Reviews & Test Rides

The most powerful grade of Porsche 911, 911 Turbo S (992)

I recently had the opportunity to test drive a 992 Turbo S.I've test-drove the 992 Turbo S on my blog in the past.However, some time has passed since then, and I think my experience and feelings have changed, so I would like to talk about the appeal of the Turbo S again.

Porsche 911 Turbo S

For Porsche, the term "turbo" grade does not simply refer to a turbocharged car.

As evidence of this, the "Turbo" grade is also available in the electric vehicle Taikan,For Porsche, "Turbo" is a symbol of the highest grade and a special model.

This time it will be the "Turbo S," which includes all the driving options of the "Turbo" model.

Specifically, the Sport Chrono Package, PDCC, rear axle steering, PDCC, and center locking wheels will be standard equipment, and the engine will have 650 hp, up 70 hp from the turbo.

In short, the "Turbo S" is the "all-in-one" 911.

Turbo S design

From the 992, all 911s became wide-bodied, and in the 991 era, the wide body was the standard, which was a treat for the four-wheel-drive Carrera 4 series. However, from the 992 onward, as far as the turbo is concerned,The "Turbo Body" is an even larger version of that wide body.

As a result, the overall width is 1900 mm, which is 48 mm (about 5 cm) wider than the normal Carrera series, which is 1852 mm. The enlarged area is mainly allocated to the rear tread, and looking in the side mirrors from the driver's seat, one can clearly see the tremendous rear overhang.

The rear is equipped with a large variable rear wing that extends and retracts according to speed.It is.

Dense torque

The engine starts up not much differently from the regular Carrera series, rather a bit more docile than the GTS and others, but there is still no glimpse of its "turbo" appeal here.

Slowly step on the accelerator pedal and step out of the parking lot.The sense of spaciousness at that time is as different from that of the regular Carrera series.We are not talking simply about torque or fatness. It is more about the way the torque comes out, or should I say "dense"?

It is highly controllable, as if it can be adjusted in 1 km/h increments with a very subtle force applied or removed from the right foot.

As it is, the vehicle accelerates out onto the road, but the gas pedal opening is extremely small.

The Turbo S goes faster and faster without much pressure on the accelerator pedal. This sensation is hard to find in the Carrera series.

When they come to a curve, nothing happens.It is so stable and has enough chassis room that it turns without incident at flowing speeds with no braking.

The car is a four-wheel drive, so it does not feel like a two-wheel drive Carrera, but rather turns as much as the steering wheel is turned and accelerates as much as the accelerator pedal is pressed.

The feeling is both accurate and reassuring.

It is only the same four-wheel drive as the 991.1 Carrera 4GTS we have at home, and the feeling is very close.The front/rear pitch in acceleration and deceleration is very low, and the occupant's line of sight remains at the same height. This is a strong advantage of the 911's four-wheel-drive system, which prevents the occupants from feeling fear even if they drive a little fast.

650 hp with fangs

I tried to step on the gas pedal to increase the pace a little, but the feeling was totally different from that of the Carrera series. Of course, it is 180 degrees different from the GT series.

Just a little bit of effort on the gas pedal is all that is needed. TAKURO, who rides in the passenger seat, said, "Are you pressing down on the accelerator halfway now?I ask, "What is it?"No, maybe 1/3, maybe 1/4.The situation is such that the answer is "yes.

That is how much room the Turbo S has.

Then, I stepped on the accelerator pedal on a straight section to see if I could push a little harder. Anticipating a strong acceleration, I brace myself with a bit of tension in my neck, but the acceleration goes beyond my expectations.

The neck inevitably bends backward and the chin turns up. I haven't felt this acceleration since the Taikan's turbo, and the 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 2.7 seconds is no joke. (As usual with Porsche, this catalog figure is conservative.)

It is truly a 'free hole falling forward,' as I described it at the time of the taikan.

It would be hard to find a car that surpasses this sense of acceleration.I don't think any of the supercars out there can match it. The response and traction are on another level.

By the way, at this time, it is not yet sticky. What kind of acceleration is waiting for me if I step on the accelerator pedal? I will save that for when I become an owner.

Attraction of Turbo S

Readers who have read this far,A Turbo S is more stability oriented, has more power, and is a GT car among 911's after all, right?" , "Kind of like an AMG?"I think some of you may think that this is a good idea.

The answer is partially true: it could be used well enough like a GT car, or even for everyday use like an AMG. But that is only looking at some aspects of the Turbo S.

The real appeal of the Turbo S is that even if you are lightly driving down a winding road in the low rpm range, its dense torque and good response provide "fun", and once you step on it, you can enjoy the furious acceleration, and the "fun" of the car,Even if you dare to drive in second or third gear and keep the rpms high, it is controllable enough and does not feel dangerous at all.

And the sound is excellent, with a classy and pleasant tone.

The Turbo S is truly "ultra-high performance that can be experienced on ordinary roads.

The GT series, such as the GT3, offers "high performance that can be experienced on the circuit," but the turbo's main battleground is on ordinary roads, and of course it is a car that can be driven more than adequately on the circuit, but even on ordinary roads at low rpm and low speed, the driver can clearly taste the potential of the engine and chassis. I think this is the reason why the turbo is a turbo.

Next time you buy a 992, buy a Turbo S.

Until I tasted the Turbo S.I think that such high performance and high power can't be experienced on public roads anyway, so it will only cause frustration in the city and other places, just like the GT series.He feared that the

However, theIn the world of the 911 turbo, there is a world of "fun without turning, fun without accelerating, and fun without hearing a sound.Of course, everyone has different tastes, so this is not an absolute statement, but I think Porsche has clearly tuned the "Turbo" grade to be enjoyable on public roads.

I have experienced many grades of the 992 so far, and my personal recommendation for the 992 is currently the bare Carrera (including the T) or the Turbo S. I still own a bare-bones Carrera, and the test drive made me think again that if I were to buy a 992 next, I would want a Turbo S.

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