2026 Porsche 911 Turbo S (992.2) | PH Review
Does more power, more tech, more weight make for a better 911 Turbo?
Probably since the introduction of all-wheel drive to the 993 three decades ago, the métier of the 911 Turbo has been simple to define: it must be the ultimate all-weather rocketship, the pinnacle of Porsche sports car technology, and the most capable 911 of them all. A track car, commuter and GT, the Porsche acronym final boss, all in one. Plus, as a Turbo S in recent years, the drag race hypercar slayer. All of which makes the introduction of hybrid technology a complete no-brainer for the series production 911 flagship.
Where there was some angst around adding weight to the GTS and denying it a manual gearbox option, those concerns are surely assuaged in a model that’s been PDK-only for yonks and beyond a tonne and a half for even longer. A car very famously called the Turbo really should boast the very latest and greatest in forced induction technology, so this evolution to e-turbos, plus a 400V electrical system and electrohydraulic roll control, feels completely appropriate. It almost seems strange that the electrified, t-hybrid 911 didn’t launch with this car, rather than the GTS…
This is very much more than just another turbo on the GTS 3.6, too. This 3,547cc unit runs lower compression (9.2:1 against 10.2:1) and therefore has its own pistons, plus a new head and valvetrain. The turbos are different to those found in the Carrera as well, with a smaller compressor and turbine wheels spinning at up to 145,000 - rather than the mere 120,000 of before. While the power gain is the headline figure - Porsche wanted it more powerful than the old GT2 RS, so beyond 700 it was - the torque looks just as notable. The 590lb ft from before is unchanged, but is now available over a much wider band of revs, extending all the way to 6,000rpm where previously it tapered off at 4,000rpm. The electrically turbocharged GTS has already proven itself formidably fast with significantly lower numbers, which augurs well. And it’s hardly like the old 992.1 Turbo was criticised for its lack of in-gear muscle…
While there’ll be no mistaking this car for anything but a 911 Turbo, a busier design this time around isn’t necessarily a better one to these eyes. The dramatic front end venting seen on the GTS has lost none of its impact (not necessarily in a good way) and the desire to create a more assertive, wider rear end (there are now 325-section Pirellis back there, up 10mm) makes for a slightly OTT look - especially as a cabrio. But even with the hardtop, the new cutouts at the wheelarches and gaping titanium exhaust feel a tiny bit try-hard, especially when a Turbo S is typically a model of sober restraint, and all the cooler for it.
Maybe that’s why cars purporting to be a slightly subtler Turbo Touring have already been seen on the Norschleife, for those that want the performance without this new, shoutier look. On the other hand, there is that phenomenal Nurburgring time to think of (7:03.92), some of which is said to be attributable to the aerodynamic gains. If this is what’s necessary to be one of the very fastest road cars on the planet around a track, some might see it as a fair trade.
Even at an urban crawl before the sun is up, the influence of those new turbos can be felt. Before 2,000rpm is breached, the Turbo S feels usefully more muscular; you could spend a lot of time never going beyond 3,000rpm and making perfectly brisk progress. While the old car would have still been clearing its forced induction fug (which, to its credit, never really took very long), these newly electrified blowers are rocking and rolling. Anyone coming from any previous 911 Turbo will be able to sense the additional potency within minutes.
This seems like a comfier, calmer Turbo as well, even if that impression is inevitably a bit less pronounced than the step up in performance. (While 0-124mph in 8.4 seconds is only half a second faster than before, the immediacy of every throttle application makes it feel faster still). The road noise that blights this era of 911 feels less pronounced than in something like a GTS, despite the giant Pirellis, though that could have been the road surface; there seems to be even more travel and clearance than ever, so a newly electrified nose lift (3.5 seconds against a laggardly five something before) is seldom required, if at all. And the PDK, aware of what the turbos can do from just about idle, seems keener than ever to get as high a gear as possible and bimble about. Stop-start is instant thanks to some mild hybrid help. This is no more taxing to drive slowly than a Macan - and potentially a little more easygoing than it used to be.
Among the extensive options list for the new Turbo S, with 157 Paint to Sample colours and Carbon Blade Exclusive Design wheels, the winch attached to the front end isn’t mentioned anywhere. But extend the throttle for any period of time on the road and it really feels like a 911 being flung along by something greater than combustion, hooked on the horizon and never, ever letting go. Even moderate throttle applications produce XXL numbers on the speedo and expletives from the poor soul alongside, that newly engorged torque reserve (from 2,300rpm to 6,000rpm) romping the Turbo S along with little apparent effort. Anything close to 100 per cent and the gears come as quick as you can say them at 7,500rpm, flawless and relentless acceleration until a conscience (yours or theirs) calls time. The Turbo S party trick might not be that new anymore, but heck does it remain immensely impressive. Perhaps even more so than ever, in fact, proof that old-fashioned combustion (with a bit of assistance) can still do shock and awe as well as pure EV.
There’s nuance and detail to the drive as well, more to appreciate than just formidable acceleration. The common trope about Turbos being anodyne driving experiences hasn’t really applied for a long time, and never more so than here. If memory serves correctly, this Turbo S steers that tiny bit more crisply than it used to, the PDCC that’s now hooked up the high-voltage, 1.9kWh battery reacts even more swiftly, and the four-wheel drive feels keener than ever to be mostly rear-drive. No doubt helped by a wodge of extra power and more readily available torque.
Clearly, the car’s movements are being kept rigorously in check (because you don’t get that lap time without discipline), but the driver is connected enough to feel a part of the action. Maybe, just maybe, the regen requirements have introduced a tiny dead spot at the top of the brake pedal (as per the GTS), though it’s close to imperceptible. With an application that’s anything more than a brush, your left foot meets fantastic feel and performance. Even on fairly brief acquaintance, it’s clear that the Turbo is a devastating road car; certainly, it would be hard to guess that this is a heavier, more complex S. The same cohesion and consistency that characterise any Porsche sports car is in evidence; it doesn’t feel overwhelmed or dominated by never-before-seen levels of power. Just even more exciting.
The same impression extends on track. Porsche is a bit cheeky on weight for this new t-hybrid, the 80kg gain quote only for a car in the standard two-seat spec against the old standard four-seater; it’s hard to imagine any Turbos going without rear chairs, and adding those back in must nudge an unladen weight to around 1,750kg. A driver, especially one also a bit heavier now than they were at the launch of the last Turbo, is clearly going to nudge that comfortably over 1.8 tonnes. Or the sort of weight folk used to decry as far too much for a Nissan GT-R.
But to drive this hunk of Turbo on track is to have expectations confounded. There’s stability, agility and poise to spare, apparently never flummoxed by how late a brake input is, how severe a turn-in is, how greedy a throttle application is. Of course, the 911 Turbo has a limit, but it’s capable of so much up to that point - and so readable around it - that it’s hard not to be staggered. This will lap hard and fast without much complaint, brake softening and tyres grumbling but performance hardly changing; then it can play hooligan as required (and ably demonstrated by Jörg Bergmeister). There can’t be much else that can do so much under one roof, at least not one with a serene side as well. And that Nurburgring lap time was on the regular Pirelli P Zero R, too, the same sort of thing as fitted to an RS3; performance rubber, yes, but not as sticky as something like a Trofeo. Imagine the acceleration and cornering on tap then.
Put simply, then, electrification offers up exactly what might have been hoped for for the 911 flagship: it’s more Turbo, more of the time. There’s more of that obscene acceleration, more of that incredible mass-defying agility, more circuit ability - and a more relaxing side when needed, too. While ‘bandwidth’ isn’t a romantic word, it’s one that keeps coming to mind when assessing the new Turbo S. On the one hand, it feels easier than ever to cruise around, while on the other, excitement has taken a step forward as well. This is Porsche at its all-conquering best, seamlessly integrating technology to the tangible benefit of the driving experience. It’s a 911 Turbo S that’s very, very hard to find fault with.
Even the £200,000 is hard to contest, largely thanks to what inflation is doing to new car prices. In May 2020, a 911 Turbo S was £155,970 before options; now, a new and improved Turbo S is £199,100, with greater scope than ever to add to the RRP. But put that 2020 asking price into an inflation calculator and it comes out as being the equivalent of £199,288 today. The notion of a £200k 911 Turbo S will probably take some getting used to, as so much is at the moment - but to deliver a better car at a price that’s only gone up as much as inflation feels impressive. Just don’t be surprised how easy it is to see a quarter of a million come up on the configurator. Still, a Turbo S has never come cheap in any of its guises, and this really does feel like a mighty update for the ultimate 911. Just think what a GT2 might be like…
SPECIFICATION | PORSCHE 911 TURBO S (992.2)
Engine: 3,547cc, twin-turbocharged, flat-six, 1.9kWh battery
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto, all-wheel drive, e-motor in transmission
Power (hp): 711@6,500-7,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 590@2,300rpm-6,000rpm
0-62mph: 2.5secs
Top speed: 200mph
Weight: 1,725kg (DIN unladen, with two seats)
MPG: 24.4
CO2: 263/gkm
Price: £199,100
Sometimes, less can actually be more. My GR86 is in comparison really slow, but is it less fun than something like this? On a British B road, I’d argue perhaps not.
And according to Harris (in his vid), tyre roar / road noise has been significantly reduced.
Hallelujah! At bleedin’ last, the Turbo is genuinely an everyday car.
Not keen on wheel choices, and charging £1000 extra to paint ‘em silver is very feckin’ cheeky
It's a GT car now in my eyes or to use bike parlance a Sports Tourer.
It does feel a bit like ICE and EV are converging. Range is getting better on EVs and ICE cars are delivering their power in an EV like way, Harris even mentions that point specifically in his review.
12 years later and this car definitely outperforms 2 of them, and matches the remainder, for a fifth of the price (including the runaway inflation of the last 5 years).
A Chiron might beat it in a drag race, but around a track it wouldn't see where the 911 Turbo S went.
I'd say the term 'hypercar' has had it's day.
To put the price into perspective that list price is about 30% less than it would be here in CH, a country with just 7% VAT. For a 911 the UK is probably one of the cheapest markets in the world right now.
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