The 997.1 Turbo’s Significance: It’s the last 911 Turbo (and Turbo convertible) to house the iconic 911 GT1-derived Mezger twin-turbocharged engine in conjunction with a manual transmission. The 997.2 Turbos feature an all-new engine, while the 991 and now 992 turbos are only seen in PDK. Though the latter cars are more dynamic, powerful, and are even more technological wonders than the 997.1 Turbo, the Turbos preceding the 997.1 Turbo are larger in size, don’t feature the sought-after favorable sizing and mechanicalness as offered by the 997.1 generation Turbo. The 997.1 turbo is very much a new-age Porsche 959 with heightened usability for everyday use and is that car that will not be replicated again.
Upon viewing the Turbo’s aerodynamically optimized body, your presence is welcomed by its understatedly ablazing Carrara White finish which subtly punctuates its silky proportions; front bumper boasting integrated and aesthetically unobstructive headlight washers, intake duct incorporated LED turn signals and compact fog lights that are aptly stationed on the bumper’s outermost region; Bi-Xenon headlights; a sleek gas lid that’s understatedly incorporated into the right fender; clear side markers; 19-inch forged alloy Turbo wheels bearing a two-tone finish with non-painted center cap crests and showcased before red brake calipers featuring ‘PORSCHE’ lettering in white; the rear’s pronounced, muscular fenders that are accentuated by the model’s signature air intakes; rear decklid located ‘turbo’ insignia painted in Carrara White; a bi-plane rear spoiler featuring an automatically deploying top wing that raises at around 77 MPH and lowers at roughly 37 MPH; twin exhaust outlets that subtly protrudes from the distinctive, twin-vented, rear bumper.
Just before slipping inside of its accommodating Black Full Leather enveloped cabin featuring bespoke-adjacent finishes, you’re first met by stainless steel door sills with illuminated ‘turbo’ insignia, and when inside you can expect Carrara White painted backrest shells, light-colored twin-stitching, aluminum/brushed aluminum/metallic-coated and optioned high-gloss black surfacing on select areas, black carpeting and leather draped over surface areas that would otherwise be non-leather surfaced such as on the center console tunnel, rear center console and door finisher regions. The driver is greeted by a two-tone and thicker leather-wrapped 3-spoke steering wheel; Carrara White-finished instrumentation dials that are set behind orange needles and black numerals with added visual interest provided by a “225-MPH” speedometer and a tachometer that’s visually elevated by black “turbo” insignia and bears a digital display that shows a speed indicator along with other useful functionalities; a centrally located dash-mounted SportChrono dial also in Carrara White; the 5.8-inch PCM display; the dazzling, 6-speed shifter offering clear-cut throws and possessing a gear lever design that’s native the Turbo model. Front occupants are embraced by Adaptive Sport seats that are aesthetically accentuated by perforations, an embossed Porsche Crest on each headrest, and rear shells that are Carrara White surfaced while featuring memory settings for the driver and heating for both occupants. In-cabin audio playback is provided via the BOSE Surround Sound System, featuring 13-speakers.
