Porsche is hard at work testing the 992-generation 911 Turbo, recently taking a prototype to the snowy landscapes of Sweden. This particular 992 Turbo prototype appears to be wearing its production-spec body, providing us with a clear look of what Porsche鈥檚 design team have in store for us. The most significant styling changes are even wider fenders, a fixed rear wing, squared quad exhaust pipes and Mission E-inspired taillights. We鈥檝e know about Porsche testing the latest-generation Turbo for almost 12 months and speculation as to power output remains rife. The twin-turbocharged six-cylinder engine powering the new Turbo will deliver in excess of 600 hp. In Turbo S guise, that figure will likely jump to around 620 hp, if not slightly more. Thanks to this bump in performance, the 992 Turbo promises to be even quicker than its predecessor from a standstill, potentially hitting 100 km/h in as little as 2.5 seconds. Entry-level variants of the next-gen Porsche 911 aren鈥檛 expected to land in dealerships until 2019. Consequently, Porsche owners shouldn鈥檛 expect to receive their new Turbo models before the 2020 model year. Based on what we鈥檝e seen, however, we think the wait will be worth it.
The interior is plain, and features materials that, while hard-wearing, look and feel cheaper than those in the Mercedes and VW. The seven-inch touchscreen display is poor (see Infotainment, Page 44), so the Honda鈥檚 cabin is a weak point in this test. However, the Civic鈥檚 bright red sports seats go some way to make up for that. The driving position is close to perfect, while the bolsters provide loads of support and they add a sense of occasion to the cabin that鈥檚 somewhat missing from its rivals鈥? The Type R GT version has plenty of standard kit, including sat-nav, climate control, parking sensors and wireless smartphone charging. Also fitted is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality, plus blind spot monitoring. Adaptive dampers and a limited-slip differential are standard, too, the former being optional on both rivals. R mode is best saved for the track and is a little too firm for everyday use. Sport mode is still taut, but only the worst potholes will cause serious discomfort.
Comfort will allow plenty of fun, too, although it softens the dampers for everyday driving and offers a surprising level of compliance. The Honda鈥檚 composure is combined with a superb limited-slip differential, which improves traction as you come out of corners. It鈥檚 so effective at eliminating understeer that the car feels the most alert of this trio. Better still, the Civic Type R鈥檚 steering is more communicative than its rivals鈥? with the whole driving experience much more involving. That鈥檚 helped by the near-perfect manual gearshift, good brake feel and the ferocious 2.0-litre engine. It has more of an appetite for revs than its opponents in this test, but does without the pops and bangs of the German cars. Some people will find these contrived; others will feel they add character. However, even though the engine is the most powerful here and the Civic is the lightest car, it trailed its rivals in our acceleration tests.
It was severely limited for off-the-line traction with only two powered wheels and no launch control. It would get closer to its competitors in the dry. But it鈥檚 more fun to engage with the Type R and maximise its performance. As with the A 35 and Golf, you simply keep your foot to the floor and the electronics do all the work for you. Of course, it doesn鈥檛 have the four-wheel-drive security of its rivals, but the Honda feels more alive as a result. Even with its pumped-up looks, the Civic Type R is still very practical. It has the biggest boot of the three cars with the rear seats in place, at 420 litres, and there鈥檚 plenty of leg and headroom in the back. Storage space around the gearlever is limited, but there鈥檚 a deep central bin with a single cup-holder. It鈥檚 just a pity this makes changing gear tricky if your bottle or cup is tall. This is partly due to the strange dash design.