Several things come into your mind when you think of the 911. Mostly your mind goes to the classic Naturally aspirated engines that appeared in older 911s like the 993, or the screaming 4.0 engines found in the latest and greatest GT cars. There has always been one model in the 911 range that has worn a turbocharger, one model that has always been the fastest in the range, while giving the owner the ability to drive the car daily. This car being the 911 Turbo.

The Porsche 930 was the first time the turbo name was seen on the back of a 911, in fact the name was first paired with the word Carrera, so early models were called the turbo Carrera. Porsche quickly dropped this name, and the turbo name stuck. At the time, the car was the most powerful in the 911 line up, it made 256 HP from a single turbo charged 3.0 flat 6. This engine was updated for the 1978 model year, as they increased the bore of the engine to 3.3 Litres. This also upped power to 296 Hp. Porsche also redesigned the rear “Whale Tail” spoiler to allow more air to get into the larger engine and to allow for a larger intercooler.

The turbo name was next seen on the 964 in March of 1990. For the first few years of the model, Porsche did not have time to make a new engine, so they reused the same power unit that was found in the 930. The engine was modified to fit a more modern 911 so it had less turbo lag and was smoother than the engine that was found in the 930. The 964 was also the first time we saw the Turbo S name appear on a 911. It made 376HP, this was down to more aggressive cam timing, bigger injectors, and larger turbos. The car also had lowered suspension and no power steering. Only 86 of them were made making it one of the rarest turbo models. By the time production of the 964 was over, there were 90 chassis left over. These cars were built into Turbo S 3.6s. These cars were offered with the standard turbo body, or the very rare slant nose option.

The 993 turbo has become one of the most valuable 911s in recent months, with a turbo S example selling for close to one million dollars. The regular non-S model made 402 HP from a 3.6 litre flat 6. The car was also the first turbo to be offered with 4-wheel drive, as the system was taken from the 959. The S model had a power upgrade to 450HP and was the first Porsche to be fitted with PCCB brakes. It also had quad tail pipes and special carbon fibre door sills.

The 996 turbo was the first water cooled turbo model. The engine was like the one found in the GT 1 race car. Meaning it made 414 Hp from a 3.6 Flat 6. Porsche offered the X50 package for the regular turbo. This gave it larger K24 Turbos, and a revised ECU as well as a new exhaust system that took power to 444HP. The turbo S model was just a regular turbo but with the X50 package. The main difference was the PCCB brakes and aluminium faced instruments.

Then we had the 997 turbo. The first-generation car did not have that many changes over the outgoing model. It was not until the .2 turbo that we saw most of the improvements. The car was now offered with the brand’s all new PDK transmission. This gear box replaced the old tip tonic box that was found in the first-generation turbo. This allowed the car to put all its 493 HP down to road, to achieve a 0-60 time of 3.4 seconds. The turbo S model made 30 HP more than the regular 997 turbo, it had revised intake valve timing, and a new carbon fibre air box installed to make this extra power. At the time it was the fastest car made by Porsche beating the GT2RS.

The 991 turbo models offered the least number of changes between generations. The car was PDK only, which made fans of the car angry, but this did mean the car could go from 0-60 in under 3 seconds. The 991 also saw the exclusive series. A model that was limited to 500 units and was offered with special carbon fibre braided wheels. These wheels then found themselves on regular turbo models.

The 992 turbo is one of the fastest 911s ever offered to the public. In some tests it has been able to hit 60 in just 2.2 seconds. It makes 650Hp from a 3.8 Litre turbocharged flat 6 and comes with all the luxuries you would expect from a modern 911.

The turbo name has evolved a lot over 45 years of its circulation. From being one of the most dangerous cars on sale, to being one of the most refined. The 911 turbo is one of the best cars Porsche has ever made.