A brief history of the 911 Turbo S

You can never have too much of a good thing, which is perhaps why every iteration of 911 Turbo has spawned a more powerful ‘S’ variant. Extreme, exotic and exclusive, they sit at the pinnacle of road car performance for their respective eras. The story starts with the little-known 930 S, a Sonderwunsch special that was badged SE or

LE in the UK (the former with 935-style pop-up headlamps and slatted side intakes, the latter with a traditional 911 front end and flanks). Either way, a Powerkit with a larger KKK turbocharger lifts output from 300hp to 330hp.

The 964 Turbo S ‘Leichtbau’ is a rare beast indeed. In essence a boosted Rennsport, rather than a luxurious super-gt, it offers 381hp, RS suspension and 180kg less weight. Only 81 were built, plus 76 Flatnose versions with exposed, 928look lamps.

We’ve covered the subsequent 993 here, but it’s worth reiterating what a step change it was. Thanks to four-wheel drive, it banished the wayward reputation of the Turbo S for good. Two things that didn’t change were the air-cooled engine – now making 450hp – and tiny production numbers. Only 345 were made.

The Turbo S entered the water-cooled era with the 996 and 997. These were limited-edition models (1,563 and 2,000 cars respectively) with added power and bountiful equipment, including PCCB brakes. The 996 musters 450hp and the

997 530hp – both 30hp gains over the Turbo.

For the 991 generation, the Turbo S joined the mainstream 911 range. Hallmarks of the 997, such as PDK and centre-lock wheels, were carried over, and the performance reached new heights. The 560hp 991.1 Turbo S blasts to 62mph in 3.1 seconds, while the 580hp 991.2 needs just 2.9 seconds. Finally, there’s the new Turbo S: the current 992 range-topper. With a 650hp flat six and eight-speed PDK ’box, it promises 62mph in a scarcely believable 2.7 seconds. Watch this space for a review.