‘Everyday Supercar:’ Why the 911 Turbo S Is the Perfect Daily

By Joe Kucinski - October 6, 2021

Porsche 911 Turbo S is often referred to as the everyday supercar. But can it really hack it as a daily driver? I buy one to find out.

Nearly every road test of the Porsche 911 Turbo in the last 15 years or so has referred to the car as the everyday supercar. Some folks may bristle at the term supercar for a 911 and insist on calling it a sports car. However, that is missing the point. No matter what you call the 911 Turbo it puts up supercar performance numbers while still being comfortable enough to drive every single day. At least that is what the expert reviewers would have you believe. The problem is that most people that review these cars, have them for a couple days or a week at most. And even the folks that own these cars, most of them have other vehicles at their disposal. Well, I sold all my other cars and bought a 2018 911 Turbo S to see if it indeed does work as a daily driver.

I’ll tell you, the sacrifices I make in order to offer solid consumer advice. If you have read my past articles here on Rennlist you know that I had a 2016 Cayman S and a 2004 911 40AE. Both, of them were fantastic cars that I enjoyed immensely. I cannot say enough good things about each of these models. I also had a 2018 Mustang GT that was a very different animal but also an enjoyable ride. However, I channeled my inner Marie Kondo and decided to de-clutter my garage and simplify a bit. I wanted to pare things down to just one car. I knew I wanted my one remaining car to be a Porsche, but which model?

The 991.2 GT3 Search

A GT3? I bought a Turbo S, why would I lead off about my search for a GT3? Because a 991.2 GT3 is initially what I was after. I don’t buy 10 new Porsche’s a year and I don’t have 20 million YouTube subscribers so my chances of getting a new 992 GT3 for anything less than a $50K markup were basically nil. A friend of mine recently went to the largest local Porsche dealer in my area and asked about a new GT3. He was told they would put him on the waitlist. He would be number 141 and they were expecting 20 GT3 cars total. So yeah, not going to happen. So, I focused on the 991.2 generation GT3 which I absolutely love.

I found a couple of 2018 GT3 cars for sale around the country and I began to reach out. But things were just not coming together. Either the cars were actually sold by the time I reached out or the numbers just were not working out. Then one dealer who told me the GT3 I was looking at was sold, sent me a listing for a 991.2 Turbo S and asked if I would be interested in that. It was not a spec I was interested in, but it made me take a step back and think. Why not a Turbo S? It is not as raw and thrilling as a GT3 but in exchange it is better suited to drive every day. Hmmm.

Why a 911 Turbo?

In recent years I became infatuated with the GT3 models, and who can blame me? The GT3 is a stunning sports car with a jewel of an engine. But as I got more serious about my car search, I really started to zero in on the 911 Turbo. The 911 Turbo was always my dream car from my earliest childhood days. It was the car I had posters of and would daydream about when I should have been doing my homework. That whale tail spoiler and huge rear fenders mesmerized me. I wanted one of those cars so badly.

When I was a teen, I drove to my local Porsche dealership. The year was 1988. I stopped inside the dealership to drool and dream like I always did. One of the salesmen was kind enough to give me a brochure for the new 1989 911 Carrera and Turbo models. 33 years later, I still have that same brochure. I never got rid of it or the desire to own a 911 Turbo. So, it only made sense that I would shift my attention from the GT3 to the Turbo.

2018 911 Turbo S

I searched across the country for the right car, but it turned out the perfect car for me was located at a dealer only about 70 miles from my home. A 2018 Turbo S with just 10,000 miles, a CPO warranty and a lovely black and Bordeaux red interior. It also has been optioned with a nice set of 5-lug Sport Classic wheels. The standard wheels on the Turbo S are nice, but I didn’t want the hassle of dealing with center locks. My car is lightly optioned with only about $10K in options. For a Porsche that is about as basic as you can get, although the Turbo S already comes well equipped. The main options are the front axle lift system, a sunroof, Porsche entry and drive, white dials, and a few other minor items.

Good News and Bad News

A 2018 Turbo S is not an inexpensive car by any means. However, one thing working in my favor on this particular car is that an accident has been reported on its history report. That kept the price down a little bit and every little bit helps. The car had an independent inspection, and no structural repairs were found. Only cosmetic repairs were carried out as a result of the very low speed accident. Having an accident report on the car’s history will always keep the value down a bit. However, I am not buying this as an investment. I am buying it to drive and enjoy. And the car drives fantastic. The fact that it also comes with a CPO warranty was enough to put my mind at ease.

The good news is that after the cosmetic repairs were made nearly the entire car was covered in PPF. The entire front, the doors, and the rear flares are all covered. About the only areas not protected are the rear bumper and the sunroof panel. Since this car will see some miles, it is nice to have a little extra protection.

First Driving Impressions

I love this car. It is everything I dreamed about all those years ago. A couple days after bringing it home I had to try launch control and I managed a 2.87 0 to 60 time. I am sure there is more in it as well, but I am still getting used to it a bit. Regardless, that is plenty quick. The 205-mph top speed is likely something that I will never be able to verify but I have no reason to doubt it. The car has plenty of performance. And if I ever want more, a set of headers and a tune will move it to an even higher level. The car is also quite comfortable, easy to see out of, and handles very well on the street. I would not hesitate for a second to drive the car across the country.

What It Has Done to Me

I know I am still in the honeymoon period with this car, but it has completely satisfied my car lust like nothing else before. I loved my Cayman S and my 911 40AE. But if I am honest when I would be driving them if I saw a GT3 or a Turbo I would feel a little tinge of jealousy. I would feel like someday THAT is what I wanted to own. Now that I have the 2018 Turbo S, that is all gone. I fully understand that the 992 Turbo S, 992 GT3, the 991.2 GT2RS, and the like are “better” than my car. And I love those cars, don’t get me wrong. But I really don’t give a crap anymore that I don’t own one. I am so happy with the Turbo S that these other cars, while great, don’t really tempt me.

Future Plans

This is the only car I have right now. So, it will be my daily driver. It will take me to work, to the grocery store, to Porsche events, track days, doctor appointments, haircuts, and anywhere else I decide to go. I am going to pickup a second set of wheels and throw some all-season rubber on them to get me through the colder months here in the northeast. Other than that, I don’t have modifications planned until maybe next summer. I want to enjoy the car as it is and see how it does as an everyday supercar. Can it hold up? Stay tuned because I plan to follow up here on Rennlist as I get more experience with the car. Everything good, bad, and ugly, I will be sharing with you on these pages.