2020 Porsche 911 Turbo S Review, Test Drive

What is it?

Among Porsche enthusiasts – well, any car enthusiasts, really – the combination of the number 911 and the word Turbo has long enjoyed cult status.

Back in 1974, Porsche redefined road car performance with the original 911 Turbo, fitting a turbocharged engine and an oversized rear wing to its signature model to create the legend that exists today. Ever since, the company has striven to refine the fundamental formula, even if there has been the odd change in philosophy along the way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zZmQy4yoPM

Almost half a century later, we now have the seventh-generation 911 Turbo: the 992. It replaces the facelifted version of the 991-series 911 Turbo that was launched in 2016 and comes at a time when Porsche, with a record number of new petrol-engined and electric models in the pipeline, appears to be very much at the top of its game.

What's it like?

There’s a lovely familiar meshing of mechanical clatter as the ignition fires. This engine may be new, but it continues to make all the right noises. At idle, the pulsating action of the horizontally opposed six cylinders hung out back drowns out the sound of the exhaust. However, that changes the moment you draw the stubby gear selector backwards and set off down the road.

Also on the optional equipment list is a lift function that provides an additional 40mm increase in ground clearance on the front axle. The sports suspension breathes nicely over longer-wave undulations and remains superbly controlled over higher-frequency bumps, without the characteristic nose bob that affected previous generations, keeping the Turbo S well planted on all but the most badly pitted surfaces. This is thanks in part to the adoption of new helper springs that provide a preloading effect to the main springs for more controlled rebound.