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Porsche 997 Turbo S legacy

997 Turbo S front

With the introduction of the new Porsche 911 Turbo and Turbo S, unveiled to the public at IAA 2013 in Frankfurt, the 997 Turbo S is no longer top of the pile when it comes to choosing your Porsche 911.

Despite this, the car continues to offer fantastic performance, styling, and comfort. Total 911 editor, Lee Sibley, took an example of an outgoing Turbo S to Yorkshire to see if it could really be knocked off its pedestal.

Below, you can enjoy a short extract of his adventure from the current issue:

997 Turbo S driving

From where I’m sitting right now, it can’t get much better for an exuberant 911 fanatic. Suitably nestled into the carbon-backed, no-cost optional bucket seats inside a 997 Turbo S perched high above the Yorkshire Dales, I’m on what appears to be the very zenith of a beautiful sweeping valley overlooking the sleepy village of Hawes.

As Ali and I finish the opening photos and climb back in the 997 to tackle the superbly engaging Butter Tubs Pass nearby, the performance  merits of the outgoing Turbo S become apparent from the off.

For starters, the 997 is full of the sheer brutal performance the Turbo S at large is famed for. Kicking out 530bhp (30bhp more than the 997 Turbo, found slightly higher up the rev range), the Turbo S gathers pace at an astonishing rate with little turbo lag from the Ma170S engine.

997 Turbo S corner

In terms of torque, the 997 delivers an impressive 700Nm of it without the need for an overboost function, which the 997 Turbo relies on to achieve such figures. But figures are only pub talk, and figures only tell half the story.

Even on the outside, the 997 Turbo S doesn’t yet look particularly dated. While not appearing quite as aggressive as the new 991s, the gaping intakes in the rear fenders strike fear into those that know what they signify, and wonder to those who don’t. Can the new 991 Turbos offer something even more special than this current range-topping 997 Turbo S? well, I’m in the right place to find out…

To read more of this feature and to view more of our stunning photography from the 997 Turbo S roadtrip to the Yorkshire Dales, pick up your copy of issue 105 – in store or online. Also inside the latest edition of Total 911, we have the first drive of the 991 Turbo and Turbo S, explore the merits of RS replicas, and interview racing legend Brian Redman.

997 Turbo S road

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