New Porsche 911 Turbo S review – the more rounded McLaren Artura rival

The 911 Turbo’s pivot back to its traditional values continues with the 992.2 model, a designation that suggests a routine, mid-life revision but is anything but. Essentially, Porsche has transplanted a version of the hybrid running gear of the 911 GTS but uprated to Turbo S standard, lifting power to 701bhp and creating the most powerful production 911 ever. 

Out goes the 3.8-litre engine of the previous Turbo, in comes the GTS’s 3.6, but with a pair of smaller, electrically assisted eTurbos rather than one big one. Regardless of engine load, the moment the throttle opens the eTurbos’ integral electric motors spin up the turbos to deliver boost, preventing lag. On a closed throttle they’re driven by excess exhaust gases and act as wastegates and generators, feeding power back into the hybrid battery. 

There’s also an electric motor incorporated into the PDK gearbox, putting energy directly into the four-wheel drive system, with up to 370lb ft of torque delivered to the front axle. Unlike its obvious rivals, the Mercedes-AMG GT E Performance and McLaren Artura, the 911 offers no EV-only mode: the hybrid system is there purely to enhance performance.

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At 1725kg, the new model is about 80kg heavier than the previous model but has a slightly better power-to-weight ratio and gets to 62mph in 2.5sec, two tenths quicker. However, with a top speed 200mph, it’s 5mph slower than the previous model despite a more comprehensive active aero package said to give 10 per cent less drag in its slipperiest mode.

The package comprises an extending front splitter (carried over), an extending, tilting rear wing and front air intakes that adjust dependent on the cooling demand. There are also diffuser flaps ahead of the front wheel wells which have a secondary function, deploying to reduce spray onto the front brakes in wet weather, while the carbon-ceramic brakes feature bigger rear discs to compensate for the extra mass. 

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The front tyres are as before - 255/35 R20 - but rear tyres have been upsized to 325/30 R21. Our test car was on Pirelli P-Zero Rs but Goodyears will also be available. Initial impressions are that the engine has a quite hollow, jangly flat-six note, and that the ride is a little robust at low speeds but as with most current 911s, as soon as there’s a little speed under its wheels the ride smooths out. 

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Heading up into the Andalusian hills of southern Spain, the roads are smooth but there’s commendably little road noise and the ride is good too, not overly controlled in Normal mode and it should work on our more challenging surfaces thanks to the standard active anti-roll bars, which can decouple in a straight line, allowing the wheels on the left and right sides to articulate independently. 

A benefit of the 400v electrical architecture is that it ramps up the performance of certain systems, including the nose-lift and also the active anti-roll bars, part of ‘ehPDCC’: electro-hydraulic Porsche dynamic chassis control. Engineers said that they could have eliminated roll altogether but that it felt ‘synthetic’, so they settled on 0.5deg per g.

Steer left and right quickly and you can feel the roll resistance but you quickly acclimatise to it and along a flowing road the Turbo S simply seems to tack crisply into the turns, finding strong grip. There are active dampers and rear steering too, which delivers counter-steer at low speeds for agility and parallel steer at high speeds for stability, plus torque distribution via the four-wheel drive system. 

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So it’s all about integrating and blending the various systems and their influences to deliver not just something that is effective but which feels natural. I’d say in general driving it’s mission accomplished. The Turbo S’s steering isn’t the most tactile but the ease, accuracy and poise with which it gets down a tricky road is just what you want from a Turbo. 

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Left to its own devices, on a light throttle the PDK gearbox will shuffle up into the long-striding eighth gear and settle there. Give the accelerator a decent squeeze and once the transmission has found the right gear the power is delivered as a strong, smooth, consistent shove – expected with a torque curve like table mountain, the full 590lb ft delivered between 2300 and 6000rpm. 

In search of lag-free response the engineers claim, I select third gear, dial in 3000rpm and pin the throttle. It’s impressively responsive but unlike in a Taycan, there’s still a moment before it sling-shots away. That said, the instant response of an EV is uncomfortable, especially for passengers.

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A better demonstration of the uplift of eTurbos is to select manual, pick a high gear and floor the throttle from low revs, because then you appreciate how quickly they start delivering boost. It feels like you’re getting something for nothing – the punch of a 5-litre from a 3.6. It’s a great engine, super responsive and tractable, and there’s a thrilling uplift in urgency as the rev counter needle swings for the redline. 

It doesn’t sound as meaty as it feels, though. A press of the exhaust loud button solves that, the uplift in volume modest but the added depth and richness just right. You also get this when you select ‘Sport Plus’, as well as enhanced engine and gearbox response, full spoiler deployment and firmer dampers which bring a keener feel for a negligable loss in comfort.

The brakes deserve mention too; their feel and response is quite superb, perfect whether you’re brushing the pedal to skim off a little speed or in the meat of the travel, hauling down hard for a corner. I only got the chance to chuck the car at one tight corner and it pushed wide on the way in and waggled its hips on the exit, but it was early and the Pirellis were probably cold.

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That wasn’t an issue at Circuit Ascari. It’s a very fast car but the race track isn’t the natural habitat for a Turbo S. You can feel the mass, especially at speed but also in the way it loads the front and pushes it wide if you don’t let it rotate enough on the brakes before getting on the throttle. 

In Sport Plus the stability control doesn’t intervene immediately but gives pointers on how to work the car. Oddly, running through the same tight turn for the cornering shots, the outcome was quite different each time, dependent on exactly when I hit the throttle – an academic point but worth noting all the same.

The Turbo S is a 911 for fast, long journeys, trading off some dynamic focus for comfort, delivering big performance with refinement and a sense of effortlessness, which the hybridisation of the 992.2 lends itself to. The isn’t a definitive verdict – UK roads offer more of a challenge – but all the signs are that this new model is the Turbo S at the top of its game.

Price specs and rivals

The new Porsche 911 Turbo S starts from £199,100 in coupe form, with the cabriolet available from £209,100 before any options. That's punchy pricing considering the latest Aston Martin Vantage is available for c/£30k less than the Turbo S coupe, even if it lacks any electrification and is a little down on power. 

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In fact, the Turbo S coupe is priced right in line with a full-hybrid, carbon-tubbed supercar, the 690bhp £201,400 McLaren Artura. An alternative from Mercedes-AMG goes the other way, the AMG GT E-Performance offering arguably less focus and dynamism but also a full hybrid, available from £187,290 before options.