Porsche 911 Turbo Coupé £104,375

The only criticism the 911 Turbo has consistently faced in the nearly 35 years that Porsche has been producing it, in its various incarnations, is that it is more expensive and less rewarding to drive than the standard 911 on which it is based.

This latest generation is no exception. For all the mighty 500bhp developed by its new engine, and the ability to hit 62mph from rest in 3.4sec (if you choose the PDK double-clutch transmission), you’ll find all the old drawbacks still apply. It’s not as attractive as a normal 911; nor does it sound as good. When you drive it really fast, its handling is less rewarding, and the engine is less responsive to the throttle. So, in all but brute speed, it is an inferior product.

Consider it on its own merits, though, rather than in comparison with its little sister, and its attraction becomes clearer. In its way, the Turbo is Porsche’s consummate all-rounder: it packs the maximum punch for the minimum effort. It is not, nor was it ever intended to be, Porsche’s ultimate driving machine — that honour belongs to the cheaper and quite extraordinarily exciting GT3.

The Turbo is, however, the one that requires the least exertion to drive fast, and it may surprise you to learn that it is also the quietest 911 you can buy. With its twin-turbo engine providing all of its extraordinary shove from less than 2000rpm, it doesn’t really matter what gear you’re in — it just goes. And when it comes to handling, its responses are soft, benign and as close to foolproof as they have ever been in any 911.

Modifications for this seventh generation include optional steering-wheel paddles, an improvement of up to 16% in fuel consumption and a clever system with a complex-sounding name (Porsche torque vectoring) that actually works in a simple way: by braking the inside rear wheel when cornering, the car turns more sharply into the bend and is consequently more resistant to understeer.

The 911 Turbo may be the fastest 911 you can buy, but it is also the most pragmatic, the one with the softest focus and the vision farthest removed from pure 911 philosophy. August Achleitner, Porsche’s chief engineer, told me: “The new 911 Turbo is the best compromise we make.” I couldn’t have put it better myself.

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