Porsche unveils ultimate 911 Turbo

Fifth Gear  Monday 08 February 2010

It’s hard to imagine many owners of the epic 911 Turbo hankering for more power, but Porsche insists the new range-topping S version is the result of customer demand for greater performance.

The 911 Turbo S boosts the peak output of the twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre boxer engine by 30bhp to an eye-watering 523bhp. Combined with 516lb ft of torque, the new Porsche will crack 60mph in just 3.3secs and won’t stop accelerating until a heady 196mph appears on the clock.

The extra power makes the new car the fastest, most powerful version of the revered 911 Turbo ever, a feat Porsche has achieved without any effect on economy as the S offers the same 24.8mpg fuel consumption as the standard model.
This is not the first time the S badge has appeared on the 911 Turbo; it was available in limited numbers on both the 993 and 996. The new car will go on sale in May priced from £123,263 for the Coupe and from £130,791 for the Cabrio.

Given that those prices represent a £21k premium over the regular Turbo, it’s hardly surprising that the S gets a whole host of desirable optional extras as standard.

Foremost amongst these is the seven-speed PDK gearbox with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters and Porsche’s Torque Vectoring system which includes a mechanical limited slip rear differential, but there’s also the superbly titled Sport Chrono Package Turbo that adds launch control and fade-resistant Ceramic Composite Brakes beneath the 19-inch RS Spyder alloys.

On paper at least, the Turbo S looks pant-wettingly brilliant, and the Driving Experience Programme at Silverstone Porsche will throw in for free should you decide to buy suggests it’s also pant-wettingly good to drive.