The Story Behind Porsche's Obsession With Turbos

The first turbocharged Porsche was not a 911

Porsche’s first turbocharged car (917/10) was a variant of the 917 race car, developed in 1972, specifically to dominate the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Porsche 917 originally came out in 1969, but there were a couple of evolutions of the car. The lightweight Porsche had the unenviable task of competing with cars, powered by larger-displacement engines. Porsche went with lightweight as their main weapon, similar to what Ferrari did a few years earlier when racing against Ford. It all started with a simple question that the Head of Porsche Motorsports, Ferdinand Piëch, asked the Head of Testing, Helmuth Bott: ‘What are your thoughts on a Turbo? As you know, we want to enter the Can-Am series.’” The rest is history.

Early versions of the 917 were naturally aspirated and had severe issues with aerodynamic lift. The most powerful iteration of the Porsche 917 race car came in 1973. The flat-12 engine, which was originally a 4.5-liter unit, now displaced 5.4 liters. With the twin-turbo setup, it allowed for a horsepower rating of 1,100 to 1,580, depending on the setting. The car actually started out with a big single turbo, which combined with bad aerodynamics and flexible chassis, made the car undrivable. Eventually, two smaller turbochargers were fitted to improve responsiveness. Out of the 65 Porsche 917s produced, only one was made road-legal, which apparently wasn’t an easy task.

The first turbocharged Porsche 911 was a precursor to the original “Turbo”

To no surprise, the first 911 to get forced induction was also a race car. It was the 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR Turbo 2.1, which was a homologation special for a makes race, featuring production-based cars. The small displacement (compared to the 930 Turbo) was a handicap imposed on turbocharged vehicles.

The 911 RSR Turbo 2.1 produced 500 horsepower on 1.5 bar (21.75 psi) of boost, with later variants making up to 620 metric horsepower. The RSR Turbo 2.1 tipped the scales at just 1,818 pounds (825 kg), and was the basis for the even crazier, Porsche 935 race car, of which only one street-legal example exists. The 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR Turbo 2.1 saw only one Le Mans entry and finished second overall. This was also the first Porsche 911 to be capable of 186 mph (300 km/h).

Putting the "Turbo” into the 911 since 1975

Porsche has a very distinctive way of naming its more mainstream models compared to its iconic sports cars. Nowadays, the "Turbo” moniker is slapped even on models where the powertrain has nothing to do with forced induction. A case in point is the Porsche Taycan Turbo. It remains to be seen whether the all-electric Porsche 983 would also adopt the "Turbo” badge.

The first time the "Turbo” badge was slapped onto a Porsche 911 was for the 1975 model year, signifying the most powerful G-series 911 Porsche would have sold you. The air-cooled flat-six engine featured a single, turbocharger by BorgWarner subsidiary, KKK. Later models, equipped with the 3.3-liter flat-six (instead of the 3.0) featured a K 26 turbocharger. Regardless of the model year, a single turbocharger spelled turbo lag, resulting in a snap-oversteer. More than a few unsuspecting 930 owners wrapped their car around a tree, giving the original 911 Turbo one of the coolest Porsche nicknames – the Widowmaker.

Evolving Porsche’s turbo technology

Over the years, Porsche continued working with BorgWarner. In 2006, Porsche used variable geometry turbochargers for the first time. This technology reached mass production in 2007, with the Porsche 997 Turbo, which also happens to be the last Turbo to feature a manual transmission. A 997 was also the last Porsche 911 to feature the iconic Mezger engine, which is another reason why purists adore this particular generation so much.

Variable geometry turbochargers (VGT) work with an electronically-controlled actuator that changes the position of the vanes that guide the exhaust gas. VGT technology has a couple of advantages - a higher specific output, broader torque curve, better resistance to high temperatures, and lower CO2 emissions, to name a few. Interestingly enough, the Dodge Shelby of all cars was fitted with variable-nozzle turbochargers way before Porsche adopted the system.

The future of the Porsche Turbo

By now, it’s clear that Porsche is doubling down on electrification. The 992.2 Carrera GTS was the first 911 to feature the new, T-Hybrid powertrain. The genius behind the system is that it is, both, lightweight and powerful, giving the mid-range 911 greater performance than even the 992.1 Turbo S. The T-Hybrid system adds just 110 pounds, which means even the heaviest Porsche 992 is still relatively lightweight compared to its modern rivals, like the hybrid Mercedes AMG GT.

Porsche’s hybrid powertrain drops the twin sequential turbochargers in favor of a big single turbo, which has its e-motor to help with the initial spooling. This results in a more responsive power delivery, similar to a bigger, naturally aspirated engine. The e-motor can also be used to charge the battery, which in turn can be used to give more power while reducing the impact of the internal combustion engine. So far, it seems like the upcoming Porsche 992.2 Turbo and Turbo S models will utilize a more powerful version of the same T-Hybrid setup. Porsche promises to keep the internal combustion engine for as long as possible. The company says that the 911 will be the last model to go fully electric, meaning the "Turbo” moniker will continue to stand for proper, turbo power.