Turbocharging is the way of the future. Unfortunately for purists, it means taking a little bit of that raw, high-strung character out of the regular naturally aspirated 911s, and in return is more torque everywhere and much better fuel economy as well (depending on how you drive it). Many manufacturers have already taken the leap into turbocharging: BMW has gone entirely turbocharged, Lexus is adopting turbocharged engines, and even Ferrari had to go turbo with their 488 GTB.
And so Porsche is finally adopting these motors for their base model Porsches. For now only the Carrera and Carrera S are mentioned, but no doubt it is implied that these engines will make their way through the entire Porsche model range- and much like the Macan, the funny badge distinction between the “Turbo” and the regular turbocharged models will begin.
Engines are being standardized to 3.0-litres in displacement, between the Carrera and Carrera S models. The Carrera has the engine singing to the tune of 370 hp and 448 Nm of torque from 1700 rpm to 5000 rpm. The Carrera S sees 420 hp and 498 Nm of torque through the same range as well. Porsche says the distinction between the two comes in the form of modified compressor wheels and different exhaust system and engine mapping, but in due time you could probably take your regular Carrera for a Stage 1 remap from some tuning company and easily surpass the Carrera S in terms of power. These new motors rev to a hefty 7,500 rm- although you won’t find that sonorous NA scream that you may be used to.
Zero-to-hundred takes 4.0 and 3.7 seconds for the Carrera and Carrera S respectively, both being 0.2 seconds faster than before. As for the rest of the statistics, the new engines have 20 more hp and are 12% more efficient than before, which is pretty conservative when you consider what kind of monster power outputs you can extract in the form of the 911 GT2. But then again, at the “entry level” of the 911 range, there needs to be more consideration for lifespan and maintenance and overall build cost.
With the mid-life model change you get a revised PASM suspension that’s 10 mm lower, facelifted lights, a new entertainment system ,and blah-blah-blah; we know the engine was the most important thing with this change, and everything else is just a natural part of a model facelift. But it is important to note that 4-wheel steering is available as an option for the Carrera S now, if you ever felt like having a bit of 911 GT3 in your plain-jane 911.
