2010 Turbo Cab writeup

Thought this was amusing, sure wish i had the money!!!! So the 911 Turbo can find its way down a slalom course, but its personality is dominated by the motor�s capacity to crush your skull against the headrest. Step on the gas and the 3.8-liter flat 6 makes a noise as if someone opened a drain at the bottom of the ocean � a great stereophonic gargle of suction as the turbochargers try to inhale oxygen from adjacent time zones. Internal-combustion engines are basically air pumps, and this one is particularly good at what it does. A pair of 911 Turbos drag-racing in Los Angeles could stall a weather system over Nebraska. The 911�s list of options borders on the ridiculous � leather-covered rearview mirror ($675), air vent slats painted in the exterior color ($1,010) � but the Sport Chrono package is a must-have. Not because of the nifty but mostly useless stopwatch that protrudes from the upper dash, but for the extra power that�s unlocked when you push the Sport Plus button that is part of the package. Instead of a producing a quite-adequate 480 pound-feet of torque, the engine can go into �overboost� mode and belt out 516. Here is a philosophical question worthy of Nigel Tufnel: If the motor can produce that level of torque without blowing up, then why is it called �overboost�? Isn�t it just a new level of regular boost? Whatever you want to call it, overboost works, to the point where the 911 Turbo�s acceleration times don�t have much room for improvement. While Porsche cites times in the low 3-second range with the PDK transmission, tests by independent magazines have dipped into the high 2s . That verges on the blast-off performance of a Bugatti Veyron � or a Formula One car. Traction, not horsepower, is the limiting factor. Even without using launch control (which gives you a violent high-r.p.m. start) the 911 Turbo will casually spin all four tires while rolling along in first gear. On dry pavement. With the top down. Yes, I drove the convertible. Which normally would have warranted earlier mention, since convertibles tend to be slower, heavier and less rigid than their hardtop counterparts. But the 911 Turbo Cabriolet�s numbers are right on top of the coupe�s, so close that it makes no practical difference � the Cab is a tenth of a second slower to 60, but in a drag race it will still be right there next to a Ferrari 458 Italia. This car�s main drawbacks, and there are two, are a matter of context rather than content. First, the 911 Turbo causes everyone to hate you. A car like a Rolls-Royce or a Lamborghini is so over-the-top that bystanders get a kick out of it. But a 911 is within the realm of what many people can imagine for themselves. Except, chances are, it�s still out of reach. That just causes resentment. You see the evidence every day. Nobody yields. People go out of their way to box you in at parking lots. And I�m pretty sure the landscapers next door to me took extra care to launch a fusillade of lawn clippings in the general direction of my driveway, because I later found the Meteor Grey 911 pasted with flecks of grass and dandelions. That didn�t happen the week I was driving a Nissan Versa. The second issue is Cabriolet-specific. And that is, its power is so overwhelming that it�s nearly unusable. Not from a dynamic standpoint, but a legal one. From a standstill, a 911 Turbo Cabriolet can exceed the speed limit anywhere in the country in a matter of seconds. Yet, because it�s a convertible without fixed roll hoops, you can�t really drive it on a track. With Porsche�s blessing, I took the Turbo Cab to my local drag strip and nearly got kicked out after the first run � for speeding, essentially. At this strip, convertibles need a roll bar if they�re running quicker than a 14-second quarter-mile. Knowing this, I hit the brakes before the end of the run, in an attempt to sandbag my time. But I still ran a 12.8-second quarter � at 75 m.p.h. That�s crazy. A Dodge Challenger SRT8, with a 425-hp Hemi V8, is a 13-second car. And the Turbo is quicker than that with the brakes on. So the 911 Turbo Cabriolet makes everyone jealous, and it�s too fast. All cars should have such problems.

high 2s? on what tires!? link?

Huh?

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Because he's standing on the brakes at the end to slow his overall time - hence the final speed registered. I've seen several car mags record high 2s for the 0-60 also. Incredible.

this is great - thanks for posting

I would get the cabriolet version here. What a monster. I couldn't care less about all the GT1 v. 9A1 talk that goes on here. Just enjoy the drive. Wow.

Great description, if I had seven 996s to sell, I'd almost trade them in for a turbo cab.

Ah, thanks! That makes sense.

All that power and 4 seats too, simply crazy.

I'll take 2

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