Porsche launches new ‘Turbonite’ crest

Here we go again, Porsche has another new word for us to learn. After getting our heads around calling its Alcantara-mimicking trim ‘Race-Tex’ and learning what all its many, many acronyms mean, the German carmaker has now introduced ‘Turbonite’ (yes, really) to its glossary, marking the launch of a new colour-reserved badge for the firm’s Turbo models.

No, this isn’t some sci-fi material from outer space designed to cripple Superman’s Porsche-loving alter ego, rather it’s a newly developed ‘elegant metallic grey’ that’ll be offered exclusively on Turbo cars to help differentiate them from the rest of the range (which is becoming a problem). The colour itself mixes a grey tone with gold metallic flakes for a dash of glitz, though a satin finish should keep it looking subtle (well, as subtle as a blacked-out Porsche can be). The new shade will feature on a revamped version of the company’s crest, as well as on the window borders, side mirrors, bits of the interior trim and (model depending) on the wheels.

“In 1974, we presented the first turbocharged 911. Since then, the Turbo has become a synonym for our high-performance top models and is now more or less a brand of its own. We now want to make the Turbo even more visible, and differentiate it more markedly from other derivatives such as the GTS”, said Porsche style boss Michael Mauer. “This is why we’ve developed a distinctive Turbo aesthetic. From now on, the Turbo versions will exhibit a consistent appearance across all model series – one that is elegant, high-quality and very special.”

If you’re wondering if the new 911 Turbo S you’ve just ordered will come with the bits of Turbonite, then you’re (probably) in for disappointment. Porsche is launching the new colour on the next generation Panamera Turbo, which we’ll see on 24th November, before opening up to the rest of the Turbo range. So, what are we thinking? A subtle differentiator for Turbo models, or is just a black edition with a fancier name?