This is an article that was in our local paper Friday.

Legends regarding the "hounds of hell" have existed since Greek mythology, but I wasn't entirely sure what their baying would sound like until the 2011 Porsche 911 Turbo S arrived: Punch the throttle, and there's a pack of them right behind you, and the sound is both exhilarating and a little terrifying.

The all-wheel-drive Turbo S, with a twin-turbocharged, 3.8-liter six-cylinder engine that pumps out 530horsepower, can be as docile as a puppy when you cruise around town. But it comes with this evil, addictive feature called "launch control:" Find the nearest dragstrip – or in our case, a long private road owned by a friend – and come to a stop. Press the "sport plus" button, Place your left foot on the brake, and your right foot on the accelerator. Yes, all the way to the floor. Then take your left foot off the brake.

The Porsche, all four wheels clawing for traction, leaps forward like a pouncing cougar. The engine sounds like you are destroying it, and you'd think the double clutches in the transmission would fry like eggs on a Florida sidewalk, but there is no post-launch drama. This is what the Porsche 911 Turbo S is built to do, over and over if you like, and one reason it costs $162,460.

It is astounding how race-track-ready this Porsche is, despite the leather interior, Bose stereo, heated seats, power sunroof, navigation system, Bluetooth – anything you'd expect on a luxury car. By far the largest number of entries in sports car races like the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, or the 12 Hours of Sebring, are Porsche 911s. Years ago I track-tested a full-on Porsche race car that later sold for well over $1 million. After climbing into the single carbon fiber seat and cinching up all the safety belts, I asked, "Where is the starter button?" The crew chief said, "This is a Porsche. Turn the key." That Porsche would put a key in a 200-mile-per-hour race car suggests how serious the company is about maintaining that narrow gap between race car and street car.

That said, what kind of street car does the Porsche 911 Turbo S make? Actually, a very good one. There's a "Sport" and the aforementioned "Sport Plus" button, either of which stiffens up the suspension and places the transmission shift pattern into a nervous, edgy condition that makes around-town driving feel like you've had far too much caffeine. But on the regular setting, the 911 is docile and reasonably quiet, with a ride that is comfortable on all but the roughest roads.

The 911 has a rear seat, but I've yet to actually try and wedge anyone back there. It serves mostly as a convenient, extra storage space, complementing the 3.7-cubic-foot trunk up front. Raise the rear hatch and you'll find that it's quite full of engine.

One of the most interesting aspects of the car is the PDK transmission, which stands for Porsche Doppelkupplung, meaning it has a dual-clutch gearbox. It operates like a regular automatic transmission, but with the internal clutches, the sensation is very much like a manual transmission's operation, but you don't have to shift, and there is no clutch pedal. There are levers on the steering wheel that allow you to shift up and down manually, but the PDK is so competent and intuitive, I just let it shift for itself.

The list of performance features is long and complicated, and includes PASM – Porsche Active Suspension Management– a super-sophisticated system that makes split-second adjustments to the firmness of the suspension, based on what the onboard computer is telling it. The all-wheel-drive system is transparent, as it should be, in normal driving, but very evident in "launch control" mode. The huge ceramic composite disc brakes are incredible, and in concert with the massive 19-inch tires, make the 3,500-pound car feel like it weighs far less.Base price of the car was $160,700, and with heated seats ($525) and "Porsche crest on headrests" ($285), total price was $162,460, including shipping. This is a spare-no-expense car, and it feels like it.

But Porsche 911 turbo models hold an amazing percentage of their resale value for a very long time, and the 911 Turbo S is the sort of vehicle that I can envision crossing a collector-car auction block in 30 years, and selling for a sort of price a classic deserves. Is it expensive? Oh, my, yes. But when Porsche spares no expense in building it, they expect the handful of customers who can afford it to spare no expense, either. Good for them: They're getting a remarkable car.

 

Thanks for sharing, Duffy, but I can't resist to comment:

I think a lot of owners here would beg to differ.

 

Have to agree with you. I loved the way the first three paragraphs were written.

 

As an aside - I love your 458! Beautiful...it says "I'm serious business" and "I'm sexy" all in the same sentence!

 

I think the operative words in respect to holding value are "for a very long time". While 911s and Turbos do take a hard initial hit, they do tend to hold some value over longer periods of time. Look at the prices of 993 Turbos, 996 Turbos and even some early 997 Turbos. A big part of those values are because buyers of those cars typically appreciate the excellence in the value of those cars.

In fact, I've wanted a 993 Turbo for years, but certainly not willing to spend the $$$ that those cars demand.

 

Duffy - sorry a bit off topic but were you in Northern NJ this morning? I am sure it was a pure coincidence but I saw a black 458 and a white 997 Turbo S in my town... It was my first time seeing the 458 and it looked amazing!

 

I'm in Western Pa. near Pittsburgh and my 458 is dark blue. Could be
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/sho...d.php?t=314943

His is black and in New Jersey

 

I am not so sure about the holding value "for a very long time." That is false. That could be for the dealer price, but for my original owner $135K 997.1 turbo with 35K miles was offered only $60K on a trade for a new turbo S. That is serious automobile depreciation. The more one pays for any car, the greater the loss.

 

Great article. Sounds better every time I hear it.

 

Interesting article. Thanks for sharing.

 

Concur- my 997TT was definitely over evaluated and Im glad PFS has created a pull thru program paying up to my last 12 payments if I lease a new 2011 Turbo/Carrera.

The only car holding its value that I see (turbowise) is the 993TT.