New Porsche 911 Turbo revealed

This is the new Porsche 911 Turbo, which is faster, lighter, more powerful and sharper than ever.

Stuttgart has responded to ever-quicker rivals from Ferrari, Lamborghini and even Nissan with the GT-R by bringing the 911 Turbo bang up to date.

The current twin-turbo 3.6-litre engine has been ditched in favour of a blown version of the direct-injection 3.8-litre flat six from the Carrera S.

The variable-vane twin turbochargers have been extensively revised to increase responsiveness, and the intercooler and fuel system have been uprated, giving a 20bhp power boost, to 493bhp.

While the current Turbo is supremely surefooted, Porsche is determined to inject more fun into the car. The new Turbo should be more playful, thanks to an overhauled Porsche Traction Management system, which distributes the torque between the front and rear wheels through an electronically controlled multiple-plate clutch.

A Porsche insider told Autocar that the changes will “provide more of a sporting flavour” over the old car, with extra throttle adjustability and a more rearward power bias.

Forged alloy wheels, as seen here on the cabrio, will be standard fit on all 911 Turbos. The lightweight 19in RS Spyder rims seen on these coupes will be available as an option.

A six-speed manual gearbox is standard and a seven-speed dual-clutch PDK is optional, with larger clutches and revised ratios compared with the unit used in other 911s.

For the first time, the 911 gets proper paddle shifters to change gears in PDK models. The paddles are mounted to the back of the steering wheel — right shifts up, left shifts down — and are a no-cost alternative to the flawed double-function shift buttons currently used.

The steering wheel also houses a display showing when Sport, Sport Plus and launch control have been selected through the optional Sport Chrono package. The 911 Turbo now hits 62mph in 3.4sec with PDK (0.3sec quicker than today’s Tiptronic auto) and top speed rises by 2mph, to 194mph.

Despite the extra performance, fuel economy has improved too.