Porsche 911 Turbo S 2026 Review

The 2026 Porsche 911 Turbo S is priced from a substantial $577,300 plus on-roads (ORCs) for the coupe and $598,000 plus ORCs for the 911 Turbo S Cabriolet.

That is a dizzying amount of money for a car that, back in 2021, was listed for a still punchy $473,500 plus ORCs.

There's no real explanation for why the entire range has become more expensive, but it's worth pointing out that while in Europe the 911 Turbo S remains priced like a Ferrari Amalfi or McLaren Artura, the new 911 Turbo S with its hybrid powertrain is now closer to a faster, more exotic Ferrari 296 GTB ($604,000) or McLaren 750S ($585,000) fighter.

Other wild cards screaming for your cash that are considerably cheaper than the 911 Turbo S are the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 Pro ($420,900) or the latest Maserati MCPura ($450,000).

Helping soothe the sting of that towering price tag, the 2026 Porsche 911 Turbo S comes with a long list of standard features that includes large 20/21-inch alloy wheels, a black leather interior, dual-zone climate control, matrix LED headlights, a heated steering wheel, wireless phone charging, 18-way electrically adjustable seats, a 360-degree camera, park assist, lane keep assist and adaptive cruise.

Options include premium paint, in addition to the 12 standard colours, that range from $7870 to an incredible $59,770 for the Paint to Sample Plus hues, different rims ($1150-$8520), the mandatory $4950 front lift, premium leather ($8060), coloured seat belts ($920), lightweight sport carbon-fibre seats ($10,350), seat ventilation ($2200), a Sport Design body kit ($13,770-$18,770), carbon door mirrors ($3120), carbon-fibre wiper arms ($2620), plus a weight-saving roof made of carbon ($7470), Burmester premium sound system ($6700) and lots more that can all easily add a six-figure sum to the asking price.

The new Turbo S is covered by a three-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty with roadside assistance over the same period.

Services are expected to be scheduled annually or every 15,000-20,000km, whichever comes first and we think once you've sampled it behind the wheel, it will be the latter, as you won't be able to stop driving it.

Numbers don't quite do the 2026 Porsche 911 Turbo S justice.

A modest 46kW bump over the old car seems tame, while even with 523kW and 800Nm generated from an all-new twin-turbocharged 3.6-litre flat-six T-Hybrid engine are awesome, but it’s still beaten by others.

Where the 911 Turbo S makes its mark is off the line. Put simply, nothing in its class is quicker.

Activate launch control. Stab the brake with your left foot. Flatten the throttle and let go of the brake and Porsche's electrified missile takes just 2.5 seconds to launch from zero to 100km/h.

That's 0.2 seconds quicker than the outgoing Turbo S but wait. How does nought to 200km/h in a dizzying 8.4 seconds sound? That’s a whopping half a second off the (already blisteringly fast) current car.

Its rear-drive rivals don't have a chance, with the McLaren 750S (2.8 seconds) and Ferrari 296 GTB (2.9 seconds), both comprehensively humbled, although the Porsche's new active aero slashes this 911’s top speed to 322km/h – a little lower than the Ferrari’s 330km/h.

Incredibly, behind the wheel, the Porsche 911 Turbo S feels even quicker than those imposing numbers and now has the level of thrust only delivered by some EVs or proper million-dollar hypercars.

Even mid-gear, thanks to a towering torque peak offered from 2300rpm all the way up until 7000rpm, a pair of lag-free turbochargers that incorporate small e-motors (plus another 60kW e-motor within the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission) means overtakes are accomplished with the flex of a toe. There’s little need for the flat-six to ever stretch its legs, at least on road.

Some might lament the small 1.9kWh battery doesn't offer a pure-electric range but the T-Hybrid's 400-volt system more than makes up for its extra weight by powering both a faster-acting nose lift and the new standard electro-hydraulic semi-active chassis tech (ehPDCC).

The advanced tech uses the hydraulically linked dampers that counteract roll in corners for a flatter, more controlled body, but the best bit is the same system allows for a softer, smoother and cossetting ride when you're not driving flat out.

Up the pace and traction, on road at least, is imperious thanks to both the all-wheel drive and new 325-section rear tyres that are 10mm wider.

Sharpening up reactions is rear-wheel steering that along with tweaked geometry ensures the latest Turbo S steers as sweetly as any other 911, with precision feel and weighting near unmatched by most rivals.

The last piece of the puzzle is the active aerodynamics that have been optimised to slash drag by up to 10 per cent. You'll notice the enlarged front air intakes and the active air flaps from the latest GTS are both present, while there's substantial underbody revisions that include two new active flaps that block water spray from reaching the front discs when raining for improved wet weather braking.

Speaking of stoppers, the flagship Porsche has the largest ever brakes fitted to a 911, with huge 420mm rotors up front and 400mm discs on the rear.

As we've mentioned, on the road it's almost impossible to fully exploit the level of acceleration and grip delivered by the 2026 Porsche 911 Turbo S, but on track the flagship rear-engine sports car is effortlessly quick, engaging and adjustable, thanks to its scalpel sharp throttle responses and that thumping torque peak.

Of course, it's not quite perfect, the hybrid flat-six doesn't sound anywhere near as good as the hardcore GT3's 4.0-litre flat-six, even with its new titanium sports exhaust; the rear seats are still only for very occasional use by kids, while the 63L fuel tank (down from 67 litres in the old car) saps your cruising range when pushing on.

The biggest obstacle to a 911 Turbo S purchase is how close it is in price to the more exotic Ferrari 296 GTB and McLaren 750S that are both even more engaging and involving experiences behind the wheel, not to mention much quicker above 100km/h.

Of course, some would not be willing to trade some of the Porsche’s usability, nor its covert under the radar looks.

We could complain that there's a lack of manual transmission but the last time it was offered back on the 2012 911 Turbo S nobody bought it, so we won't.

It's hard not to argue that Porsche has achieved its aim of delivering the most capable 911 ever with its latest Turbo S. It truly is the member of the 911 range that can do it all and the fact that joy can be extracted from driving it at any speed is something to be commended.

Sadly, its biggest flaw seems to be specific to Australia, with concerns around the stratospheric cost of admission.

Porsche Australia isn't worried. It thinks buyers will happily pay a premium for the 2026 Porsche 911 Turbo S Coupe and Cabriolet's near-hypercar levels of speed from a sports car that seems as happy on a slow daily grind as it is flat-out on track.

2026 Porsche 911 Turbo S at a glance:
Price: $577,300 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Q2 2026
Powertrain: 3.6-litre flat-six-cylinder twin-turbo petrol-electric
Combined output: 523kW/800Nm (electric motor: 60kW/188Nm)
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 11.6L/100km (WLTP)
CO2: 262g/km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Not tested

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