2026 Porsche 911 Turbo S revealed
Performance carmaker Porsche has committed to selling its new 911 Turbo in Australia, and it’s so fast you will probably only realise you’ve seen it after it’s long gone.
Turbocharging is not enough.
Having been the top dog of Porsche’s sports car family for decades, the 911 Turbo has turned to electric power for a timely boost.
A new generation of the Porsche 911 Turbo S, due to arrive in Australia next year, swaps conventional turbochargers from the previous-generation model in favour of electrically boosted turbos further assisted by an electric motor wedged into its eight-speed automatic transmission.
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The result is the most powerful Porsche 911 production car yet – a 523kW monster capable of ripping to 100km/h in just 2.5 seconds.
Better still, the car can reach 200km/h in 8.4 seconds and rocket to a top speed of 322km/h.
Hybrid power also helped it carve 14 seconds away from the old model’s benchmark time around Germany’s Nurburgring circuit.
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Enthusiasts should not worry about hybrid power reducing the car’s raw appeal – this isn’t a Toyota Prius.
The 1.9kWh battery is used to boost power, not make the car glide silently along the road.
It builds on the electrified hardware of the new Porsche 911 GTS T-Hybrid, a car that sounds mighty while improving on the performance of regular models.
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A second electrified turbocharger for the 911’s 3.8-litre engine is the main difference between the two sports cars – the GTS only has one turbo.
APPROPRIATELY MUSCULAR
Porsche reckons a revising firing order and special exhaust system ensure that the new Turbo sounds appropriately muscular while pinning drivers to its lovingly crafted seats.
As before, it has a wider body than regular 911 models, along with big wheels, enormous brakes, active aerodynamics and a lavish cabin that helps justify a steep price – $577,300 plus options and on-toad costs for the fixed-top coupe, or $598,000 for the drop-top cabriolet.
Of the two dozen or so models in the 911 range, the Turbo is heralded as an all-rounder capable of delivering every day practicality that isn’t possible in a track-bred 911 GT3 RS, and performance that far exceeds what regular Carrera models offer.
Porsche executive Frank Moser claims it is “the most complete and versatile” model in the range.
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“Whether in daily use, on long motorway drives or on the racetrack – we have been able to make the new 911 Turbo S even more comfortable, more individual and significantly faster than its predecessor,” he says.
Expect a version of the 911 Turbo’s motor to feature in the upcoming 911 GT2 RS, a car likely to combine the stripped-out cabin and track-honed aero of the lightweight superstar with enough boost to take down $1m-plus hypercars.
It’s the quickest car in the 911 range by a wide margin – but can’t match the searing acceleration of the electric Porsche Taycan Turbo GT. That car can send up to 815kW to the road, helping it reach 200km/h two full seconds faster than the petrol-drinking 911 Turbo.
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