by an unprecedented gain of 70 HP, more than any previous generation model jump in Porsche history. Overall engine output is now at 640 HP and 590 TQ, propelling it to a physics defying 0-60 mph in 2.6 seconds. The 992 Turbo S will run the quarter mile in a blistering 10.5 seconds. Acceleration from 0-124 mph takes just 8.9 seconds, a time that is one full second quicker than last year’s model. Top speed remains unchanged at 205 mph. Power is transferred through an 8-speed (PDK) dual-clutch gearbox which replaces the previous 7-speed PDK.
Porsche has widened the new Turbo significantly, improving handling, driving dynamics and stability. The new body is 1.8 inches wider up front and .78 inches wider in the rear. It’s the beefiest roadworthy 911 the factory has ever produced, and Porsche claims the new Turbo S model is even wider than the outgoing 991.2 GT2 RS. Muscular fenders contain staggered 20 and 21 inch center-lock wheels. Adaptive aerodynamics control airflow to the radiator and downforce via the rear wing. The front splitter is pneumatically extendible (using air pressure), while the expanded rear wing (with an electric motor) delivers 15 percent more downforce than last year’s model.
The new 3.8-liter, six-cylinder, twin-turbocharged, boxer engine is based on the smaller 3.0-liter “9A2 Evo” engine that powers the Carrera and Carrera S models. It features variable turbine geometry (VTG) turbochargers, electronic wastegates, and piezo injectors to improve responsiveness, torque, and a high-revving nature. Compared with last year’s model, the turbochargers are larger, the intercoolers have more cooling capacity, and have been relocated to the top of the engine reminiscent of the classic 930 models.
It's difficult to gauge exactly what engineering decisions have been made regarding the 992 Turbo intake manifold and related induction system. Historically, Porsche has been famous for implementing previous model components when it comes to the intake system, especially with Turbo applications. It has been announced that the 992 generation Turbo won’t be in dealership until late this year (2020), so we will have to wait until we can confirm fitment or development on a new IPD 992 Turbo Plenum and potentially new Y-Pipe.
Stay tuned for more details as we learn more about the latest Turbo.
