The New Porsche Turbo: The Nerdy Supercar

As Reliable as a Labrador. As Fast as Angelic Flatulence. As Efficient as German Public Transport.

(Image Credits: Autocar Magazine Online)

Is it wrong to want a Porsche Turbo? Is it somehow boring or mundane? Although there is a vast swathe of performance metal available on the market (more now than at any other point in the history of the automobile), gearheads can be divided into two camps: those that would own a Porsche 911, and those who never would. It is such a polarizing car, and it has had nearly four decades worth of engineering refinement to heighten the debate. I personally have long lived in the camp that finds them boring, unoriginal, and too common for someone who actually likes cars. However. the more I see the Porsche Turbo, with its classic lines and rear track as wider than Shaq's wingspan, the more I realize how deeply desirable it is. It is, for all intents and purposes, an executive jet for the road. All comfort, all luxury, all performance, all business. And now, there's a new one.
The video is hilarious. Compare the Porsche Turbo video with this Ferrari 458 trailer and you'll see what I mean. On one hand, unbridled (ha ha) Italian exuberance. On the other, calm, reserved, German efficiency. Powerslides and pumping music versus...well, a nerdy guy with an unpronounceable last names extolling the virtues of variable stiffness engine mounts. How many times does he have to say it's "efficient" anyway? But it's then that you realize what a compliment that that is. To an Italian, nothing could be more central to the essence of life than passion and emotion; that is why Ferrari is so consummately Italian. And to a German, there can be nothing of greater value than efficiency and reliability; and that is why Porsche makes the best damn sports cars. Period.