The Porsche 911 Turbo @ 50 Jahre – SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES

The Porsche 911 Turbo @ 50 Jahre

SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES

If you were there, you’d remember 1974. A year of political turmoil centered around President Nixon, the Watergate break-in and subsequent cover-up capped over a decade of societal turmoil, beginning with the Kennedy assassination and continuing thru the losses of both Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy. And those were on top of continuing protests over our presence in Vietnam – and the human and societal toll from that presence. 

Pop culture and sports supplied brighter highlights. Hank Aaron earned the career homerun title, and the faceoff between Ali and Foreman – the Rumble in the Jungle – captured eyes around the world.

Regrettably, in the automotive realm emission regs were tightening, and a majority of bureaucrats thought the 5-mile-per-hour bumper was a good thing. On a much brighter note, however, Porsche added a turbo to its already-iconic 911. The rest, as they say, is automotive history. 

To look at the 911 Turbo’s specs through today’s filter makes them almost quaint. The turbocharged flat six produced 260 horsepower, 255 lb-ft of torque and attained a top speed of 155 miles per hour, while 0-62 could be achieved in 5.5 seconds. (For comparison, today’s VW Golf R boasts 315 horsepower, 295 lb-ft of torque and, with its dual-clutch automatic, will reach 60 in 4.1 seconds – and that’s with four doors and all-wheel drive.)

To my knowledge, no automotive OEM commemorates or celebrates its history quite like the Porsche team in Stuttgart. In 2023 it was the 75^th anniversary of Porsche’s 356, while this year we’ve noted the 60^th anniversary of the Porsche 911 and, here most recently, news that the Porsche 911 Turbo launch in 1974 would – again – be commemorated. 

If you weren’t there, know that in the dead space that essentially defined the U.S. marketplace in the mid-‘70s, Germany, its cars and its driving environment represented the pinnacle of automotive design and engineering. Admittedly, the Italians won points on design and the Brits imbued their portfolio with (perhaps) more character, but the Germans knew how to roll down the highway. At high speed. In almost total comfort. And no car in the mid-‘70s better represented the measured insanity of Autobahn speeds than Porsche’s 911 Turbo.

Of course, the 911’s basic design language continues to this day, while the early vibes of the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s are kept alive by enthusiast owners, along with fabricators such as Ruf and Singer. And while the newer 911 has grown in both footprint and performance, it’s still immediately recognizable for what it was…when it was.

With its 50^th anniversary, Porsche builds a tribute as only Porsche’s engineers and – notably – marketing team can. Using Porsche’s 2025 911 Turbo as its starting point, the ‘911 Turbo 50 Years’ commemoration includes stylistic tweaks on the outside, MacKenzie tartan upholstery on the inside, and a commemorative dash plaque above the glove box. Behind you sits 3.7 liters of turbocharged flat six delivering 640 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque, propelling a platform roughly a ½-ton greater than in  1974. Despite the greater weight, 0-60 is reached in but 2.6 seconds, while its top speed is better compared to small planes than lesser automobiles.

Limited to just 1,974 examples, if interested you’d want to have talked to your Porsche representative yesterday. Unless, of course, you’re young enough to be around for the 75^th anniversary of the Porsche Turbo. Regrettably, your correspondent won’t be…