PORSCHE

2026 Porsche 911 Turbo S in slalom

Try a 911 Turbo's launch control, and you'll never forget it. Spin the drive-mode dial to Sport, then smash the brake and throttle with your soles. Now push the Sport Response button, and watch the tachometer twitch with anticipation. Release the brake, and brace for the launch control to end all launch controls.

A couple of electric cars are quicker than the new 911 Turbo S, which makes its engine an internal-combustion warrior, tasked with representing gas cars on the zero-to-60-mph leader board. But the new Turbo isn't without the help of electrification. A new hybrid powertrain consists of two electrically assisted turbos huffing into the 3.6L flat-six, an electric motor within the eight-speed dual-clutch transaxle, and a small lithium-ion battery in the nose. These combine to produce 701 horsepower, 61 more ponies than before. The 590 pound-feet of torque matches that of the previous Turbo S.

Witness this car's retina-separating 0.8-second shot to 30 mph. Exhale, and 60 mph blows by in 2.0 seconds, a tenth quicker than the last Turbo S Lightweight and a tie with the 986-hp Ferrari SF90 Stradale hybrid, the quickest gas-engine cars to 60 mph we've tested. Stay committed, and 100 mph arrives in 4.8 seconds. The quarter-mile evaporates in 9.7 seconds at 142 mph, besting the Lightweight by 0.2 second and 3 mph. Pledge your allegiance to top speed, and 190 mph appears in 22.2 seconds, with the car still charging hard enough that, with enough room, we're confident the claimed 200-mph top speed would arrive in half a minute.

Tipping the scales at 3833 pounds, this Turbo S weighs a 267-pound linebacker more than the former Lightweight and is 187 pounds heftier than the previous non-Lightweight. A customer could specify a lighter Turbo S than our test car by selecting the optional carbon-fiber bucket seats, deleting the rear seat, and skipping the front-axle lift. Which suggests that, incredibly, a Turbo S could be even quicker.

Slalom performance and dynamics...The Porsche 911 Turbo S (992.2) demonstrates prodigious agility, speed, precision, and impressive stability during the slalom test, setting a new record for the maneuver by a wide margin—even without engaging Launch Control.

Agility and stability: Its movement around the cones reveals immediate steering responses, maintaining a fluid and controlled trajectory.

Perception of speed: Stability is such that, from the outside, the vehicle does not appear to be moving as fast as the actual figures indicate.

Hybrid powertrain and traction: The 400V T-Hybrid system, combined with all-wheel drive and rear-axle steering, ensures excellent grip and rapid changes of direction.

by: Autonews