2017 Porsche 911 Turbo Convertible

The numbers 991.2 is the internal designation for the seventh generation Porsche 911. The new turbocharged 911 Carrera represents one of the most significant changes in the model's long history, very similar to the switch from air-cooling to water-cooling. The mid-life facelift of the 991 range brought a pair of new, turbocharged engines for the Carrera and Carrera S models, signifying the death of the naturally aspirated flat-six of the core 911 models.

The engine is a direct-injected 3.0-liter twin-turbo flat six that comes in two variants, 370 horsepower in base models and 420 bhp in the S. Air is now sucked into the engine from the revised grille on the rear deck, while the intercoolers live in the corners of the rear bumper. This means that the new models have gained 20 bhp and 441 lb-ft. of torque over their predecessors, which is always good news.

The optimized 7-speed PDK, featuring both a manual and an automatic mode, offers extremely fast gear changes with no interruption in the flow of power. Gears one to six have a sports ratio, with top speed being reached in sixth gear. Seventh gear is ratioed primarily for fuel economy.

The new flat six can rev up to 7500 RPM, which is more than you would normally expect from a twin-turbo engine. Still, the main questions remain, like what's the soundtrack like and if the new engine has dulled or is lacking the class-leading driving character of Porsche's iconic model.