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2007 Porsche 911 Turbo wins Popular Science Magazine's ''Best of What's New'' Award


PHOTO (select to view enlarged photo)
2007 Porsche 911 Turbo (Porsche Photo)

ATLANTA--The 2007 Porsche 911 Turbo was awarded a Best of What's New in the Automotive category in Popular Science Magazine's 2006 19th Annual "Best of What's New" awards. This award will be featured in the December issue to be on newsstands November 14.

The 2007 Porsche 911 Turbo - which went on sale this past summer - was chosen for the development and implementation of Porsches variable turbine geometry (VTG) setup which was developed in close cooperation with Borg Warner Turbo Systems. It is based on technology which has been widely and successfully applied to diesel engines since the early 1990s. It is nearly identical in concept to other turbo manufacturers variable nozzle/geometry compressors, including a system that was briefly used on a series gasoline production engine in the late 1980s. This application encountered difficulties due to high operating temperatures -- a problem not easily solved with contemporary materials -- and production was stopped after a limited run.

After nearly two decades, aerospace-grade materials have allowed the progression of variable-geometry turbo technology to the point that it can now reliably operate in the higher-temperature environment of turbocharged gasoline engines. Porsche's version of variable turbine geometry in the 2007 911 Turbo incorporates these latest material applications, plus a sophisticated control algorithm. The combination produces the advantages of both small and large turbochargers, generating a much wider plateau of torque and providing quicker response compared to the previous generation 911 Turbo, while providing the reliability of fixed-vane turbochargers.

Popular Sciences Best of What's New showcases the top 100 tech innovations in 10 categories with each category having a Grand Award. This award was granted to Porsche for the 911 Turbo in the Automotive category, in recognition of its great technical advances.

Popular Science® is published by Time4 Media®, the world's leading publisher of leisure-time magazines. Founded in 1872, PopSci is the world's largest science and technology magazine with a circulation of 1.45 million subscribers and a readership of more than seven million people.

Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA), based in Atlanta, Ga., and its subsidiary, Porsche Cars Canada, Ltd., are the exclusive importers of Porsche sports cars and Cayenne® sport utility vehicles for the United States and Canada. A wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Dr. Ing. h.c.F. Porsche AG, PCNA employs approximately 300 people who provide Porsche vehicles, parts, service, marketing and training for its 214 U.S. and Canadian dealers. They, in turn, provide Porsche owners with best-in-class service.