How the Porsche 911 Turbo Became a Performance Legend
The turbocharger is, at its core, an elegant piece of engineering. Two interconnected fans: one is spun by the force of an engine’s exhaust flowing over it, a motion that is then transferred to the second fan to make it spin, compressing the air and helping it generate more power. It’s been around for more than a century — found first in planes, ships, and trains, then working its way to trucks and passenger vehicles. These days, they’re ubiquitous in automotive lineups, their ability to provide more power from a smaller package a key tool in gaming government fleet efficiency mandates.
But only one car can claim to be the trendsetter that made “turbo” a household name: the Porsche 911 Turbo.
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Ever had a coffee maker, vacuum, or hair dryer with a “turbo” function? You can thank Porsche for that. With the 911 Turbo, the brand took a simple mechanical means of boosting an engine and turned it into a synonym for speed and power, signifying performance in any context. Even Porsche does it now; you won’t find a turbocharger on the all-electric Taycan or Macan EV, but the automaker still uses the T-word to denote the most powerful variants.
To learn the roots of the term’s current common use, however, we have to trace the lineage of Porsche’s turbocharged sports cars back to the first time Zuffenhausen slapped a snail on a 911’s flat-six. This is the history of the Porsche 911 Turbo.
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1975: The 930 marks the start of the 911 Turbo legacy
The very first 911 Turbo wasn’t technically even called the 911 Turbo. Instead, it was known as the 930 Turbo — 930 being the designator used at Porsche to describe the model. (Keep in mind, this was back when the 911’s internal code was still just, well, 911.) The brand had been dallying with turbocharged engines for race cars since the 1960s, but in order to push into the series it wanted, it needed to homologate a vehicle for production that the racers could then be based on. So, come 1975, the automaker slapped a turbocharger on the 3.0-liter flat-six used in the sharp-edged Carrera RS 3.0 and dropped it in a 911 to make the 930.
Okay, it was a little more involved than that; engineers also upgraded the brakes, suspension and gearbox to accommodate the extra power — the latter actually a four-speed manual rather than the five-speed of regular 911s, but the added torque compensated for the difference. From the outside, the most notable change was found at the rear, where a massive spoiler dubbed the “whale tail” for its resemblance to a cetacean fluke increased downforce and helped the engine breathe; wider fenders also added panache.
Generally subtle changes, but the results were anything but. The engine’s 256 horsepower for European versions and 234 ponies for American ones wasn’t groundbreaking by today’s standards, but thanks to a delicate curb weight of around 2,800 pounds and a rear-mounted center of gravity that aided the rear-wheel-drive car’s acceleration run, that first Turbo — or Turbo Carrera, as it was first known in the U.S. — did the 0-60 mph dash in 4.9 seconds, according to Car and Driver’s testing at the time. It was the first of many eye-popping results the Turbo would rack up in that benchmark trial over the generations.
Just as notable as the acceleration was the manner in which it was delivered. The 930’s big KKK turbocharger was notorious for its turbo lag, kicking on like an afterburner between 3000 and 4000 rpm. If that happened in a turn, the car was given to a sudden bout of oversteer; lifting off the throttle under those circumstances (a natural reaction) could make it worse. Add in the short wheelbase, and the Turbo developed a reputation for spinning out of control, leading it to receive the nickname of “Widowmaker.”
A batch of updates came in 1978, when Porsche pumped the engine up to 3.3 liters and made a few other adjustments to push power in European models to 296 hp and U.S. ones to 264. The brakes, suspension and aerodynamics also received in-kind changes; the revised spoiler was dubbed the “tea tray.” By 1980, shifting emissions regulations made it too hard for Porsche to sell the 930 in the U.S. or Japan; by 1986, though, it was back, with power now up to 282 hp and targa-top and convertible versions entering the fray. A new front end also became available for special order: the so-called Flachbau, or “flatnose,” which swapped out the classic round-eyed 911 face for one inspired by the 935 race car and its ever-so-Eighties pop-up headlights.
1990: After 14 years, the second generation Turbo arrives
After 25 years on sale, the original 911 was finally retired in 1989, replaced by a new generation known internally as 964; to the public, it was still known simply as 911. The future of the 911 Turbo, however, had already been revealed by that point under another name. The Porsche 959, unveiled in 1986, was a bleeding-edge piece of automotive tech that turned the Turbo concept up to 11: it packed a compact 2.8-liter twin-turbo flat-six in the back that made an astounding 444 horsepower, but routed it to all four wheels. Comfortable enough to drive daily yet swift enough to claim the title of the world’s fastest production car, it was unlike any street-legal machine the world had ever seen.
So when the new 964-generation 911 Turbo debuted in 1990, it would have been reasonable to expect it to follow closely in the 959’s tire tracks. In fact, though, the super-Porsche was so cutting edge, its influence would be more greatly seen in the following generation of Turbo (more on that in a bit). At launch in 1990, the 964 Turbo stuck with the 3.3-liter engine of the final 930 models — hence the car becoming known as the 911 Turbo 3.3 — albeit tweaked to turn out 316 hp. Likewise, its body more closely resembled the 930 than the 959; it still bore a tea tray spoiler out back, for example.
That first version was just a stopgap, however. By the car’s third model year, in 1993, Porsche had pulled together a more powerful motor to slide into the rear-mounted engine compartment, creating the 911 Turbo 3.6. As the name implies, the new motor — which, in naturally aspirated form, had launched with the 964 generation — displaced 3.6 liters and spun up 355 horsepower. It wasn’t long for the world, lasting only a year, but it stuck around long enough to earn a star turn in the first Bad Boys film.
Porsche had one last card to play with the turbocharged 964 before it faded away. At the end of production, the company sent 93 chassis to its Exclusiv division to have them built into the 911 Turbo 3.6 S, which packed extra power — more boost and other adjustments turned the wick up to 380 hp — as well as unique air intakes and spoilers. The Flachbau treatment also returned as an option, although the headlights were now exposed. The Turbo 3.6 S was the first time Turbo and S were paired together, but it wouldn’t be the last.
1995: The third Turbo channels the 959’s legacy
The third-generation 911, known internally as the 993, first hit the streets in 1994 in Carrera form, and it landed with a bang. The tip-to-tail update not only brought a fresh, more streamlined design to the iconic sports car, it also civilized it, revising the suspension to tame some of the car’s more unruly traits, updating the 3.6-liter engine and adding a sixth cog to the manual gearbox.
And, with the arrival of the 993-generation 911 Turbo in 1995, the spirit of the 959 finally made its way to the mainstream sports car. The 3.6-liter flat-six was now twin-turbocharged for improved response, just like the 959; more consequentially, 959-style all-wheel-drive now came standard, helping the Turbo make the most of its 400 horsepower. As always, flared fenders and a big spoiler in the back visually distinguished it from lesser 911s, but the new rear wing was more organically integrated into the design — less of a whale tail, more of a geologic feature.
The combination of 400 horses and four-wheel grip meant the 993 Turbo could redefine straight-line acceleration for the average driver. In Car and Driver testing, the car blitzed from 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds — quick today, downright insane almost 30 years ago. As if that weren’t enough, Porsche quickly offered a factory option kit to add even more power, taking the flat-six to 424 hp for the 1996 model year.
Then, as the 993 generation was starting to wind down, Porsche once again decided to spice up the 911 Turbo with a model wearing the S badge. Power was up, of course, to the aforementioned 424 hp — but unlike the old 3.6 Turbo S, the top-shelf 993 Turbo received all the bells and whistles, from extra leather trim to carbon fiber add-ons to unique air intakes for the twin-turbo six. It didn’t make the Turbo much quicker, but it did make it more desirable — even if it meant a 60-percent higher price over the non-S version.
2000: The fourth-gen Turbo ditches air cooling, adds an automatic
The 996-gen 911 that debuted in 1998 was undoubtedly the most controversial ever built, before or since. Under the hood, it marked the end of the era of air-cooled engines; outside, it was the first 911 of a whole new visual era for the brand, with ovoid headlights first used on the original Boxster — lights that were unflatteringly compared to fried eggs. Still, it was undoubtedly more refined, growing in size and boasting stronger steel. It was a new 911 for a new millennium.
The 996-generation Turbo that hit the streets in 2000 boasted the same new chassis as naturally aspirated 911s, but the engine used twin turbos to make 414 hp. As had become common, it boasted a wider body and a fixed spoiler; in a new twist, however, the end of the spoiler could rise up further for added downforce, much like the ones on lesser Carreras.
The biggest Turbo-specific change, however, was found between the standard all-wheel-drive system and the boosted engine: in addition to the familiar six-speed manual, for the first time, an automatic was available. Tiptronic, as Porsche called its torque converter automatics, had been a feature of lesser 911s since 1990, but its appearance in the Turbo was still a novelty when it arrived a decade later. The five-speed slushbox offered manual control via steering wheel buttons for drivers who still wanted a sense of control, but the convenience of set-and-forget driving in less exciting moments — and it only lost a few tenths of a second to the manual in the 0-60 dash.
As had become the norm, small, gradual changes was the story of the turbocharged 996. A factory power pack joined the mix not long after launch, pushing power to 444 ponies. Come 2003, the droptop Turbo returned in the form of the 911 Turbo Cabriolet, the first time an official open-roof version had been offered since the last days of the 930. Then in 2004, the Turbo S returned, equipped with the 444-hp engine and a few extra features like new carbon-ceramic brakes as standard.
2006: The fifth-generation Turbo corrects the looks, improves the rest
Porsche fans ultimately made peace with many of the changes the 996 brought, with one main exception: the new headlights. A 911 should have round headlights, was the word — so, when the 997 generation arrived in 2004, it did so once again boasting exactly that.
The shift from 996 to 997 was less severe than the jump between previous generations, largely focusing on cosmetic updates and other gentle refinements. When the new 911 Turbo arrived in 2006, it followed suit; the new front end was a little less bright-eyed and a little more classic Porsche, and the 3.6-liter twin-turbo boxer-six now dialed up to 473 hp. A new feature called the Sport Chrono package let the turbos boost up to 17.4 psi instead of their usual maximum of 14.5 in 10-second bursts, enabling the car to punch out an extra 45 lb-ft over its usual 457 lb-ft for passing and hard launches. It paid off: in C/D testing, both six-speed stick and five-speed Tiptronic versions clocked a 3.4-second 0-60 time.
As with the 996, a convertible followed, arriving in 2007. Unlike the past generation of 911, however, a hefty midlife refresh showed up not long after. The so-called 997.2-generation 911 showed up first in base model guise; the styling was gently revised, but the big news was in the powertrain, where new direct-injection flat-sixes appeared in the rear and a new seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox replaced the five-speed Tiptronic. PDK, as the new transmission was called (it stood for Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe), traded the torque converter of conventional autos for a pair of clutches that enabled instantaneous movement between gears, improving shift times — and, thus, performance.
As such, of course, it was offered on the new 997.2 Turbo that debuted in 2009, an option alongside the six-speed manual. It was joined by a whole new engine: a 3.8-liter flat-six that made 493 horsepower. Combined with the Sport Chrono package and its launch control feature, the PDK made the two-pedal 911 Turbo the one to beat off the line: C/D saw it blitz from 0 to 60 in 2.9 seconds. The PDK version also saw the first appearance of paddle shifters in a 911 Turbo, although they were technically an option; awkward steering wheel buttons were standard.
Unlike past versions, the 911 Turbo Cabriolet launched at the same time as the coupe; a new 911 Turbo S also arrived sooner than with past generations, debuting in early 2010 only about half a year after the regular version. It saw power dialed up to 523 horses, and Sport Chrono standard; in a move that would set the stage for future Turbos, it was only available with PDK.
2013: The sixth-gen 911 Turbo bids adieu to the manual
The 991-generation 911 that was revealed in spring 2011 ahead of going on sale later that year was yet another sea change for the model, one almost on the scale of the 996: it was larger, heavier, and more luxurious than before, with a more refined design to suit the new decade.
The 991’s 911 Turbo debuted two years later in spring 2013; most of the changes versus the Carrera were par for the course — a wider body and combo fixed/pop-up spoiler, standard all-wheel-drive, turbocharged motor — a couple of changes stood out. The 911 Turbo and Turbo S coupes launched simultaneously, the former packing a 513-hp version of the 997.2’s 3.8-liter boxer-six and the latter making 552 horses; more importantly for fans of clutch pedals, the Turbos had gone two-pedal, with the PDK becoming the only gearbox available. Unsurprisingly, though, it paid off at the drag strip: C/D pushed a Turbo S from 0 to 60 mph in 2.6 seconds, one eyeblink behind the 1000-hp Bugatti Veyron. A few months later, Cabriolet versions of the two cars joined the party; speccing the droptop added just two-tenths to the coupe’s time.
2015 saw a thorough facelift for the 911, with the new version dubbed the 991.2; much like the 997’s midlife shift, the design changes were minor, but the powertrain saw bigger moves. The big news for the Turbo was that its name suddenly went from a description that set it apart to a title referring to its performance: for the first time, lesser 911s were also turbocharged, Porsche reducing displacement and adding boost to the flat-six in order to meet emissions standards while also adding power.
The 991.2 911 Turbo and Turbo S, which arrived in late 2015, followed the usual life-cycle update trend of adding power; the Turbo was dialed up to 540 ponies, the Turbo S to 580. The updates let the Turbo match the pre-facelift Turbo S’s 0-60 times, enabling buyers to feel more secure in their decision to upgrade after just a couple of years. Deep-pocketed cognoscenti, however, were offered a chance to grab the 911 Turbo S Exclusive Series coupe in 2017; a factory power upgrade pushed it all the way to 607 horsepower, while it also added every option in the book and slathered extra leather and microsuede across the interior. It was the modern equivalent of the 993-gen Turbo S — albeit one where buyers were restricted to gold paint.
2020: The seventh-generation 911 Turbo further sharpens the spear
The 992-generation 911 that launched in late 2018 was as big a change as the 991, boasting a larger new platform, an increased focus on tech (for the first time, an all-digital instrument panel sat ahead of the driver), and a look that aimed to distill the 997 and 991 generations into a single package. The PDK was up to eight speeds now, and it wasn’t just standard, it was mandatory; a manual was only added to select models after launch.
The 991-gen Turbo models appeared in 2020, first in Turbo S coupe and cabrio form in March (in what could only be considered an inopportune time to launch a new car) and then in Turbo hardtop and soft top variants in July. A new engine was under the hood — a 3.7-liter twin-turbo monster based on the 3.0-liter one of the 991-gen Carrera and Carrera S, dialed up to 573 hp in the Turbo and 641 in the Turbo S. Both were quick: C/D saw the Turbo S coupe do 0-60 in 2.2 seconds, and the regular Turbo do it in 2.4.
Ballistically quick as they were, however, all those cars used a dual-clutch gearbox as had been true since 2013, and used all-wheel-drive as all Turbo had since 1995. Which is why it was a surprise and a delight for old-fashioned Turbo fans when, in spring 2022, Porsche revealed the 911 Sport Classic: a Turbo-based 911 coupe with a fixed ducktail spoiler, rear-wheel-drive and a seven-speed manual gearbox. Its twin-turbo flat-six had to be dialed back to 542 hp to accommodate the stick shift, and the 0-60 time rose to 3.7 seconds — but the buyers of the 1,250 examples made likely didn’t care. After all, while the 911 Turbo always put down impressive acceleration times, they were never the point; the whole package was.
