The 15 Fastest Porsches Ever
Readers may find it hard to believe, but Porsche has been making cars for over 80 years. Can you remember the first time you ever saw one? With their distinctive look and iconic "cool" image, the Porsche is recognizable even to kids, and are a prized piece in anyone's Matchbox car collection. Corvettes and Camaros are nice, but give me a Porsche 944 any day.
Though the design may be familiar, few know of Porsche's origins. The founder, Ferdinand Porsche, created the company back in 1931, but at that time Porsche was a consulting and vehicle design group. The German government at the time, just a scant year or two before the Nazi party was voted into office, wanted a "car for the people." Porsche designed another one of the most popular cars ever: the Volkswagen Beetle. The founder's son eventually became dissatisfied with the type of cars commonly on the market and came up with his own design, which is how the brand and image we associate with the name Porsche was finally born.
Since their inception, Porsche cars have been known as a racing brand. One doesn't have to be an aficionado to know that Porsches are known for their speed. The Porsche 911 is the most popular model, a fact that probably stems from its popular portrayal in movies. Film legend Steve McQueen was a major fan and collector, and Porsche remains a top pick for many modern stars as well, like Jay Leno and Jerry Seinfeld.
Porsche's legacy has been built on its body of cumulative knowledge, putting to work the better part of a century of research and technological innovation to constantly improve its cars. What better way to celebrate their achievement than to take a closer look at the 15 best models ever made by Porsche.
911 Carrera S
We start with the Porsche 911 Carrera S for a reason. In a way it's the "perfect" Porsche, a solid package all around. The 3.8 liter engine unloads 400 horsepower, letting the Carrera S zoom to 60mph in a hair over four seconds, all while consuming only 9.51 liters per 100km and keeping emissions down to 205g/km with its PDK transmission. Few cars can beat the Carrera S on emissions, performance, and price.
- Top Speed: 188mph
- Acceleration: 0-60 in 4.1 seconds
Porsche 911 Speedster
Sixteen years was a long time to wait, but that's how long folks had to anticipate 2010's newest Porsche Speedster. Production was limited to a run of only 356 units worldwide, making this an exclusive model. It still kept its famous Porsche shape and quality, but with a $204,000 sticker price, and its extreme scarcity, this Speedster is as rare and lovely as an exotic bird.
- Top Speed: 189mph
- Acceleration: 0-60 in 4.4 seconds
Porsche 911 Carrera GTS
Considered the best version of the more than 22 Porsche variants, the GTS reaches new heights of excellence. Offering 408 horsepower in its 3.8L Flat-six engine, the GTS builds on Porsche's success with the 911 to create an amazing - and street-legal - car. It doesn't compare to some of the other top-end models, but it still offers a thrilling yet sensible experience.
- Top Speed: 190mph
- Acceleration: 0-60 in 4.4 seconds
Porsche Panamera Turbo S
A 4-door Porsche? Sure, this one has enough cargo room and passenger space to take a family road trip to the Grand Canyon, but the 4.8L twin-turbo charge, direct-injected V8 engine with titanium propellers will take you there in style. Shift around the curves with its 7-speed PDK transmission, launch control, and all-wheel drive, and let it cradle you with active aerodynamic system and adjustable air suspension. Then let it bring you to a safe stop with its $8,000 carbon ceramic brakes. A road trip has never been so fun.
- Top Speed: 192mph
- Acceleration: 0-60 in 3.6 seconds
Porsche 911 GT3
What is the GT3 if not a legend? Featuring a flat-six that can churn out 475 horsepower at a jaw-dropping 9,000 rpm, it gives the user lightning-fast shifting from its PDK transmission all inside a beautiful package that is ready for the racetrack or the road. It isn't Porsche's fastest model, but it comes from a line of CUP racers, and certainly wins in the style category.
- Top Speed: 194mph
- Acceleration: 0-60 in 3 seconds
Porsche 911 Turbo
Yes, you read that right: just a hair over two-and-a-half seconds to reach 60mph. That makes the Porsche 911 Turbo S the fastest 911 ever. Driving it makes you feel like you're in a video game, flying down the road with the 560hp twin-turbo 3.8L flat six humming beneath you, grinding out 516 lbs/ft. of torque. And if you floor it, the "Sport Plus" overboost function kicks in, nudging that up to 535 lbs./ft. in bursts of 20 seconds each. It's like riding a dragon. That you control. Think about that.
- Top Speed: 196mph
- Acceleration: 0-60 in 2.6 seconds
Porsche Carrera GT
It's hard to go wrong with the Carrera GT, a classic which is inspired by Le Mans racers of yesteryear. Dubbed the "Top Sports Car of the 2000s" by Sports Car International, this baby offers a 5.7L V10 engine that gets 612 horsepower, all on a solid frame infused with carbon fiber. An amazing machine.
- Top Speed: 205mph
- Acceleration: 0-60 in 3.5 seconds
Techart 911 Turbo S
Though this one is really a tuner car, we had to include the Techart 911 Turbo S on this list because of the subtle - yet substantial - improvements these guys made to the already bad-ass 911 Turbo S. The exterior holds few changes, but Techart has really upped the ante inside, bringing up the performance to 620 horsepower that offers 612 lbs/ft. of torque. They also beefed up the exhaust system to give it valve control, so everyone knows you're there.
- Top Speed: 204mph
- Acceleration: 0-60 in 2.9 seconds
Porsche 911 GT1
Like something straight out of a futuristic racing arena, the GT1 is Porsche's answer to the GT sports racing class. It's street-legal, and features the kind of comforts you want on the road - carpeting, leather seats and exterior paint in customizable colors, and the classic 911 dash instrumentation - but there's no denying this thing is meant for the track. Under the hood is a 549 horsepower, 3.2L twin-turbo flat six resting on lightweight frame, letting it reach face-melting speeds. Not exactly something for a daily commute, but if you want to feel like Mario Andretti, you've picked the right car.
- Top Speed: 204mph
- Acceleration: 0-60 in 3.7 seconds
RUF RGT-8
The Ruf RGT-8 looks like something that would be right at home on the night streets of Tokyo. Though it looks like a Porsche, Ruf is actually another manufacturer out of Germany that uses an unmarked Porsche chassis to build its own cars. Based on the Porsche 911, the Ruf RGT-8 is a new car, not just a minor update of the Porsche. It has a 4.5L V8 engine which bottles up 550 raging horses, and with a low center of gravity and a lighter engine than the flat six, the RGT feels like its gliding along the road when it reaches its 205mph top speed.
- Top Speed: 205mph
- Acceleration: 0-60 in 3.8 seconds
Porsche 911 GT2
Born from a long line of Porsche 911 Turbo racers, the GT2 RS differs in subtle but important ways. Its 3.6L flat six engine holds 612 horsepower, and since the whole car weighs 150lbs less than the standard GT2, it is capable of beating the Nissan GT-R's lap time around Nurburgring - the goal of its entire design, which it managed with a crushing 9 seconds difference.
- Top Speed: 205mph
- Acceleration: 0-60 in 3.4 seconds
Porsche 918 Spyder
The 918 Spyder turns heads everywhere it goes. It can make the most ordinary middle-manager look like James Bond as he cruises down Las Vegas Boulevard. The Spyder is the ultimate in Porsche design, easily the most powerful of its sisters with over 887 horsepower in a hybrid, dual electric/gas motor combo engine. Like the GT2 RS, the Spyder destroyed the Nurburgring course, coming in under 7 minutes and demolishing the previous record by a whole 14 seconds. Only 918 were built, making the Spyder another rarity in the Porsche world.
- Top Speed: 214mph
- Acceleration: 0-60 in 2.2s
Porsche 917k Road Car
I know what you're thinking: This thing is street legal? The 917k is a race car, through and through, with a Type 912 flat twelve engine that comes in 4.5L, 4.9L, and 5L varieties and harnessing anywhere from 520 to 1,100 horsepower, but it was adapted for road use. Sure to raise some eyebrows as you pull up to the stop light!
- Top Speed: 199mph
- Acceleration: 0-60 in 2.6s
Ruf RT12S
The second Ruf on this list, the RT12S is based on the Porsche 997 but was built with an integrated roll cage and with an engine enhanced to 685 horsepower. It still has that standard 911 comfort, but optional all-wheel drive and upgraded suspension improves the whole package. Practical and high-performance in one car makes this an attractive option.
Ruf RT12R
The latest and greatest Ruf redesign, this one based on the 911 Turbo is just insane. The modifications boost performance and power to new levels, with 730 horsepower and 693 lbs./ft. of torque. Ruf kept the interior a bit austere to save on weight, and complemented that with carbon fiber-enhanced frame and aerodynamic features to make the Ruf RT12R the fastest of all the Porsches. And it even has three-tone paint scheme to maximum eye appeal!
- Top Speed: 234mph
- Acceleration: 0-60 in 3.3 seconds