The new Porsche 997 911 Turbo is out and its faster, lighter, more powerful and sharper than ever before.

The car will debut at the upcoming Frakfurt Motor Show in September 2009 and will tackle the ever increasing competition from Ferrari, Lamborghini and even the Nissan GT-R which was faster round the Nurburgring than Stuttgart’s best.

Porsche has brought the latest iteration of the 911 Turbo bang up to date with most of the features either upgraded or revised. First up is the engine which is a blown up version of the direct injection 3.8 Litre flat six from the Carrera S, ditching the earlier 3.6 Litre flat six. Porsche’s proprietary variable vane twin turbochargers have been extensively revised along with  uprated intercooler and fuel injection system to enable the engine deliver a very impressive 500 bhp.

The engine is mated to Porsche’s 7-speed double-clutch PDK transmission (optional) to offer lightening fast shift speeds. The result of all this technical and mechanical wizardy is a car that rushes from 0-100 kmph in just 3.4 seconds on to a top speed of 312 kmph! Although the fuel economy talk is futile when talking supercars, even these numbers are impressive none the less…. how does 11.4 Liters / 100 kms sound?

The PDK dual clutched equipped models will now come with a new 3 spoke steering wheel with gearshift paddles instead of the standard wheel with shift buttons. The steering wheel also houses a display showing when sport, sport plus and launch control have been selected through the optional Sport chrono package.

Porsche has also overhauled the traction management system which distributes the torque between the front and rear wheels through an electrically controlled multiple-plate clutch with more rear bias. Porsche’s new torque vectoring  system is available as an optional extra.

The new 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo will go on sale in both coupe and cabriolet versions in Germany starting November 21st with pricing starting at 145,871 and 157,057 Euros respectively.

Jump over for the image gallery and Press Release.

Gallery: 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo Facelift

PRESS RELEASE:

Stuttgart. Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, is proudly presenting a new top model at the pinnacle of its broad range of production sports cars: The new Porsche 911 Turbo combines far-reaching innovations in technology with fine tuning and supreme refinement in design. All key features of this high-performance sports car have been significantly improved, the new 911 Turbo combining a substantial improvement in fuel efficiency and lower weight with more power, even higher speed, and enhanced driving dynamics.

Particularly in terms of fuel economy and dynamic performance, the new top-of-the-range 911 from Zuffenhausen now stands out even more than before from its competitors in the market. Porsche’s new top model will be presented to the public for the first time at the Frankfurt Motor Show from 17 - 27 September.

The heart and highlight of the seventh generation of the Turbo is the new power unit displacing 3.8 litres and delivering maximum output of 500 bhp (368 kW). The first entirely new engine in the 35-year-history of the Turbo comes with features such as Direct Fuel Injection and Porsche’s exclusive turbocharger with variable turbine geometry on a gasoline power unit. And as an option, the new six-cylinder may be combined for the first time with Porsche’s seven-speed PDK Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (Double-Clutch Gearbox).

Models equipped with PDK are also available with a new, optional three-spoke steering wheel with gearshift paddles as an alternative to the standard steering wheel with its proven shift buttons. Fitted firmly on the steering wheel, the right paddle is for shifting up, the left paddle for shifting down. In conjunction with the optional Sport Chrono Package Turbo both the gearshift paddle and the PDK steering wheel with its shift buttons come with integrated displays for Launch Control and the Sport/Sport Plus mode, which are however designed differently on the two steering wheels.

The combination of PDK, Direct Fuel Injection and turbocharging ensures an unprecedented standard of efficiency, agility, responsiveness and performance, the Porsche 911 Turbo reducing CO2 emissions versus its predecessor by almost 18 per cent and therefore ranking unique in its segment also in this respect. Depending on the configuration of the car, the new top model requires just 11.4 - 11.7 ltr/100 km (equal to 24.8 - 24.1 mpg imp) under the EU5 standard. And unlike most other cars in its segment, the new Turbo remains even further below the crucial level of fuel consumption for gas guzzler tax in the USA, the special tax imposed on cars with substantial fuel consumption. All this despite acceleration to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds. Top speed, in turn, is 312 km/h or 194 mph.

The Turbo driver of the future will also enjoy a further improvement in driving dynamics, detailed enhancement of PTM fully controlled all-wheel drive and PSM Porsche Stability Management being further supported by new PTV Porsche Torque Vectoring available as an option. This makes the car even more agile and precise in its steering for an even higher level of driving pleasure.

Sales of the new Porsche 911 Turbo in both Coupé and Cabriolet guise are starting in Germany on 21 November 2009. The Euro base price without value-added tax and national specifications is Euro 122,400.- for the Coupé and Euro 131,800.- for the Cabriolet. The gross retail price in Germany, therefore, is Euro 145,871.- for the Coupé and Euro 157,057.- for the Cabriolet, in each case including 19% value-added tax and national specifications.