2021 Porsche 911 Turbo first ride review: No second banana

Living in the shadow of a superstar has its benefits. No, the new Porsche 911 Turbo does not have the 640 horsepower and 2.6 seconds 0 to 60 km / h as the Turbo S, but the specifications do not tell the whole story. Because the two cars are so similar, the 911 Turbo will make you laugh just as much when you unload it on a drive, and you will get the same thrilling rush of excitement after a long drive a good road.

Plus, it’s not like the 911 Turbo has an impressive credentials. It uses the same 3.8-liter flat-6 as the Turbo S, but the turbochargers are smaller, which reduces engine delivery to 572 hp and 553 pounds of torque. This is a 68 hp and 37 lb-ft drop compared to the Turbo S, but it barely affects performance. To hit 60 km / h takes a meager tenth of a second longer in the 911 Turbo. Do you prefer life one-quarter-mile at a time? The S beats the Turbo with just one nose – 10.5 seconds compared to 10.8.

Let’s expand the range and give the 911 Turbo’s performance extra perspective. Not only is the new Turbo as fast as the outgoing 991.2-generation Turbo S, it will accelerate the Ferrari 488 Pista, Lamborghini Huracan Evo, McLaren 600LT and Mercedes-AMG GT R Black Series. At $ 173,150 to start (including $ 1,350 for destination and a $ 1,000 gas tax), the 911 Turbo is also tens of thousands of dollars cheaper than the other desirable supercars, and a full $ 32,700 less expensive than the Turbo S. Just say ‘ .

The 911 Turbo and 911 Turbo S are mechanically identical if there is a slight difference. Both cars use the eight-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission from Porsche and have a wheel drive with torque. The suspension geometry and the adjustable damper settings are the same, and you can add the stiffer PASM Sport setup to any car. The variable steering system is also unchanged, with a 14.1: 1 ratio in the middle, which rotates to 12.5: 1. The Turbo even gets all the S ‘active aerodynamic pieces, with a movable rear wing and extending front chin, all of which work together to keep the 911 stable and ready when you cry.

And it’s good what this car does best. The differences between specs are easy to point out on paper, but even if I drove the Turbo and Turbo S backwards on the same road, I’m not sure I would really feel a difference. The 911 Turbo is fast. Really fast. Really, really, really fast. Porsche could have rolled out the Turbo, called it the Turbo S, and I would still have been everything, holy shit, this thing is dynamite. The steering wheel is perfectly weighed. The chassis is beautifully balanced. The brakes, the power, the sound of the sports exhaust … it’s bait all around. I do not mean that it should sound like a love party, but it really is that good.

Slow down your roll and you will find that the 911 Turbo can be an example of patience. Of course, it’s faster than many supercars, but it’s also easier to drive at a snail’s pace. The Turbo is just as effortless and manageable as a base 911 Carrera when picking up a pizza. It also has the same GPS-activated hydraulic front-end option as the Turbo S, which can remember things like the steep driveway to the Ralphs car park or that stupid speed bump you always forget at the end of your street. The extra thought that can not scratch the chin is worth the extra $ 2,770.

However, this is a small caveat: the 911 Turbo S has a higher standard of equipment than the basic Turbo. It’s important that performance goodies like Porsche’s ceramic composite brakes and a dynamic chassis control roll technology are standard on the Turbo S, but optional on the 911 Turbo, and as such fit on my test car. Would there be a more noticeable difference between the Turbo and Turbo S if I tested a version without options? Can be. But that’s a story for another time.

The 911 Turbo is not standard with the S ’18 directional motorsport seats and the 20-inch front and 21-inch center wheels at the rear, but once again it is optional. There’s not really one thing available for the Turbo S that is not available on the Turbo, including the Lightweight Design package that removes the rear seats and buckets of carbon fiber front, a carbon fiber roof and thinner glass, saving about 66 pounds.

Similarly, the same range of exterior and interior colors, upholstery choices, luxury additions and technological features are available in the Turbo / S range. This particular Racing Yellow car is pretty lavish, 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 providing customizable cruise control and track assistance combine. There are also a number of unnecessary additions such as night vision ($ 2,540), yellow seat belts ($ 540), matte carbon fiber interior ($ 2,100), illuminated carpet door guards ($ 1,280) and a whole host of other nonsense. Though this car is extra $ 47,150 extra. Add to that the base price of $ 173,150, and you have a proven window sticker of $ 220,300. Yikes.

So if the 911 Turbo is just as good as the 911 Turbo S, why spend extra cash? Because you have to have the best. Up until that point, Porsche tells me that the standard Turbo sub-indexes the entire 911 range when ordered from custom cars; the majority of the 911 Turbo buyers grab just what is at the dealer. Meanwhile, the Turbo S has too much index on special orders compared to every other 911. Go figure.

For many, there is enough braggadocio in the extra consonant to make the premium of Turbo S $ 32,700 per cent. (Guess which version the other sells.) But the truth is that both cars stink quite a bit. If you do not need those bragging rights, I promise that the regular 911 Turbo will make you smile for years to come.