2021 Porsche 911 Turbo first ride review: no second banana

Living in the shadow of a superstar has its advantages. No, the new Porsche 911 Turbo does not have the 640 hp headlining and 2.6 seconds from 0 to 100 km / h like the Turbo S, but the specs don’t tell the whole story. Because the two cars are so perfectly alike, the 911 Turbo will make you laugh just as hard as you launch it over a driveway and give you the same my-god-that-quick thrill of excitement after a long drive. a good way.

Moreover, it is not the case that the 911 Turbo does not come with impressive references. It uses the same 3.8-liter flat-6 as the Turbo S, but the turbochargers are smaller, reducing engine power to 572 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque. That’s a drop of 68 horsepower and 37 lb-ft compared to the Turbo S, but it barely affects performance. If you reach 100 km / h, it takes a meager tenth of a second longer in the 911 Turbo. Prefer to measure life a quarter of a mile at a time? The S only beats the Turbo by a nose – 10.5 seconds compared to 10.8.

2021 Porsche 911 Turbo offers a lot of punch for less money

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Let’s expand the scope and give the 911 Turbo’s performance extra perspective. The new Turbo isn’t just as fast as the outgoing one 991.2 generation Turbo S, it speeds up the Ferrari 488 Pista Lamborghini Huracan Evo McLaren 600LT and Mercedes-AMG GT R Black SeriesWith $ 173,150 to start (including $ 1,350 for destination and $ 1,000 gas-guzzler tax), the 911 Turbo is also tens of thousands of dollars cheaper than those other covetable supercars, and a full $ 32,700 less expensive than the Turbo S. You name it.

Apart from the slight performance difference, the 911 Turbo and 911 Turbo S are mechanically identical. Both cars use Porsche’s eight-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission and torque-vectoring four-wheel drive. The suspension geometry and adaptive damper settings are the same, and you can add the stiffer PASM Sport setup to either car. The variable steering system has also remained unchanged, with a 14.1: 1 ratio in the center, tightening to 12.5: 1. The Turbo even gets all the active aerodynamic parts of the S, with a movable rear wing and extended front chin , all of which work together to keep the 911 stable and balanced while you’re at work.

And damn hot, hustlin ‘is what this car does the best. The specification differences are easy to pinpoint on paper, but even if I were to drive the Turbo and Turbo S one after the other on the same road, I’m not sure I would really feel a difference. The 911 Turbo is fast. Very quick. Really very fast. Porsche could have rolled out the Turbo, called it the Turbo S, and I still would have been everything holy crap this thing is dynamite. The steering is weighted perfectly. The chassis is beautifully balanced. The brakes, the power, the sound of the sports exhaust… it’s aces everywhere. I don’t mean this sounds like a love party, but it really is that good.

Slow down and you’ll find that the 911 Turbo can be a model of docility. Sure, it’s faster than many supercars, but it’s also easier to drive at a snail’s pace. The Turbo is as effortless and manageable as a basic 911 Carrera when you run out to pick up a pizza. It also has the same GPS-enabled hydraulic front axle lift as the Turbo S, which can remember things like that steep driveway to Ralphs parking lot or that stupid speed bump you always forget at the end of the street. That extra peace of mind you won’t scrape is totally worth the extra $ 2,770.

Small caveat to all this: the 911 Turbo S has a higher level of standard equipment than the basic turbo. Crucially, performance goodies like Porsche’s ceramic composite brakes and dynamic chassis control anti-roll technology are standard on the Turbo S, but optional on the 911 Turbo, and fitted as such on my test car. Would there be a more noticeable difference between the Turbo and Turbo S if I had tested a version without options? Could be. But that’s a story for another time.

The 911 Turbo does not come standard with the 18-way electrically adjustable S sport seats and the 20-inch front and 21-inch rear wheels with central locking, but again, they are optional. In fact, there’s nothing available for the Turbo S that isn’t available on the Turbo, including the Lightweight Design package that removes the rear seats and adds carbon fiber front buckets, a carbon fiber roof and thinner glass, saving about 66 pounds.

Likewise, the same selection of exterior and interior colors, trim choices, luxury extensions and technical features is available for the Turbo / S range. This particular Racing Yellow car is quite lavishly outfitted, with things like the $ 6,150 SportDesign package, $ 5,500 Turbo S Exclusive Design wheels, $ 2,740 LED matrix headlights and $ 3,020 InnoDrive technology that combines adaptive cruise control and lane assistance. It also has some redundant add-ons like night vision ($ 2,540), yellow seat belts ($ 540), matte carbon fiber interior trim ($ 2,100), illuminated matte sill trims ($ 1,280), and a whole bunch of other nonsense. All told, this car has $ 47,150 in extras. Add that to the base price of $ 173,150 and you have a $ 220,300 window sticker, as tested. Yikes.

So if the 911 Turbo is just as good as the 911 Turbo S, why spend that extra money? Because you must have the best. Up to that point, Porsche tells me that the standard Turbo is below the index of the entire 911 range when it comes to custom cars; most 911 Turbo buyers simply grab what’s at the dealer. Meanwhile, the Turbo S outperforms on special orders compared to any other 911. Go on.

For many, there’s enough bragging rights in that extra consonant to make the Turbo S’s premium $ 32,700 worth every penny. (Guess which version outshines the other.) But the truth is, both cars are pretty smelly great. If you don’t need those bragging rights, I promise the regular 911 Turbo will keep you smiling for years to come.