LA 2009: More Powerful Porsche 911 Turbo Arrives at LA Auto Show

Colum Wood
by Colum Wood

Along with the Boxster Spyder world premiere, Porsche gave North American debuts to the updated GT3 RS and the popular 911 Turbo model at the LA Auto Show today. For 2010 the 911 Turbo gets an all-new, larger 3.8-liter engine with direct-injection, making 500-hp. Possibly more important, however, is the fact that the clumsy bush-buttons have been replaced with paddle shifters with the addition of Porsche’s impressive 7-speed dual-clutch PDK transmission. Porsche says the new Turbo will be capable of a 0-60 mph sprint in just 3.4 seconds and can blast on to a top speed of 194 mph.

The new engine is also significantly more fuel-efficient than the previous Turbo, consuming just 24.1 mpg with the manual transmission (compared to 22.1 mpg before), meaning it avoids the gas guzzler tax in the U.S. And when combined with Porsche’s PDK tranny the Turbo gets even better mileage at 24.8 mpg.

The 2010 Turbo will be lighter than it predecessor and feature updated versions of Porsche’s PTM and PSM systems. A PTV (Porsche Torque Vectoring) system will also be offered for the first time.

Coupe models will be priced at $132,800 ($165,300 CDN), with the Cabriolet costing $143,800 ($178,400 CDN).

GALLERY: 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo Debut in LA

Colum Wood
Colum Wood

With AutoGuide from its launch, Colum previously acted as Editor-in-Chief of Modified Luxury & Exotics magazine where he became a certifiable car snob driving supercars like the Koenigsegg CCX and racing down the autobahn in anything over 500 hp. He has won numerous automotive journalism awards including the Best Video Journalism Award in 2014 and 2015 from the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Colum founded Geared Content Studios, VerticalScope's in-house branded content division and works to find ways to integrate brands organically into content.

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