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New Porsche 991 Turbo S reviews: “not special enough”

by | Jan 20, 2016 | Market & Prices, New Models, Porsche News

Porsche is currently hosting the press launch for its newest 911: the 991 Turbo S. The event is being held at Kyalami Circuit in Johannesburg, South Africa, but more of that later. The car will apparently outrun a 918 Spyder from 50-75 mph (count 1.8 seconds in the Turbo), but some reviews seem to suggest that the £150,000 991 Turbo S is just not special enough.

These days, we do not have to wait until the earliest print date for journalists’ first impressions of a new car: reviews are online by lunch in the era where web content is king. The verdict seems to be that the Turbo S is unbelievably fast but it’s not as special as similarly-priced alternatives. Unless you are a Porsche nut, in which case it’s the hottest Turbo yet and therefore must be owned.

The Turbo S produces 572bhp at 6,750rpm. Peak torque of 553lb/ft runs from 2250 to 4k rpm. PDK is the only transmission on offer, which all the Turbo S owners I know will be quite satisfied with. Who needs a manual option confusing future values/residuals? That’s what the 991 GT2 will be for.

How much faster a GT2 manual might be is anyone’s guess. Official 0-60 time for the Porsche 991 Turbo S PDK is 2.9 seconds, but engineers claim that they can fling it to sixty in 2.6 seconds under optimum conditions. Top speed is 205 mph: this thing is unmercifully fast.

Porsche 911 Turbo S Launch 2

Porsche 991 Turbo S Magazine Reviews

Greg Kable’s Porsche 991 Turbo S review on Autocar is perhaps the most enthusiastic summary available for now, and reads like Greg had a day in the car while other journos made do with just a few laps.  “[The 991 Turbo S] represents a significant step in terms of dynamic prowess and ability to entertain. While a lot about the facelifted 911 Turbo S remains the same, its intrinsic character has evolved, making it more memorable to drive than ever.”

Dan Prosser is rather more restrained in his review of the Porsche 991 Turbo S for Evo Magazine. “Given that the revisions are quite subtle, the 911 Turbo S’s overall proposition remains the same – for everyday usability, and for those buyers who require two small rear seats, it’s in a class of one. The similarly priced McLaren 570S has the more engaging chassis, while the Audi R8 V10+ has a massively more exciting drivetrain.”

Reviewing the Porsche 991 Turbo S for CompleteCar.ie, Kyle Fortune gives the car four out of five overall, noting: “If the engine’s lacking in any area it’s in the aural department. That remoteness is present in the steering too, which, while undeniably accurate, lacks the weighting and feel that’s present even in the four-wheel drive 911 Carreras.”

Porsche at Kyalami Circuit

Perhaps I missed something, as I haven’t been paying that much attention, but I think this is the first time Porsche has used Kyalami in anger since Porsche’s SA representatives bought Kyalami Circuit at auction a year or so ago. The pics I’ve seen suggest the place has been well and truly spruced up. It seemed obvious to me at the time that Germany might have had a hand in the purchase, as Kyalami is a perfect spot for car launches during the cold months of a European winter. Nice to see that prediction has come true: there’s a first time for everything.

1 Comment

  1. Jay

    The 2015 ran constant times of 2.6 to 2.9 0-60 times in the Motor Trend testing. On an old airport tarmac that had loose small gravel on the surface. This one has to be better! ! ! ! ! !

    Reply

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