Porsche 911 Turbo S: As Relevant and Impressive As Ever
Venerable 911 Turbo S is no longer the only Turbo S in the Porsche range but it has not passed the torch as the pinnacle of performance.
In 1975 Porsche introduced a more powerful version of the popular 911. The 911 Turbo came to market and has represented the top-of-the-range model in the 911 line ever since. Sure, there are the incredible GT cars, but they are more racetrack focused. If you want a less highly strung road car that is still blindingly fast, you want the 911 Turbo.
However, in the years since 1975 a lot has changed. The Turbo badge has been applied to a much wider range of vehicles. From electric cars to SUVs, Porsche has a Turbo model for you. Even if you don’t spring for the top dog Turbo model, you still get turbos in your everyday 911 Carrera. So where does that leave the 911 Turbo S? Is it still the feared and revered 911 model to have?James Dennison of Car Magazine was wondering if the 911 Turbo S is still relevant today. In a recently uploaded video to their YouTube channel, he attempts to answer that question. The Taycan Turbo S can launch with equal accelerative force and speed. A standard Carrera S is only a few ticks behind. The Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid produces even more power than the 911 Turbo S.
And it can reach over 180 mph with five humans and a weeks’ worth of groceries on board. Oh, and it is over $40,000 less expensive than the 911. So where does that leave the 911 halo car? Well, it leaves it right on top where it belongs thank you very much.
“It is almost as if this car has looked over at its turbocharged siblings and gone you’re getting a little bit too big for your boots. I am the number one 911 around here.” Says Dennison as he explains the new engine powering the 911 Turbo S. Much has already been written about just how quick this new car is, so no need to rehash it here.
Suffice to say, it is as quick as any rational person will ever need to go. But the real trick of the 911 Turbo S is that is it still everyday useable despite mind boggling performance figures. “There’s still four usable seats, a quality infotainment system, brilliant visibility and combined luggage space equal to that of an everyday supermini.” Explains Dennison.
Despite the addition of a slew of new turbocharged Porsche models in recent years, the 911 Turbo is still the king of the hill. If anyone asks you what Porsche you drive, and you simply say “turbo” everyone will know what you mean. If you have a Taycan Turbo S, you will likely need to say the whole model name.
The same holds true if you have one of the Cayenne Turbo variants. However, in the Porsche world saying simply “turbo” still signals to everyone exactly what you have. And what you have may very well be the greatest everyday supercar ever made.
Dennison concludes his video by saying: “After spending hours behind the wheel of the 911, not only would I wager that this is in fact the finest Turbo ever. It’s also a reminder of why the name is so revered.” In other words, while Porsche offers many turbos, there is still only one Turbo.
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