The New 992 911 Porsche Turbo S: First Look
“The usable supercar is back” says Henry Catchpole of Carfection. Not only that, but it looks so damn good.
Straight from Porsche research and development facility located in Weissach, just a couple miles outside the main facility in Stuttgart, we join Carfection host, Henry Catchpole. Here he is taking an exclusive first-look inside Porsche’s secret design studio where,”all the board members see all the new cars that are going to come out- for years to come.” Understanding this level of exclusivity, you might imagine its a bit of a privilege to be there. Not only that, but what could be more exciting than seeing the reveal of the new 992 Turbo S.
The Turbo S has always been known as the top of the line model 911 you could buy. Of course, excluding those rare models with a “GT” in their name. However, there is a reason there is a clear differentiation between something like a Turbo S and a GT3. According to Catchpole, “this is the usable performance car… with this, you can blend in just a little more” compared to something like a McLaren 720S. Not every individual wants to stand out like a sore thumb in a bright orange vehicle that looks more spaceship than automobile. However, some still want supercar levels of performance on tap. If that’s your case, welcome to your new ideal vehicle.
So what exactly is new about this 992 generation Turbo S compared to the previous generation? Surprisingly, a lot of things. It’s almost insane that Porsche as a company continues to make this platform better and better every year. It shows their work ethic isn’t slowing down for anything or anybody. Thus, some changes include the instantly recognizable wider front track (40mm over the 991.2). Not to mention, a wider rear by 20mm with a 10mm wider track. The stance this vehicle has is without a doubt demanding of respect.
To match the increased width, there are now 255/40/20 front tires and 315/30/21 rears in a staggered formation. Not only that, but the standard carbon ceramic brakes now feature massive 10 piston calipers. No point in going fast if you can’t slow down just as quickly. However, to help Turbo S go fast in the corners, we have 15% more downforce spread across the chassis. This includes a “pneumatically deployed front lip and new rear wing.”
The 991.2 Turbo S is amazingly fast already. However, the 992 now offers a 2.7 second 0-to-60 time, which is 0.2 seconds quicker than the previous generation. Catchpole clarifies that “who knows what the actual figure is because they always tend to be rather conservative.” We wouldn’t be surprised to see the 992 launch from a standstill in something like 2.5 seconds, a ridiculously quick time.
All of this power is thanks to the new 3.8L flat-six, obviously powered by two twin-turbos. However, the size of these has now increased in size, now sporting 55mm housings with symmetrical routing to ensure that airflow is equalized between both turbos. Catchpole also clarifies “The engine is a development of the 3.0L in the Carrera…and it is putting out 641 brake horsepower and 590 ft/lbs of torque. That’s a whole 69 brake horsepower more than before, which is apparently the biggest leap up for a Turbo in all of its history.”
Thanks to its industry-standard 4WD system with rear-wheel steering, this Porsche is able to put the power down at anytime, anywhere. So if the starting price of just a couple pennies short of $200k is something you can work with, we recommend taking a look at this vehicle!
Join the 6SpeedOnline forums now!
