First customer cars go into production end of August, so here is my question to people interested in getting the 991 Turbo/Turbo S: What would you have done differently if you were head of development and what changes would you like to see before the car goes into production? Please try to be reasonable, no "I want 700 horses and a 350 kph Vmax" or similar stuff. Just some suggestions based on what we know so far about the new Turbo/Turbo S and what improvements Porsche should make before they actually start to deliver cars to customers.

Shoot... Smiley

Let me be the first:

Power

Although power isn't everything, I think that Porsche should have given the new Turbo 530 hp and the new Turbo S 580 hp. The incentive to go for the new model should be higher and the gap between both models should be at least 50 hp. At small technical difference like different intakes or whatever would have helped to (psychologically) sustain the higher price tag for the Turbo S. Also would it have killed Porsche to change the look of the engine bay of the Turbo S a little bit, like for example using a carbon plate with the Turbo S logo on it? It looks as if they haven't cared at all.

I also wonder why Porsche cannot make the overboost permanent, for example when the throttle is fully applied only.

Performance

0-100 kph in 2.9 seconds and 0-200 kph in 9.9 seconds for the Turbo S would have been acceptable on paper. Vmax should have been 320 kph, would it have killed Porsche to make it 320? Kind of a psychological thing but still, 320 sounds better than 318 kph. Also the performance difference between the "old" 997 Turbo S and the new one seems to be marginal at best, which is a shame. Especially since the new Turbo S also got substantially more expensive now.

Interior

Would it have killed Porsche to put 360 or 370 kph on the speedo instead of the current 350 (same as GT3)? Again, only a psychological measure but still, it is what it is.

Why does the engraving below the PDK lever say Turbo...even on the Turbo S? Just a flaw on early cars?

I also miss some sort of "Turbo" or "Turbo S" stitching option on the front seats, like for example the new 911.50 stitching on the 50th anniversary models.

How about a nice turbo boost gauge embedded into the Sport Chrono watch on the dashboard?

Exterior

Why no "black" LED front lights as an option? (like the black Bi-Xenon lights option)

Why no black back lights as an option? (like for the Cayenne)

Why that stupid looking LED "frame" lights (when front lights are on) as on the Panamera Turbo? They don't fit the 911 Turbo/Turbo S.

Why didn't Porsche use the four LED spots daylight running lights for the new Turbo (similar to the Panamera/Cayenne), they look amazing. The four spots on the exterior of the front lights ring look kind of weird. I saw them on a facelifted Panamera Turbo recently and they look stupid. The four spots inside the front lights look amazing and provide a clear identity. Only Porsche has this. It is so sad that Porsche abandoned them.

What about the "inflatable" front spoiler lip: The Turbo/Turbo S logo is barely visible. Something different would have been nice.

No 90l fuel tank option? Seriously? On a car which will easily eat over 20 l / 100 km when driven hard?

Wheels

Not a fan of the current rim choices, they don't seem to fit the Turbo/Turbo S too well I'm afraid. I also miss a "black painted" or at least "satin look" option.

Why only 305's on the rear? The new Turbo/Turbo S has such a fat rear, the 305s look way too small. Why not 335s in the rear and 265s in front? Porsche could have made it happen in a way or another, especially since the new AWS could have provided setup options to counteract possible disadvantages of the larger tires.

Goodies (optional)

Some sort of PCM programmable Sport Chrono package would have been nice and I am not talking about track time recordings or similar stuff but the adjustment of engine/throttle response mappings and of course PASM/PTM setups. The current Sport Chrono package is easy to use but to be honest, it doesn't fully satisfy me. I wish there were more options to adapt single settings separately, without "package" settings.

PDK "race mode" with harsh but superfast shifting times.

Sport exhaust option.

Optional digital dashboard/speedo cluster (like on the 918).

Powerkit (no kidding) with different turbo chargers and different intercoolers, pushing the power of the Turbo S to 600 hp (considering the 560 hp version). Easy retrofit option.

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I actually love what McLaren is doing with the MP4-12C: They offer a FREE 25 hp power upgrade for their car(s) and at the same time the latest tweaks and improvements with the new software. This is really a great service and I would love to see something similar from Porsche. In the end, the special connection to the customer counts a lot.

If you have more ideas or even better one, please feel free to share them.

 

 


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RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche Panamera Turbo S, Cayenne GTS (958), 991 Turbo S (Oct. 5th), BMW X3 35d (2013)