Some supercars only shine on circuits, some are at their best parked on a street packed with onlookers, and some work best as a bedroom poster or desktop wallpaper. But Porsche's 911 Turbo S is a supercar designed to be driven every day.
It’s the flagship model of Porsche’s halo 911 line-up – particularly if you don’t include limited models with carbon fibre seats, fire extinguishers and racing harnesses normally found on racetracks. And it’s faster than ever.
The new 911 Turbo S makes 478kW of power and 800Nm of torque. That’s 650 old-fashioned horsepower, enough to shave 0.2 seconds from a 0-100km/h dash that drops to 2.7 seconds.
Unlike some rivals, Porsche rarely overstates the capabilities of its cars. So you might go even faster than that.
While the regular 911 Carrera offers more than enough performance for most drivers, the Turbo S represents high-speed excess with an extra 195kW for almost double the price of a standard 911.
Experience with previous versions underscores the difference between a top-end 911 and exotica such as the Ferrari F8 Tributo, Lamborghini Huracan, or McLaren 720S: The Turbo usually offers better vision, usable ground clearance, plenty of storage, the sort of fuss-free infotainment found in a modern Audi, and wet-weather versatility thanks to all-wheel-drive traction and sensible tyres.
The previous-generation car was also devastatingly quick in a straight line, predictable in the bends, and crucially (at least compared to a fluoro-coloured Lamborghini) almost anonymous in big-city traffic.
Larger turbochargers on a new 3.8-litres six-cylinder engine based on the 3.0-litre unit in the Carrera S deliver 51kW more than its predecessor, and there are extra cogs in its eight-speed “PDK” dual-clutch automatic transmission. A beefed-up all-wheel-drive system can send more torque to the front wheels than before, helping the Turbo slingshot its way to 200km/h in 8.9 seconds.
Wider than before, the Turbo benefits from lower and smarter suspension thanks to active anti-roll bars, reworked adaptive dampers and finessed four-wheel-steering. Active front and rear spoilers lend serious presence to the Turbo’s pumped-up looks and keep the car planted when approaching its 330km/h top speed.
On the inside, it benefits from the same changes as other 992-generation models, including a 10.9-inch infotainment screen, clever data-logging track apps and a fresh Bose stereo.
- news.com.au
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