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The new Porsche 911 Turbo S
3 months ago
Wide body, active aero – it can only be the 911 Turbo S
Cue a return to what it’s done best for more than half a century; a new 911 Turbo S which, with 701bhp, becomes the most powerful production 911 to date. Offering nearly a Golf R’s worth of extra power over the standard 911 Carrera (and 60bhp more than its predecessor), this wall of power is ably supported by 590 lb ft of torque, first found at 2300rpm and every pound still there at 6000rpm. The meaningless and slavishly observed 0-62mph is a boundary-nearing 2.5 seconds, the top speed 200mph. EV-like stats, from the beloved flat-six.
Promisingly, the 3.6-litre motor also has asymmetrical timing that, Porsche says, adds further frequencies to the engine sound, so it produces a throatier, sharper sound of which EVs can only dream. It also has a sports exhaust with titanium silencer and tail pipes, because if you’ve still got an ICE, flaunt it.
It uses the same 400V T-Hybrid drive system as the single turbo 911 Carrera GTS, the workings of which Andrew Frankel last year explained in detail (while also very accurately forecasting this very car’s arrival, even down it its 700bhp-plus output). Even in the GTS the systems appear to eliminate turbo lag, and it aims to do the same here, aided now by not one, but two electric turbos. They’re powered by the same 1.9kWh hybrid battery, and while the system adds 85kg compared to the old Turbo S, Porsche says the improvement in responsiveness more than compensates. And if you care about such things, it’s 14 seconds faster than its predecessor around the Nordschleife. ‘You don’t feel the weight gain,’ insists Jörg Bergmeister, who set the time of 7:03.92 minutes. That’s not far off GT3 performance in a car designed more for autobahnen than race-tracks.
"The new Turbo S has an electro-hydraulically controlled system, or ehPDCC – don’t you just love a really long, undecipherable acronym in both upper and lower case?"
It’s not just about power either, for Porsche has been hard at work on the chassis too. Instead of regular Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC), the new Turbo S has an electro-hydraulically controlled system, or ehPDCC – don’t you just love a really long, undecipherable acronym in both upper and lower case? Oil pressure is built up in cross-connected active coupling rods to reduce roll and increase corner entry and exit agility. We look forward to the tech deep-dive on this setup. Monster brakes are fitted, with 410mm carbon ceramic discs on the rear and 420mm at the front – the largest PCCB system Porsche has ever installed on a sports car.
Active aero has featured on the 911 Turbo for a while, but there’s a ‘new aerodynamic concept’ on this Turbo S. You’ll recognise the active vertically-arranged front cooling air flaps from the hybrid GTS, while the lip of the front spoiler is electronically variable, as is the extendable and tilting rear wing. The system can reduce lift, or drag, and the overall drag co-efficient is up to 10 per cent better, which makes us wonder why the top speed is ‘only’ 200mph, some 5mph down on its predecessor. Maybe Porsche is being modest, maybe the hybrid can’t supply peak power for long enough for it to get there, maybe there’s a tyre limitation with the additional weight (Bentley has to limit the top speed of the Flying Spur but not the Continental GT for precisely this reason), maybe it’s limited by gearing, or just maybe Porsche has decided 200mph is enough for most and limits it there. Cleverly, when it’s raining, the front diffusers close, to shield the front brake discs from water spray. We expect to discover plenty more smart details such as this.
Remember Porsche’s strategy of marking out Turbo models (even electric ones, like the Taycan) with a bespoke design strategy? That’s now introduced on the 911, with Turbonite-coloured (a sort of bronze-tinted dark metallic grey) Porsche crest and Turbo S rear lettering. There’s the Turbo-typical wide-track body, and openings in the rear side section, with more Turbonite detailing features inside. We love that you can even option carbon fibre wiper arms, 50 per cent lighter than standard, for a price currently undisclosed. Completely pointless of course, but won’t punters just love showing them to their mates. So perhaps not so pointless after all…
For a car with more than 75 per cent more power than a base Carrera, the Turbo S has a price tag almost 100 per cent higher – a cool £199,100, or £209,100 for the Cabriolet. Almost as scary as its sheer potency. But then, Porsche has spared no effort in ensuring its new Turbo S has a fittingly formidable arsenal of power and dynamic potential. In a line-up packed with such mouthwatering alternatives, is it still the friendly giant you’d be wise not to mess with? Or have all those other small ‘t’ 911 turbos finally blunted its edge? We’ll be driving it very soon and you’ll learn all about it nowhere sooner than here.
