For 2026, the Turbo S is even more powerful, capable and expensive.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
In the pantheon of Porsche, the 911 Turbo S rules supreme. There are other models and variants that dominate their particular niche, but as an everyman of everything, to take two people to the track or to the opera, the Turbo S is king. And now, it’s even more powerful, capable and expensive.
There are 20 different versions of the 911, reduced from the two dozen of some previous years, and the 2026 Turbo S ups the ante of a vehicle that many reviewers already called perfect. In my book, “perfect” means it’s affordable without noticing the cost, but when a car starts at around $300,000, which is almost twice the price of the most basic 911, it falls short. Perfect is something for only the point-one percenters, and they have other problems.
But if you can blithely dismiss the cost as a trivial concern, then the Turbo S is one helluva sportscar. In Porschespeak, the 2026 model is called the 992.2 edition, the eighth generation of the turbocharged production car that debuted in 1992. Its rear-mounted, boxer six-cylinder engine is all-new, copying only the fuel injectors found on the previous edition, and 11 centimetres flatter than before.
The hardtop starts at $289,300, which is almost twice the price of the most basic 911.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
The most obvious change is that the Turbo S is now electrified, sharing its 400-volt technology with the 911 Carrera GTS that introduced the concept to skeptical drivers last year. For the additional $100,000 over the cost of the capable GTS, you get a car that’s even faster and more powerful – up 61 horsepower from last year’s model – and slightly quicker than its predecessor in every regard.
In fact, the Turbo S is so quick that Porsche came up with a new way to demonstrate its speed: distance travelled from a standstill in 2.5 seconds. That’s actually its zero-to-100 kilometres an hour sprint time, which is 0.2 seconds quicker than before, but that difference is just the blink of an eye. In distance, it’s 50 per cent farther or around two car lengths, to which every driver who’s ever peeled away from the lights can relate. And it lapped the Nürburgring in 7 minutes and 4 seconds, which is about 14 seconds quicker than its predecessor.
However, the 911 Turbo S is now so powerful that you’ll never need such capability unless you’re trying to win races on a racetrack. If you’re not, the other 911s are good enough that you’re just telling the world you’re somebody with too much money.
The cabriolet version starts at $304,500 or about $15,000 more than the hardtop.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
Looks
It’s clearly a Porsche, and a 911 at that. Apparently, many people who got an early look at the Turbo S from the rear commented on its increased width, but in fact, it’s the same width as before. It just seems wider owing to the squat stance and broad wheel arches and the wider exhaust tips. At the front, the headlights now contain all lights behind their oval glass. Over all, the car is 10-per-cent more aerodynamic than before, with a co-efficient of drag of 0.3.
If you’re fussy about the colour, there are 17 standard options at no cost, and an additional 131 variants for an extra $18,520. If you want to bring in your own specific paint-to-sample colour, that’ll be an extra $44,110. The two test cars I drove – a yellow coupe and a white cabriolet – were both painted in standard colours.
The 2026 Porsche 911 Turbo S make 701 horsepower with 590 lb-ft of torque.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
Interior
Surprisingly spacious and comfortable in the two front seats, but the two rear seats are an afterthought (like any 2+2 sportscar) and must be specially ordered, though at no extra cost. The digital gauges are easy to read and understand, and there are more physical buttons and switches than most other cars these days. The starter is a button not a key, which debuted on last year’s Carrera GTS – horrors! – but at least it’s on Porsche’s traditional left side of the steering wheel.
The front seats are surprisingly spacious and there more physical buttons and switches than most other cars these days.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
Performance
This is what matters, and if you choose, the 911 Turbo S will hurl you and your stomach around the curves of both roads and tracks with total confidence. If the tires slide, as they did many times when a Porsche professional race driver took me out to demonstrate the car’s actual abilities, they do so in a predictable and efficient way. The rear tires are 10 millimetres wider than before, with rotors 20 millimetres bigger, meaning the standard ceramic composite brakes (an $11,000 extra on the Carrera GTS) are the largest ever fitted to a two-door Porsche.
Perhaps more important than the easily tamed brute power is the legendary nimbleness of the 911’s handling – a challenge for engineers with an electrified car that’s gained 85 kilograms. They helped solve it with “electro-hydraulically controlled Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (ehPDCC),” which uses the 400-volt electrical system and high-voltage battery to lift and lower the individual wheels to reduce body roll and lean into corners, working more quickly than the traditional hydraulic model. This is a standard feature on the Turbo S, but costs an additional $5,000 on the Carrera GTS.
Technology
The slimmer engine is lighter and more efficient for its reduced size, down 100 cubic centimetres from the previous edition. It has smaller turbochargers than the single unit in the Carrera GTS – they spin even faster, and spool up almost instantly from electrified boosts. Perhaps most important, it finds maximum torque at just 2,300 revolutions per minute and holds it to past 6,000, unlike the more linear curve of its non-electrified predecessor.
Different drive modes offer different levels of safety interaction, though I strongly suggest owners start with as much computer assistance as possible, which is considerable. You won’t notice how much you’re being protected: for example, front sensors will detect rain and close the brake cooling flaps to help keep the rotors dry and more effective.
Cargo
Who cares? The back seat comes standard as a parcel shelf, which is handy for jackets and maybe a couple of carry-ons, and the frunk is big enough for a gym bag or two.
The verdict
The Porsche 911 Turbo S will make you think that you’re a great driver. Perhaps you are, but don’t be fooled: it’s the Porsche that’s a great car, and it will offer you just as much of a sportscar experience as you can handle. You will almost certainly never discover its true abilities, but if you can afford it, you’ll find a great deal of satisfaction in trying.
Tech specs
2026 Porsche 911 Turbo S
- Base price / as tested: Coupe: $289,300 / $336,617 including freight, pre-delivery inspection, fees, taxes and the luxury tax; Cabriolet: $304,500 / $386,161 including freight, pre-delivery inspection, fees, taxes and the luxury tax
- Engine: 3.6-litre twin-turbo flat-six
- Horsepower / torque (lb-ft): 701 / 590
- Transmission / drive: Eight-speed PDK / All-wheel drive
- Fuel consumption (litres per 100 kilometres): n/a (13.3 observed)
- Alternatives: Mercedes-AMG GT, BMW M8, McLaren Artura, Aston Martin Vantage, Chevrolet Corvette
The writer was a guest of the automaker. Content was not subject to approval.
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