The climb to the daily-drivable supercar has been a long one. While the Miura was nicely appointed, it was the later Maserati Bora that showed the world that a world-beating supercar could actually be a civilized machine. Porsche cemented that idea a few years later with the original Turbo Carreras of the mid-1970s, and ever since other models from across the industry have come and gone trying to capture the magic. All the while Porsche has refined their concept from the civilized-when-off-boost 930s, through the all-weather capable 993, and on to today’s 640 horsepower Turbo S.
As with the standard car, the 992 is larger in every dimension than its predecessor. Wheel diameters are now staggered, with the enormous center-lockers measuring 20″ up front and 21″ out back, the brakes are bigger, and power is up by sixty horsepower. When it launches all four wheels spin and the car makes every effort to hoover up the horizon through the inlets on the rear quarters. It’s a reality bending 3,600 pound behemoth you can take to the store, or your kid’s soccer practice.
When the aftermarket figures out how to add more boost I’m sure it will gain the ability to time travel. Then you’ll even be able to take it to see whichever era of Bowie you like best.
For all of that, it’s still a car. The eight speed PDK transmission both harnesses the car’s enormous power, and allows for impressive fuel economy. Rear-wheel steering serves to (effectively) lengthen or shorten the wheelbase depending on conditions. The drive though, only tells half the story.
MotoMan TV, apparently with the exact same Carmine Red press car, offers a different perspective on the Turbo S- its technical features. The video title is slightly misleading, as this is not just an overview of the interior technology. This is an overview of the tech highlights of the entire car, from the variable vane turbochargers, to the 420mm front PCCB brakes, to the impressive array of interior screens.
It’s not just a look at what makes the car pleasant to live with, but what makes its very existence possible. If you’re at all interested in the “how” of the Turbo S rather than the “why,” it’s a great place to start. There is a lot to digest with the latest generation of 911 Turbo. After all this car makes 40 horsepower more than the 22-liter R-1340 Wasp radial in the T-6 Texan sitting in the background of the video.
As Matt points out though, is any of this relevant? In this era where all 911s, save for the GT3, are turbocharged, the Turbo loses some of its identity. If you’re not on a racetrack it’s hard to savor the car’s distinct character in the same way you could in earlier generations. The Turbo is a remarkable machine, but off the racetrack is it merely a faster way to a ticket than a Carrera S or GTS, and on track wouldn’t you rather have a GT3?
