2011 Porsche 911 Turbo S

The 911 Turbo S comes exclusively with seven-speed Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) (Porsche’s Double-Clutch Gearbox) conveying drive power to Porsche Traction Management (PTM) all-wheel drive. The German market price of the Turbo S Coupé is Euro 173,241 including 19 per cent value-added tax and local equipment in the market (the Euro base price is Euro 145,400).

2011 Porsche 911 Turbo S Review; 3.8-litre, flat-six cylinder, twin turbocharged, seven-speed dual clutch transmission
There’s no doubting the 911’s ability to thrill, scare and reward in equal measure and the new generation Turbo S moves the game on once again.

In the UK, Porsche’s official acceleration figures have already been demolished on independent tests and it’s safe to say that the next generation Turbo models will push the performance envelope beyond what any of us thought possible.

Porsche has decided to endow the 911 Turbo S with such astonishing performance in order to take on the plethora of tuning companies that have been tweaking these cars for years, often with catastrophic results. Yet any time I’ve driven a 911 Turbo, the last thing on my mind has been that it needs more power. So I’m pointing the new S in the direction of the Scottish Highlands, where there are empty, fast roads, stunning scenery and traffic cops are thin on the ground.

There’s no manual gearbox available with the S because Porsche says nine out of 10 Turbos are specced with its seven-speed dual clutch PDK tranny. Reaching the motorway, I prepare myself for a first taste of Turbo S thrust. The Turbo, though, is quite possibly the world’s greatest GT car and is entirely different from the rest of the 911 range. It’s perfect for long journeys as it’s comfortable, quiet, immensely capable and safe. You see, the S – apart from being more powerful than the Turbo – has basically every conceivable Turbo extra thrown at it as standard. Extras fitted to this test car are the GT Silver paint, grey seat belts (!) an Aero Kit with its GT3-esque rear spoiler, and, laughably, given how expensive the car is, the rear wiper.

For the next 1000km the Turbo S doesn’t miss a beat. It sounded absolutely brilliant – this one sounded like a vacuum cleaner in comparison. Any car that can reach the speeds a Turbo S is capable of needs some serious stopping power and here, all-round carbon ceramic brakes (PCCB) are fitted as standard. Reaching my destination, it’s time to bed down for the night before an early morning return. Granted, a GT3 will give a more pure, traditional 911 experience, but if you want the very best GT car in the world today, look no further.

With 500 hp, the Porsche 911 Turbo is not exactly anemic. All the goodies we recommend you choose on the regular Turbo are standard here: the dynamic engine mounts, Porsche’s brake-based torque-vectoring system, ceramic brakes, and the Sport Chrono package, which also nets you launch control. The six-speed manual that’s standard on the Turbo is not available here.

The Turbo S’s 530 hp are available between 6250 and 6750 rpm. The added power is achieved through different intake-valve timing and increased turbo boost pressure. The Turbo S torque figure can be matched by the regular Turbo, but only when that car is equipped with the Sport Chrono package; it allows for a short overboost for up to 10 seconds, increasing boost from 11.6 psi to 14.5. We’ve already clocked a Turbo coupe sprinting to 60 mph in a downright blistering 2.9 seconds, so it seems Porsche is being its usual underestimating self. Top speed of the Turbo S increases from a claimed 194 mph to 195. The car gets slightly modified front-suspension geometry, giving it more precise steering feel and making the "Po rsche911 Turbo S" seem almost like a mid-engine car. Porsche says lap times on the Nürburgring have improved from 7:39 for the regular Turbo to 7:37. Although a mid-engine car is by design dynamically superior to a rear-engine car in most disciplines, the traction of the all-wheel-drive Turbo S, which stands on 235/35ZR-19 front and 305/30ZR-19 rear Bridgestone Potenzas, is simply unbelievable.

Porsche says 30 to 40 percent of Turbo customers upgrade their cars with the aggressive carbon-ceramic brakes. Sport Plus More Sport
As you start adding options to a regular Turbo, the Turbo S quickly starts making sense.