Porsche 911 Turbo S Review: A 701bhp Daily Driver Supercar

Verdict: The Supercar You Can Live With

The latest Porsche 911 Turbo S is a high-performance sports car that combines a 701-horsepower hybrid-assisted flat-six with all-wheel drive, advanced chassis electronics and a surprisingly comfortable, well-appointed cabin, creating a rare mix of hypercar-level pace and genuine daily usability. It is, in short, a supercar you can live with. The bottom line: this Turbo S makes huge sense for drivers who want devastating performance every time they merge onto a highway, yet refuse to put up with the compromises of a track-special or mid‑engined exotic. It is not the most visceral or delicate 911, and the hybrid tech has added weight and complexity, but its blend of speed, stability and refinement is unmatched at this end of the sports car spectrum. You trade purity for breadth of ability—and for many, that’s a fair swap.

Design, Hybrid Tech and the 701-Horsepower Powertrain

Visually, the Turbo S remains restrained: apart from an air intake on each flank, it looks close to a regular 911 and can pass almost unnoticed in a subtle colour. Under that familiar shape, though, this is the biggest mechanical shift in the Turbo’s history since the move to water cooling. Its 3.6‑litre flat‑six still uses turbochargers, but “its turbos now have motors,” as one tester puts it. Porsche’s T‑Hybrid system adds a tiny 1.9 kWh battery, a flywheel motor and two electric motors inside the turbochargers, all working to boost output rather than provide silent EV running. The result is 701 horsepower and 590 lb‑ft of torque, making this the most powerful production 911 ever built. Carbon‑ceramic brakes measuring 420 mm at the front are standard, underlining its intent, while adaptive dampers, electrohydraulic roll stabilisation, four‑wheel steering and carefully tuned stability control keep the power in check.

Performance: Hypercar Pace with Added Weight

Straight-line performance is ferocious. Using launch control, the car leaves the line with a 5,000 rpm clutch dump and feels like it teleports to extralegal speeds, helped by obedient dual‑clutch gearing and immense four‑wheel‑drive traction. According to one test, it has been timed at 2.6 seconds from rest to 60 mph, 5.9 seconds to 100 mph and 10.5 seconds over the standing quarter mile, with the hybrid system at full charge on a warm day. That is faster than direct rivals such as the McLaren Artura (0–100 mph in 6.3 s) and Aston Martin Vantage S (6.8 s). Another outlet has reported 0–60 mph in a flat 2.0 seconds. Yet, judged against its own predecessor, outright gains are marginal; the earlier non‑hybrid Turbo S was a tenth or two quicker to key benchmarks, and the new car only begins to pull ahead past around 160 mph. The hybrid hardware also adds roughly 193 lb over the old Turbo S and about 513 lb over a lighter Carrera T, weight you start to feel in faster corners.

Daily Driver Supercar: Comfort, Cabin and Real-World Use

What sets this 911 Turbo S apart is how well its dual-motor hybrid performance translates to everyday driving. The electric turbo motors largely wipe out lag and make the boost feel inexhaustible; there is no perceptible latency at low revs, as the turbos spool up as quickly as your right foot asks. Thanks to electronic launch control and clever four‑wheel drive, it commands huge traction from a standstill. Yet you can close the exhaust valves, soften the dampers, and the car becomes quiet and compliant. Despite massive 325‑section rear tyres, road and wind noise are well suppressed, and the adaptive dampers do a remarkable job of smoothing sharp bumps. Inside, it largely mirrors a regular 911 Carrera, only more plush: silky leather wraps the dashboard and doors, with diagonal stitching and standard 18‑way power‑adjustable seats that remain comfortable all day. Practical touches, including a faster nose‑lift system powered by the 400‑volt hybrid architecture, help with steep driveways. It feels as far from the infamous “Widowmaker” 930 Turbo as modern cars are from the 1970s, trading fear for consistent traction and approachable behaviour.

Trade-Offs and the Role of Hybrid Tech

The new Turbo S represents the evolution of hybrid performance technology in premium sports cars: instead of chasing efficiency, the electrification is focused on response, traction and repeatable speed. The effect is to even out the power delivery and make the car feel relentlessly strong across its rev range. In daily life, this makes it easier and calmer to drive fast than a more peaky, naturally aspirated 911. But there are downsides. The added hybrid hardware means more mass and complexity, and keen drivers will notice that extra 193 lb in quick direction changes and under hard braking, like carrying an extra passenger. Top speed also slips to 200 mph, five mph lower than before, which may irk bragging‑rights enthusiasts even though it is academic on public roads. For those who live for tight, technical back roads, a lighter model such as the Carrera T will feel more exploitable more of the time. The Turbo S now sits as a rapid GT‑style daily driver supercar rather than the sharpest driver’s 911—but that positioning fits the way most owners use their cars.

Buy if / Skip if

• Buy the Porsche 911 Turbo S if you want a daily driver supercar that combines 701-horsepower performance with genuine comfort and refinement.
• Skip the Porsche 911 Turbo S if you prioritise lightweight agility on tight back roads over sheer speed and all-weather capability.
• Buy the Porsche 911 Turbo S if you value dual-motor hybrid performance that delivers near-instant torque and giant-killing acceleration against rival sports cars.
• Skip the Porsche 911 Turbo S if you already own the previous Turbo S and expect dramatically faster acceleration figures from the hybrid update.
• Buy the Porsche 911 Turbo S if you want a high-performance sports car that can cruise at 200 mph yet behave like a well-mannered GT on the commute.
• Skip the Porsche 911 Turbo S if you care more about top-speed bragging rights than about real-world drivability and everyday usability.