Turbo. Everything is now. But if I pointed to a car in the parking lot and said “That Turbo is mine.”, you’d instantly know I’d be talking about a 911. Specifically, the 991.2 Porsche 911 Turbo S that you see on this very page.
Must be some car to own a name like that, and it dates all the way back to 1975. But it’s now 2024, and so we must ask if this car is still relevant.
The answer might surprise you.
Get one
- Probably still accelerating
- The full Porsche driving experience
- As comfy as an M5 inside
Don’t get one
- The GT3 exists
- Heavier than a 911 T
- Lacks any sort of theater
Soul Score
8/10
A king. But no longer the king.
The 2018 991.2 Porsche 911 Turbo S Overview
Like so many 80’s babies, my first exposure to Porsche came from a video game – specifically a game for the Sega Genesis called The Duel. The 911 wasn’t in it. A Ferrari F40 was. And a Lamborghini Countach.
And a Porsche 959 – a car that wasn’t available here, not that nine-year-old me knew that. I thought it was a 911 Turbo. No other car had that badge, so it must be the fastest! History backed up my logic, as the 911 Turbo was indeed the fastest production car available in Germany upon its introduction.
But like I said up top, this is 2024, and things have changed. Turbochargers are on everything from hair dryers to vacuums (did not fact check that), and that includes every 911. But funny thing, if you want to be cool now, you need to get one without said whistle – a 911 GT3. While the 911 Turbo was always placed at the top of the range, the GT3 has since usurped the spot in both price and street cred.
Maybe we can blame how the 991.2 (and in fact any) Turbo comes – PDK-only, with all-wheel drive. No manual, no rear-wheel-only option. Any true driver would scoff at such performance aides, right?
Yup, this car is in a weird spot. But don’t dismiss it so quickly.
Performance Score: 8. It’s Turbo Time
This car is so fast, it feels like it has over 1,000 horsepower, and I mean that quite literally. The fact that it’s down almost 100 horses from a BMW M8 is incredible, and deceptive.
But with this Porsche, it never really pokes at you to go faster.
Engine
Buckle up in this 911 Turbo S and expect 0-60 in 2.7 seconds when you use launch control, with a quarter-mile time of 10.7. These are numbers you might find on electric cars, not necessarily a German with a butt full of engine.
To achieve this, Porsche takes its famous 3.8-liter flat six found in lesser models and ups the boost, for a total of 580 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque. There’s absolutely no drama here. Power is everywhere, all the time. Could be a V-8, and in fact it feels like an M5 in just how smooth the power delivery is. Compared to a GT3, this car is downright relaxed despite the speed.
I hate to be a party pooper (no I don’t), but the Turbo doesn’t feel like a supercar, or anything other than a 911. Take a turn in a 911 T, and you’d probably like that car better. It’s lighter, and though it’s slower to sixty by a second, it feels faster because it actually sends some vibration to you.
Every red light is a chance for the Turbo S to turn into Ivan Drago pummeling Apollo. There is no pause in acceleration, or any concept of just how fast you are going. 10 MPH? 100? 1,000? Maybe, feels like it’ll pull forever.
The exhaust note matches the experience. It’s still 911, but it’s refined. Quiet even. You could drive this all day and never know you’re in a rocket ship by the sound of it. But if you hop into a GT3 (remember, same basic engine), it’s clear just how distanced you are from the sensations of power.
Transmission
There is no reason to offer a manual transmission on a Turbo. It slows you down and makes the car less smooth to drive.
Did I upset you? I hope not – this PDK is simply the best in the business at offering karate chops of precision on each shift (if you want), or it can just relax around town with the best automatics. The 911 T is better with a manual, if that makes you feel any better.
Steering and Chassis
The biggest surprise with this 911 is how heavy the steering is in sport mode, and I mean that in a good way. Every Porsche rack is so good, the best in the business, but this 911 Turbo offers the directness and feedback every BMW owner craves, while making you work for it a little. Delicious.
Of course, another Turbo staple is all-wheel drive, and you absolutely need it here. Perhaps one day I’ll drive a GT2 RS with its neanderthal-inspired rear-wheel-drive-only chassis, but it sounds intimidating. In this car, you get breathtaking and consistent launches that shove you into another dimension. Perhaps an electric car offers a similar sensation, but this is waaay more fun.
As always, Porsche has magic’d away any hint of instability despite the engine being south of the border (unless you turn off all the chassis aides, which I am not brave enough to do in a car not owned by me). It is firm, precise, and somewhat heavy in its responses (it’s not that heavy, at about 3,500 pounds). A Cayman GTS feels more like a sports car, while this Turbo feels like a two-door M5.
Speaking of, it’s comfy driving down the highway. Nothing harsh, nothing crashes or bumps – Lexus could make this car. It is the pinnacle of grand touring.
Brakes
Anybody order a pizza? If so, serve them on these gigantic 16.1-in vented, cross-drilled carbon-ceramic discs (even the back rotors are over 15 inches!) Needless to say, fade will not be an issue.
But what must be said is that these brakes are a bit of a dead spot just as soon as you step on them, which is a sphincter-tightening moment if you happen to be going fast. It was a chilly fall morning for this review, and ceramics do need time to heat up, so let’s attribute it to that. The GT3 RS has the same brake hardware, and I never noticed any hesitation there.
Both the GT3 and this Turbo laugh at you on public roads. Their performance is beyond reproach – I can think of nothing faster or more capable. But with this 991.2 Porsche 911 Turbo S, unless you’re going Mach 5, you won’t notice what you’re driving. And if that’s the case, why do I need all that performance anyway?
Fast cars should make you want to drive fast.
Lifestyle Score: 5. Don’t make me come back there
Please, don’t. The 911 Turbo manages to keep its back seat, and I suppose that if you have young children, you’ll appreciate the added versatility. You can also, in an extreme pinch, fit a smaller adult in there, so I hope you’re friends with Natalie Portman instead of Shaq.
Up front we have excellent sport bucket seats that just do everything well. Those carbon fiber torture chambers hold onto you with more fervor in the twisties, but would be out of place in a car such as this.
Like all 911s, the trunk is in the front, and it’s fine for an overnight bag or two. Mid-engine cars offer more room to live, but I see no reason why this couldn’t be your daily.
Fuel Economy: 8. The option is there
No doubt you will hop inside this car, and most likely drive it like Batman through downtown Gotham. Every red light is a chance to catch the bad guys. If you do that, your MPG will drop like the crime rate in said city.
But when you just want to Netflix and chill, the 911 Turbo can achieve up to 24 MPG on the highway. Combined, it gets a still impressive 19. This from a car that posts Starship Enterprise acceleration times. The takeaway here is that Porsche is able to produce a car with impressive power, all-wheel traction, and fully-loaded comfort while keeping the curb weight down.
And if they can do it, why can’t anyone else?
Features and Comfort: 8. This isn’t brand new?
If you parked this 991.2 Porsche 911 Turbo S next to a new one, then yes, I can tell the difference (we’re on 992.2, if you’re wondering). But on its own, this one still looks like it could be brand new.
The big issue here, as always, is cost.
If you’ve been in one…
At this stage of the game, almost every manufacturer is guilty of copying the interior of one car, and pasting it into another. But in many ways, I’m good with it – everything is where you expect it to be, regardless of the model you’re in.
So let’s start with this wonderful Bordeaux red leather, and how it matches the car’s exterior and black trim perfectly. It’s not as soft as you might think, like BMW’s Merino leather, but it would seem to be more durable. There is the tiniest sliver of carbon fiber trim, and all the aluminum inside feels cool to the touch, so you know it’s real.
Look up and find an Alcantara headliner with a big sunroof. I love it – fits the car perfectly, and takes the sting out of not ordering the Cabriolet. Elsewhere, typical Porsche, from the 80s alarm-clock climate control display to the drove mode knob on the wheel. Even the gauge cluster – it offers more information than one in a Cayman, but it’s still that classic Porsche shape. Infotainment screen is a bit small, though is that so bad?
All of this is great, fine. But now I must hand you the $191,750 tab before options. Does the car feel like it inside? No. Does the car drive like it? Well we just answered that.
Long live side intakes
The theme of samsies continues to the outside. Turbos used to have exclusive access to those big side intakes and wider hips, but those features have migrated both downmarket (The Carrera 4S), and upmarket (The GT3). You have to look closely here.
First, peep those beautiful wheels – they take the theme of the famous “twist” wheels and modernize it. Those gold calipers look great too, and Turbo models get revised bumpers and a specific wing. The carbon fiber accents are tasteful and add more menace.
Color – white. Just white, no metallic, no fancy name. Hard to argue with it too. But why isn’t everything body color? Is $200k not enough to make it all uniform? Looks like a damn WRX. I digress. The color palette is surprisingly limited – you must spend a lot to make it unique. And I do mean spend – paint to sample was a $14,000 option, unless it’s never been done before. Then it’s $32,000.
Others sport cars to consider
- Chevrolet Corvette Z06
- Porsche 911 T
- Porsche 911 GT3 RS
- BMW M8 Competition
- Aston Martin Vantage
- Jaguar F-TYPE
The 2018 991.2 Porsche 911 Turbo S is missing the theater of a true exotic car
I’ve driven a lot of modern 911s by now – all are brilliant. All perform exactly as you’d expect. But if I’m honest…bring it in close for this one…
I like the Cayman better.
Porsche is insistent that the 911 remain rear-engined with a flat-six engine. But in order to get this flawed layout to perform the way Porsche wants (fast, safe), they always end up taking out a lot of the soul too.
It doesn’t need to be like this, and you need look no further than a Chevrolet showroom with a Corvette inside. A mid-engine Corvette is a revelation, turning it from a lumpen muscle car that comes with a certain reputation, to a supercar killer that’s genuinely as good as this 911. Chevy is finally adding a turbo in for good measure too.
If you’ve always wanted one of these, there is nothing this 991.2 will do that will change your mind – it’s an amazing car, worthy of your lust.
But if you’re hoping for that raw sensation from the originator of the Turbo name, there’s only one 911 to admire.
And there ain’t a Turbo badge on it.
Thanks to my friends at Brakes & Briskets for sharing their Turbo!