The History of the Turbo S: Porsche’s Ultimate Weapon For over 50 years, the 911 Turbo has forever been the ultimate expression in benchmark performance. Ever since Porsche fitted a turbocharger to its rear-engine, Beetle-originated icon, it has created the world’s ultimate road-going assassin. Particularly in its current 992 guise. On the one hand, you have a car that is quiet, comfortably, and surprisingly little making it actually usable on a day to day basis. At the same time, its all–wheel–drive system, build quality, and sophisticated tech make it as secure, safe, and exceptionally easy to drive. Yet engage launch control, and this sophisticated Labrador turns into a rapid greyhound. With 650 horsepower on tap from its 3.8L flat-6, the outgoing Turbo S will reach 62mph from 0 in a blistering 2.7 seconds, and maxing out at 205mph. And thanks to its all-wheel drive system and active aerodynamics, it cornered with more grip than an F1 car. It humiliated most million dollar hypercars, you spent the last twenty years taking out loans to afford. It was a car that made you question, “What more do you need in life?” Sadly, this outgoing 992 version represents the end of the era. For the last time, Porsche’s ultimate weapon will be purely petrol-powered. Read More New Porsche 911 Turbo is going Hybrid: While the base model Carrera S remains Purely Petrol How the Porsche 911 Turbo S Hybrid System Works One big issue that hampers most performance hybrids is their weight. Because one is fitting a huge battery to aid power with the engine, what results is a rather heavy car. And that weight contradicts the added performance and can, in some cases, make the new car slower than the predecessor, see the new BMW M5. However, with the 992.2 Porsche have used a very different setup. Instead, the current 992 GTS t-Hybrid uses a 3.6l boxer turbo Flat-6, which contains a compact 1.9 kWh battery paired with an electric motor integrated into the eight-speed PDK transmission. This setup allows for instant response, removing turbo lag and maintaining boost even when your foot is off the throttle. In the Turbo S, though, the system goes one-stage further. It now features two electrically assisted turbochargers and the downside of this is that this facelift is now 85kg heavier than its Predecessor. The upside is that this new setup boosts power delivery, completely eliminates turbo lag, and produces 711 horsepower (50 more than before) and the same 590 lb-ft of torque. The result of that is 412 horsepower per tonne, 16 more than the outgoing model. A Subtle Design Change Results in Major Aerodynamic Changes From the outset, the new 992.2 Turbo S plays with that typical Porsche recipe of minimalist changes to its iconic shape. It literally looks the same as the 992.1, which looked the same as the 991, which looked identical to the 997, which…you get the idea. The only changes are a slight tweak to the front grill, redesigned air intakes, and the overall car looks slightly wider, especially at the rear. However, these subtle changes make a big difference. The new Turbo S features adaptive flaps, an active rear diffuser, and a reworked wing that adjusts on the move. These all improve the airflow over the car and ensure the car remains stuck to the road when cornering. Couple all this to the 8-speed PDK gearbox and the all-wheel drive setup, and the results are alarming. Performance, Handling, and Nürburgring Record There’s rapid, there’s mind-boggling, and then there’s 992.2 Turbo S performance. Engage launch control, and Porsche claims this car will sprint from 0-62mph in just 2.5 seconds. Though knowing the Turbo S, this is more likely 2.2 seconds to 62mph. And keep your foot down, Porsche say it will max at 200mph, 5mph slower than its predecessor. Though again, it’s likely 210mph is more realistic. And of course, like any Turbo S, the grip is just as impressive as the speed. Underneath, the new car features a new ehPDCC (electrohydraulic chassis control) system, which ensures minimal body roll without compromising ride comfort. There’s also new massive 16.5-inch carbon-ceramic discs, which Porsche say will bring this car to a complete stop in 10 ft shorter than its predecessor. Couple all this together, and what you have is a car that truly redefines the term grip and go. In fact, just this year, Porsche sent the 2025 911 Turbo S to the Nürburgring Nordschleife, where it clocked a time of 7:03.92 minutes, a full 14 seconds faster than its predecessor. Jörg Bergmeister, Porsche’s test driver, praised the car’s agility, grip, and balance, describing it as more confidence-inspiring than ever, and that it could give the 918 a run for its money. The Ultimate All-Rounder: Turbonite Rules Read More 2025 Porsche 911 (992.2) GT3 hits the “Green Hell”: Potentially setting a new Record-Breaking Time over its predecessor at the Nürburgring But what makes that all impressive is that this isn’t a track-hard GT3, or some multi-million dollar 918 replacement. This is a 911 through and through, it has four seats, a decent-sized size front boot, sat-nav, lane-assist, Bluetooth, all the modern creature comforts. And when you’ve finished clowning around, it's quiet and supremely comfortable. It really is an all-rounder. You also get a pretty great spec with this car. This launch, Turbo S now comes in Porsche’s new “Turbonite” metallic, with exhaust tips crafted from titanium. Inside, the theme continues with Turbonite stitching, carbon fibre trim, and adaptive sports seats. Buyers wanting more flair can turn to Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur for bespoke options, from Paint to Sample colours to lightweight carbon roofs. Now for the trick bit, the new Turbo S costs $270,000 over $30,000 more than its predecessor. And in succession, they’ve launched a Turbo S cabriolet that’s $6,000 more. That sounds like a lot, but then no car does quite as much for the money as the Turbo S. Because here you have a car that can out grip, out balance, out-perform, and out-accelerate any hypercar on the market. But on the other hand, you have a car that is quiet, supremely comfortable, well-made, well-equipped, practical, and easy to use. Considering you don’t get this with either a McLaren Artura, a Lamborghini Temerario, or a Ferrari 296, that makes the Turbo S a complete bargain. So there we are, once again, Porsche have done it again with the Turbo S. It’s once again Porsche’s ultimate weapon. What more do you need in life? F1rstMotors Facts and FiguresManufacturerPorsche AGModel911 (992.2) Turbo SYear of Release2026Engine3.6l boxer turbo Flat-6 with two 1.9kWh Electric MotorsHorsepower711 horsepowerTorque590 lb–ft0–62mph (100km/h)2.5 seconds (predicted)Top Speed200mph (322 km/h)Weight1,738kg (1.4 tonnes)Power to Weight412 hp per tonneGearbox8–speed Dual ClutchDriven WheelsAll Wheel DriveRivalsFerrari 296 GTB, Lamborghini Temerario, McLaren Artura, Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E-Performance Source: Porsche
