Porsche 911 Turbo

Let's start with the noise. This 911 - the second ‘997' to wear the Turbo badge - produces a deep soundblast of whooshes, woofles and faint artillery booms. A racecar whirr cuts through the sonic mayhem to remind you that, way back behind you, a new 3.8-litre flat-six engine is doing its thing.

We've had a 997-variant Turbo since 2006, though until now it's had the older 3.6-litre engine. This one takes the new ‘A1' engine from the rest of the updated 911 range (direct fuel injection, integrated dry sump for lower centre of gravity) and adds two turbos. So it now has 367kW and enough torque to trigger rockslides - 697Nm in this Sport Chrono version.

You will also notice some paddles at your fingertips, if you choose the PDK dual-clutch gearbox. This is big news because a) they replace the widely hated ‘buttons', which are still an option, and b) this dual-clutch 'box can actually handle all that torque, a feat beyond most manufacturers bar Ferrari. This is achieved by adding an extra clutch plate to the PDK you find in other 911s, which helps keeps the cogs meshed neatly inside the gearbox rather than exploded all over the road.

We're used to stupendously fast supercars nowadays, but even they need to be wound up before you really feel the speed. However, the Turbo's power is as instant as an arterial crack hit and full torque is available from just 2,100rpm. Punch the launch control button in this chrono-spec car with PDK, and you'll hit 100km/h in 3.4 seconds... at which point your brain will be recoiling in your skull.

For the full road test, pick up the December issue of Top Gear Australia magazine.