EVERY PORSCHE 911 RANKED BY ITS 0-60 TIME

One of the most distinct and recognizable vehicle platforms in the history of the automotive industry is the Porsche 911, featuring a unique design that can make the hearts of even the most mild-mannered drivers race with anticipation and excitement. Part of the fame that the 911 has accrued over the roughly 60 years since being initially introduced to the world is the plethora of variants that the car comes in, catering to enthusiasts of all sorts. Dozens of trims and body styles are available, but they primarily fall within four core model groups:

• Carrera
• GT
• Turbo
• Special Models

The Carrera models serve as the base model of the family, the name itself referencing the Carrera Panamericana race and Porsche's own rich motorsport history. Turbo models were introduced in the 1970s, and while nowadays, almost every 911 has a physical turbocharger, the name indicates the most potent road-focused models available. The GT models also serve as an homage to Porsche's racing history, getting its name from the brand's dominance of the GT class, and are typically road-legal but track-oriented, often developed alongside Porsche's actual customer racing cars.

Lastly, the Special Models are rarities, often built to celebrate special occasions. They combine the best parts of other 911 Porsches into memorable collectors' items and unobtanium for most of us. These cars vary in price, but sometimes, expensive doesn't mean better, especially when it comes to their 0–60 times. With the 992.2 facelift announced for the Carrera and Carrera GTS, we decided to see how they stack up in the greater scheme of things against their 911 brethren.

911 Carrera

Kicking off the list is the slowest member of the Porsche 911 family, The Carrera which boasts a 3.7 second naught to sixty time when buyers opt for the Sport Chrono Package. Interestingly, these stats are for the recent facelift on the model, which debuted with turbos from the old GTS to give it more power but still sees it ranked as the slowest in the 0-60 category. While the base 911 Carrera may be the slowest in the range, it's like being a last-place Olympian in that you're still part of the best, even if not the best of the best.

Likewise, the generally impressive 0-60 speed is achieved via the use of a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged six-cylinder Boxer engine, with the flat-six having been the foundation of every 911's powertrain since the car's inception.

911 S/T

Standing for Sport Touring, this Special Model 911 is meant to celebrate 60 years of the 911 platform, with Porsche making some special additions to the vehicle's powertrain and limiting production to 1,963 units total, which is a sneaky celebration of the 60th anniversary. This includes having the same engine as the GT3 RS, paired with a six-speed manual gearbox with a lightened flywheel, 911 GT3 Touring-style bodywork, being fashioned from carbon fiber everywhere possible, and more. However, this doesn't exactly translate to high-end speed relative to the rest of the 911 family, with the 4.0-liter flat-six being totally unboosted and resulting in a lower top speed and 0-60 time. That being said, the car is designed for driver engagement as evidenced by the manual transmission, meaning there is a niche for it among those with the cash to shell out.

Porsche 911 Dakar

Next up is the 911 Dakar, serving as the 2024 successor to the original Dakar Rally-winning 911 from 1984, known formally as the 911 Carrera 3.2 4x4 Paris-Dakar (953). The original vehicle was meant to be an endurance racer, and much of that spirit translates into the 2024 version. However, it also comes very well-equipped for track times, boasting a 3.2 second 0-60 on the back of a 3-liter twin-turbo flat-six boxer engine paired with a PDK transmission system and an all-wheel drive configuration. As an homage to the original rally car, the AWD setup is fitting, but Porsche clearly had daily driving and trips to the track in mind given the rest of the powertrain and where peak torque becomes available to the driver.

Porsche 911 GT3

One interesting aspect of the Porsche 911 GT3's 0-60 times is that it highlights just how much more effective the PDK transmission is for the pursuit of track times, with the PDK setup clocking in at 3.2 and the manual at a relatively sluggish 3.7 seconds. On Porsche's official website, they claim their motto for the new 911 GT3 models is carpe secundum, or seize the second, in turn emphasizing that the PDK is the right choice in the automaker's own eyes (for both the standard platform and with the Touring trim). While this will result in a slower top speed overall, the high-end difference of 2 mph will be relatively negligible when compared to the sensation of a half-second advantage in the 0-60 category. Thankfully, the 4-liter flat-six Boxer engine is used in every variant of the vehicle, easing the burden of choice on prospective purchases in at least one area.

Porsche 911 GT3 Touring

As touched on above, the 911 GT3 Touring trim offers the same exact powertrain choices as the base GT3, which results in the same 0-60 times and top speeds when the transmissions match. With the manual as a no-cost option, it's great that Porsche is giving drivers the option to further hone their personal driving experience in either scenario. Likewise, the Touring seems to focus more on driver engagement, whereas the base GT3 seems to be all about track times given Porsche's official website marketing the Touring with its manual gearbox 0-60 time, but the base GT3 with the half-second faster PDK 0-60 time. The removal of the rear wing further supports this interpretation, giving the Touring a more traditional road-car aesthetic as opposed to the GT3's intimidating track-ready look.

Porsche 911 GT3 RS

The Porsche 911 GT3 RS thankfully comes with the Sport Chrono Package, meaning each vehicle delivers the fastest 0-60 time possible at 3 seconds flat, according to Porsche's official website. While the GT3 RS is built as a road car, it serves as the purest expression of track performance, hence its use of components adapted directly from the 911 GT3 R racecars.

One area where this is evident is its use of the PDK transmission, allowing it to focus on the pursuit of pure lap times, unlike the normal GT3, which is track-focused but allows for more driver engagement via a manual transmission. The GT3 RS' Nürburgring lap time further proves this, punching way above its horsepower with an impressive 6-minute and 49.328-second run, just a few seconds shy of the production-car record set by the 911 GT2 RS in June 2021. For the record, the GT2 RS has roughly 200 horses more.

911 Carrera GTS

Improving on the base model by a full second at best thanks to the all-new facelift, the 911 Carrera GTS boasts a very impressive 2.9 seconds on its 0-60 time, which includes the Sport Chrono Package as standard. This is done on the back of a 3.6L 6-cylinder boxer with an all-new electric turbocharger attached, which essentially uses an electric motor to help maintain consistent boost at low RPMs when the exhaust gases alone may not be enough to spin the turbine within, thus leading to no boost being created.

This electric motor also comes with its own oil reservoir, helping to cool the motor and ensure it lasts as long as possible considering the work it'll be putting in most of the time. This additional low-end boost and electric assistance helped the new GTS beat the old 911 Turbo around the Nürburgring.

911 Turbo

The 911 Turbo is basically a supercar in a sports car outfit. If you look at the figures above, the Turbo is more than a match for the latest mid-engine rivals from Ferrari and Lamborghini, but you can see outside of the car, and you can even fit kids in the back. It's also one of the best grand tourers available, able to cover ground at an alarming pace thanks to a standard AWD system.

This is a mighty car, and Porsche has said many times that it will continue to make the Turbo as long as supercars exist.

And The Quickest 911 Is... The 911 Turbo S

The king of Porsche's current 911 offerings when it comes to 0-60 time, the Turbo S variant boasts a truly ridiculous 2.6 second 0-60 time off the back of the same engine as found in the 911 Turbo with some exciting tuning adjustments. This results in roughly an additional 37 lb-ft of torque and 68 ponies, which helps to achieve a tenth of a second's worth of superiority in the naught to sixty category. As is a recurring trend in this list, the Sport Chrono Package coming stock is a major boon to these numbers, but it's not the only reason why the Turbo S is so rapid.

One key advantage is the rear-engine setup, which helps to ground the car and get a better launch even in an all-wheel drive configuration like the Turbo S has. An 8-speed PDK also helps tremendously with the best launch times, minimizing the time it takes to change gears as much as possible. All of this combines to make a truly unique driving experience, which is unlikely to be beaten at the Turbo S' price point until Porsche magically finds a way to reinvent the wheel, as they have so many times before.

2024-06-09T04:30:32Z dg43tfdfdgfd