The larger, more powerful and yet more fuel efficient 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera hasn’t even hit the dealerships yet and details of the inevitable turbocharged version are leaking, and Porsche aficionados are salivating with anticipation.
The most intriguing piece of news is that Porsche will replace the current 3.8-liter twin-turbo six-cylinder engine with a triple-turbine, or tri-turbo, system. According to British publication Autocar, the new engine configuration will add a smaller turbo unit to the current two turbos, improving not only power output but, more importantly, fuel economy. Figures are not given (of course), but horsepower is expected to at least match the current 911 Turbo S (around 525 horsepower; the all-new Porsche 911 generates 400 hp) with fuel economy higher than the 911′s EPA-estimated 27 mpg. Future Porsche models like the 911 GT2 are expected to get the new powertrain as well.
Triple turbocharging may be the wave of the future, as BMW recently unveiled a new, high-performance tri-turbo diesel engine for use in a line of Europe-only models of its M sports car and X6 crossover.
Automotive.com’s take: Definitely intriguing. Until we see or, better yet, drive a working model, we’re setting these “tri-turbo” 911 models to the realm of possibility instead of reality.
Source: Autocar
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