Most Epic 911 Turbo Drag Race Ever!
From the alluring charm of the classic 930 to the powerhouse of the new 992 model, watch as each generation of 911 turbo is put through the wringer.
Did you ever think you would have the opportunity to watch every generation of 911 Turbo simultaneously race across an abandoned drag strip? Not exactly an occurrence that happens every day, let alone, ever?
So when Carwow host Mat Watson made this dream into a reality with one of their latest episodes on their YouTube channel, we couldn’t have been more excited. Every Porsche fan has a favorite generation, how do you think yours will compare to the rest of the cast?
As you may assume, a 1970s 930 Turbo can’t hold a candle to a 2022 992 Turbo. However, we can’t forget that when introduced, the original 911 Turbo model was the fastest production car available in Germany.
It’s safe to say that the 911 Turbo model has come a very long way in the last 40 or so years. Even then, since their inception, they have always been amongst the most impressive cars in the world.
From manual gearboxes and RWD to 8-speed DCTs and AWD
Which 911 Turbo is the best standard to compare the rest of the lineup to when you have access to all seven generations? Many would say the 996, the dead center middle child of the group.
Also considered the least desirable of the generations, you can see this reflected in its substantially lower price compared to other models.
Not quite a classic, not quite a modern 911 either, the 996 although perhaps not as alluring, serves as a perfect divider for the standard between new and old.
Which generation sounds the best?
Before the beginning of the races, what better to do than to compare and contrast the exhaust sound of over 40 years of 911 Turbo history?
Thus, starting with the classic 930, powered by the air-cooled 3.3L turbo, we hear an amazing combination of turbo spool and characteristic flat-six rasp.
Later we learn that the owner has upgraded to a full exhaust system, giving a slightly unfair advantage to the electrifying sound of the free-breathing turbos.
The finest iteration of this iconic sound is definitely displayed in the 993 generation, a refined yet aggressive display of Porsche’s capability of audio tuning.
In contrast, the 996 generation and newer feature water-cooled engines. As a result, the cars have been given soft rev limiters, which prevents the true rev range from being put on display.
When listening to the expressiveness of the 930 compared to the literally muted timbre of the 992, it truly is night and day. Increased noise regulations really aren’t as much fun, are they?
3 tests: a drag race, a roll race, and a braking test
Although the horsepower level of the 911 Turbo has over doubled from 300 HP to 650 HP from the first generation to the latest, the power is just one aspect of the technological developments over time.
The three “classic” models (930, 964, 993) are all powered by 4, 5, and 6-speed manual gearboxes, respectively. The 996 is the sole model which carries a 5-speed automatic.
All the “modern” models (997, 991, 992) have PDK gearboxes with either 7-speeds or an 8-speed for the newest 992 generation. Not to mention, all models have been AWD since the 993 Turbo.
This leaves the oldest two models with a serious disadvantage, especially off the line. However, each model will have a chance to prove itself amongst a variety of tests.
Results
Beginning with the first of three drag races, obvious dominance was on display by the modern Turbos, with the 992 achieving the quickest quarter-mile time of 10.2 seconds.
Shortly after, the 991 would set a time of 10.7 seconds with the 997 finishing just 0.2 seconds off at 10.9 second final time. Impressive enough that these three newer models are still within 1 second of each other.
An obvious drop in performance occurs with the 996, only reaching a 12.3 second finish. The older 993 would be impressively close with a 12.8 second time, despite its age and older technology.
Finishing out the results are the two RWD models, with the 964 posting a 14.0 second time along with the 930 with a solid 14.9 second placement. Unfortunately, the 930 would blow its clutch on the last of the three races and would be unable to continue the final tests.
Roll Race
For the second challenge, the cars would be matched to a 50 mph start speed in 3rd gear for a longer 1/2 mile roll race. Surprisingly, the results would be identical to the first race except for the 996, which would struggle to build boost in 3rd gear and lagged behind.
Thus to even the results a bit, the second race would be from 40 mph in second gear instead. Here the standout performer would be the 964, which would squarely beat out the more advanced 993 on the top end due to the way it holds boost across the rev range.
100-to-0 brake test
In the final comparison of all these epic Turbo models, we yet again got to see some upsets in the final results. The 964 would beat out the 993 again in braking distance, despite an ABS lock-up by the 964.
Most surprising however is the 991 managed to edge out the new 992 Turbo by stopping about a full car length quicker. The 996 would also beat out the newer 997 by about two car lengths.
What did you guys think of these results? Some shocking and some expected? Join the discussion here on 6SpeedOnline!
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