Ubër Alles Super Car

Porsche has been building the 911 for 43 years, making deliberate improvements each year and finally arriving at our tester — the magnificent sixth-generation 911 twin turbo super car.

With a neck-snapping 480-horsepower, 505 pound-feet of torque, all-wheel drive and tires so massive they barely fit under the extra-wide rear end, it rockets you to 60 miles per hour from a dead stop in just 3.7 seconds and covers the standing quarter-mile in 11.8 seconds. That makes it the quickest car we’ve tested since the terrific 2007 Corvette Z06 earlier this year.

Our 911 came equipped with a six-speed manual shifter. Yet, Porsche says that, when equipped with the optional Tiptronic automatic, it accelerates quicker and drops the zero to 60 time to just 3.4 seconds and the quarter-mile to 11.5 seconds. That’s because the automatic features what Porsche calls a “fast-off” function, which keeps the transmission from upshifting when you take your foot off the accelerator.

Our lone complaint with the 911 was the 3.6-liter flat-six engine’s very noticeable and completely inexcusable turbo-lag under full throttle.

Like other Porsche 911 product offerings (there are 13 different 911s for 2007), the Turbo uses the standard rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive 997 Carrera platform introduced in 2005. And while its basic iconic exterior shape is similar to other 911s, practical body modifications suggest the Turbo 911 is something special.

Huge front valence portals for cooling and combustion are noticeably larger in size and appearance than on standard 911 offerings. There are front-corner grilles with jewel-like LED daytime running lamps, and massive side scoops just behind the doors that flow back to the strong-shouldered rear fenders housing meaty 305/30R19 Potenza tires.

Porsche uses aluminum - 11 pounds lighter than the materials used in the previous model- for the doors and trunk lid. Curb weight is listed at 3494 pounds, 3573 when equipped with the Tiptronic automatic transmission.

There’s a muscular rear wing and spoiler system that can be adjusted with the touch of a dash button or raised automatically at predetermined speeds to aerodynamically improve vehicle stability. The exhaust extensions are larger and slightly higher, allowing the twin turbochargers to spin freely to their 180,000 rpm maximum for efficient disposal of exhaust gas.

Inside, I was amazed to find how easily the 911 accommodated my lanky 6-6 frame, with ample head, shoulder and especially leg room. Visibility is excellent and heavily bolstered optional adaptive leather seats hold you securely in place during performance driving through exaggerated twists and turns on the track. For comfort alone, they’re worth every dime of the $1145 optional cost.

We find it odd that Porsche still puts a back seat in the 911 and even includes seat belts when anything larger than a package or a gym bag won’t fit.

Because the Turbo sits at the very top of the 911 product line, it gets standard full leather interior, sunroof and 13-speaker Bose audio system. The sunroof is metal rather than glass, so you only see blue sky when the roof is open. We didn’t much care for the suede material used for the headliner. It felt cheap and out of place in the otherwise richly appointed interior.

Our tester also came equipped with the optional Sport Chrono package. For an extra $1840, you get more than the dash mounted stopwatch and lap counter —which by itself looks cool. The Sport Chrono also provides a temporary overboost with an additional 2.9-psi, increasing the maximum torque significantly by approximately 45 pound-feet. In non-techno speak, that means the 911 will experience significant improvement in acceleration, especially in the mid-engine rev range.

We do have a few minor gripes with the overly complex controls for the heating, air conditioning, ventilating, audio, navigation and system controls, which Porsche calls the Communication Management System. The 52 buttons and two knobs that operate these functions are completely non-intuitive and frustrating.

Two cupholders swing out from a well-hidden compartment above the glove box. Six airbags are standard and include dual front, head curtain and side torso airbags. The 911 has not been crash tested.

Our tester came loaded with extra-cost options added to the already hefty $122,900 base price. Those included ceramic composite brakes ($8840), Sport Chrono package, heated adaptive leather seats, interior carbon trim, aluminum-look package, navigation module and floor mats. Interestingly, 911 is not subject to the gas-guzzler tax.

The 911 Turbo is magnificent. With incredible acceleration and huge grip, perfection-tuned braking, flick-of-the-wrist shifting and overall astonishing capabilities and comfort, it’s the best all-around performance car we’ve ever tested.

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