Porsche presented the new 911 Turbo at the Frankfurt Auto Show in October, the seventh generation of this supercar. An all-new, 500-hp engine is just the start of the new Turbo model’s charms. What a start!

The 2010 911 Turbo arrives in Porsche dealerships in January, and you can almost hear the 500-hp engine revving. The new Turbo marks a milestone, getting the first all-new engine in the model’s 35-year history. (The model was introduced to the U.S. market two years after international markets.) The previous 911 Turbo engine was based on that from the Porsche GT1 racecar that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1998.

With such a buildup, of course you expect a technological tour de force, and the 2010 911 Turbo certainly is that – and more. The new 3.8-liter flat-six engine is equipped with direct fuel injection and Porsche’s exclusive turbochargers with variable turbine geometry. Such turbos, already used on the previous 911 Turbo, combine the performance benefits of small turbochargers (low-lag, quick response) with the benefits of larger-volume turbos (more boost, higher power).

An all-new engine would be news enough, but the 2010 911 Turbo – available as a coupe or cabriolet – also offers a new transmission, the seven-speed PDK that’s now offered in all Porsche sportscars. Porsche gives you a choice – you can still get a conventional six-speed manual. With the PDK, Porsche tests show zero-to-100 kilometers per hour (62 mph) in just 3.4 seconds. You can do the math to estimate what the zero-to-60 time would be. It probably would not be a surprise to see a magazine test record a 3.0-second time. Top track speed is 194 mph.

The PDK is a racing-derived manual transmission with clutchless operation and a full automatic mode. Models equipped with PDK are also available with a new, optional three-spoke steering wheel with gearshift paddles (right for upshifts, left for downshifts) as an alternative to the standard steering wheel with the shift buttons used before. Both the standard PDK steering wheel and the new optional wheel come with integrated displays for Launch Control and Sport/Sport Plus modes.

As before, all that spine-tingling power is routed through standard Porsche Traction Management (PTM) all-wheel drive and Porsche Stability Management (PSM). Now, there’s another step up available for the ultimate in track driving performance: Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV). This new technology actively distributes power between the rear wheels, improving steering response and precision and making the car more agile and precise in corners.

You’ll see some exterior and interior refinements to the new model, but there is no mistaking the 911 Turbo for any other 911.

One thing that does not change about the 911 Turbo is its capability as an “every day supercar.” Sportscars with such astounding track performance capability are rarely as comfortable, reliable and luxurious as the 911 Turbo.

As the 911 Turbo enters a new phase, it’s interesting to take a look back at the car that started it all to see how far it has come.

By today’s standards, the 1976 911 Turbo’s specifications sound primitive: A 6.5-to-1 compression ratio, thermal reactor emission controls, a four-speed transmission and 15-inch wheels hardly seem the ingredients of a supercar.

However, the first 911 Turbo established a performance dynasty on those humble-sounding numbers. In U.S. emissions tune, the first Turbo offered 234 hp, less than half of the 2010 model’s power. The 1976 Turbo was also a simpler and lighter car (rear-wheel drive only). With zero-to-60 in just over five seconds, the Turbo quickly established itself as the king of the road in 1976.

The first 911 Turbo also established a “Turbo look” with its deep front airdam, heavily flared wheel wells and the trademark “whale tail” rear spoiler. In 1976, the 911 Turbo was also the luxury leader in the Porsche lineup – with luxury defined as standard air conditioning, tinted glass, a power sunroof, four-speaker stereo, headlight washers and foglamps!

The new “king” arrives in just a few months.