Content provided in partnership with

Automotive Industry

2001 Porsche Turbo Coupe - Brief Article - Evaluation

Automotive Industries, Sept, 2000 by John Peter

The Porsche Turbo Coupe may just be the ultimate driving machine.

The twin-turbo six-cylinder engine, derived from Porsche's LeMans winning GT1 powerplant, puts out 415 horsepower and an equal-amount of torque.

A revised all-wheel chive system moves the viscous unit from the rear transaxle and bolts it directly behind the front differential. This simplifies assembly and maintenance and moves weight to the front. It also allows Porsche to offer, for the first time, the Tiptronic S 5-speed automatic transmission as an option on the Turbo for 2001.

I got to wring one out on a roadcourse set up at Michigan International Speedway.

Most Popular Articles in Autos: Service Slants; 2007 utility vehicle buyer's guide: Side-By-Sides are popular; here's who ...; Transmission considerations: beyond the manual gearbox; Buell Motorcycle engineering, innovation, & dedication: in an industry ...; 100 + 10: America's oldest automotive magazine celebrates its 110th year ...; More »

Tiptronic has its benefits. The most obvious is the lack of a clutch, which means there's less to do while shifting.

The car performed well through the twisty second- and third-gear inner course. Tiptronic adjusts to driving style by reading how the driver is attacking the throttle. It responds to aggressive driving by raising shift points to hold each gear longer. In tight corners you can downshift with just a quick blip of the throttle.

Out on the high-speed oval portion of the course Tiptronic upshifted smoothy, but still lacked the rocketship acceleration of the six-speed manual.

Tiptronic aside, the 911 Turbo is still pure driving excitement. But excitement comes at a price: $111,000 for the 6-speed manual. Porsche expects that 18 percent of Turbo buyers will add another $4,420 for the Tiptonic option.

Automotive Industry

2001 Porsche Turbo Coupe - Brief Article - Evaluation

Automotive Industries, Sept, 2000 by John Peter

Find Research Guides for:

Find Featured Titles for: Home & Garden

Most Popular Articles in Autos

Most Popular Publications in Autos