Porsche 911 2026 review: Turbo S

The most electrified Porsche 911 yet has arrived.

Yep, the 2026 Porsche 911 Turbo S breaks from tradition with the electric motor wedged into its eight-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic transmission.

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That is one more e-turbo than its 911 Carrera GTS sibling, which debuted Porsche’s new power-boosting T-Hybrid system two years ago, complete with a 1.9kWh battery.

In the all-wheel-drive Turbo S it helps it produce an astounding 523kW of power (+45kW) from 6500-7000rpm, and 800Nm of torque from a far broader 2300-6000rpm.

Sprinting from zero to 100km/h in the coupe on test here now takes just 2.5 seconds (-0.2s), while 200km/h can be reached in 8.5 seconds (-0.5s) on its way to a top speed of 322km/h (a nice even 200mph).

Needless to say, in reality this level of acceleration is neck-snappingly immense in any of the three available drive modes (Normal, Sport and Sport Plus).

The PDK whips through its eight gears in a seemingly uninterrupted blur, during which the engine feels like it is always on boost thanks to its newfound electrification.

That said, the Turbo S increasingly offers too much straight-line performance for Australian public roads, which have speed limits of up to 130km/h in limited locations.

But I suppose it is nice to know you can accelerate faster than almost any other car you come across on your drive.

You also can probably decelerate sooner than most other cars thanks to the mammoth carbon-ceramic brakes fitted to the Turbo S.

The 420mm front and 410mm (+20mm) rear discs are the largest to be fitted to a street-legal Porsche yet and offer equally immense stopping power.

The T-Hybrid system contributes plenty to the Turbo S coupe’s 74kg weight gain, to 1725kg, but the reality is you won’t really notice the difference in a straight line, let alone around corners.

Handling wise, the Turbo S does not match the prowess of its track-focused GT3 and GT2 siblings, but it is still a 911, which means it's still among the best when it comes to despatching corners with its high level of AWD grip.

The T-Hybrid system also helps to power the new active anti-roll bars, which reduce body roll when cornering hard. They are simply phenomenal when it comes to delivering lateral balance.

And if you want even more body control and road feel, the adaptive dampers can be firmed up via a dedicated physical switch at any time, or via the Sport Plus drive mode.

At this point the ride comfort is firm enough that you seemingly feel every little road imperfection.

I prefer the adaptive dampers in their Normal setting, which is still stiff but can easily be lived with day to day.

The 911’s electric power steering is the one of the best available today, with the level of feedback provided almost as good as a traditional hydraulic system.

In any of the drive modes it is as direct as you would expect a high-end sports car to be, partly thanks to its brilliant wheelbase-shortening rear-axle steering.

The beauty of the Turbo S is its split personality: it can be relatively docile when you are navigating city traffic, or it can be an otherworldly performance machine when you are lucky enough to find an open road.

It is this duality that its GT siblings simply cannot match.

Now, do not make the mistake of thinking the Turbo S coupe’s T-Hybrid system significantly reduces its fuel consumption because it is performance-focused after all.

In fact, claimed fuel consumption on the combined-cycle test is 11.8L/100km, up 0.3L/100km.

But in the real world I averaged a reasonable 14.3L/100km over 366km of driving, all of which was very much worth the high fuel bill.

Design wise, the Turbo S has had an obligatory nip and tuck as part of this midlife facelift, one that Porsche says makes it 10 per cent slipprier, partly thanks to active aerodynamics front and rear.

Either way, the 911’s iconic design elements remain, making it arguably the most recognisable multi-generation sports car of all time.

I mean, look at those deliciously wide rear haunches!

The 911 is also still one of the most practical sports cars you can buy, with two rear seats, which, while very tight for adults, is still a lot better than not having them at all.

You even get two cupholders in the front row, which is two more than you get in most supercars.

There are also plenty of physical buttons and switches for nearly all of the key functions, including the all-important climate controls.

And let us not forget the frunk and its 128 litres of storage capacity, which is again a lot more accommodating than what you get with the 911’s mid-engine rivals.

The price? The new Turbo S coupe costs $577,300 plus on-road costs, which is ‘just’ $39,700 more than its predecessor but more than reasonable against its competitive set, including the Ferrari 296 GTB ($604,000) and Lamborghini Temerario ($534,169).

Despite its high price, in typical Porsche fashion several features that should be standard in the Turbo S coupe are not, including its sunroof ($4720), cooled front seats ($2220), Porsche InnoDrive highway assist ($2190) and all-important front-axle lift ($4950).

All the regular advanced driver-assist safety features are otherwise present and work well, meaning they will not annoy you day to day, which is increasingly rare in 2026.

But you do get shortchanged with Porsche Australia’s three-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, which while comparable with the likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren and Aston Martin, is off the five-year pace of BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi and other premium brands.