Fifty years. That’s how long it’s been since Porsche first strapped a turbocharger to the back of a 911 and rewrote the rulebook. In 1974, the first 911 Turbo shocked the world with its outrageous boost, bulbous arches and brutal performance. Half a century on, Porsche is celebrating the milestone with the 911 Turbo 50, a special edition that honours the heritage of one of the most revered badges in sports car history. It’s not just a numbered plaque and a paint job, either. The 2024 992 Porsche 911 Turbo 50 is a proper nod to the past, delivered through carefully considered details and a driving experience that still gives you sweaty palms almost 5 years since the 992 Turbo S debuted.
Only 1,974 examples of the Turbo 50 will be made, and at a glance, it doesn’t shout about its rarity. But look closer and the references to its ancestors start to shine through. This particular example came finished in Aventurine Green, a shade that nods to the original Turbo’s Olive and Oak greens of the 1970s. Most distinctive, though, are the white-painted Turbo wheels – a design that harks directly back to the Fuchs-style wheels of early cars. It’s a classy reinterpretation of the past, and when paired with less subtle Turbo 50 badging and very smart heritage Porsche crests.
Inside, things get wild and a touch Scottish! Porsche says the design aims to “recall the zeitgeist of the 1970s”, and that mission’s accomplished via unapologetically retro Mackenzie blue tartan fabric. The classic pattern appears across the seat centres, door cards, dashboard trim and even inside the glovebox. Turbonite trim, a dark, satin metallic finish developed specifically for this model, adds visual contrast, while Turbo 50 logos appear everywhere from the door sills to rear badge. A final cheeky flourish, every time you open the door, a LED projection of a turbocharger illuminates the pavement.
That being said, it is no museum piece. The cabin tech, infotainment and seats are bang up to date. On the road, the Turbo 50 is every bit the powerhouse it should be, following the 992 Turbo S formula of being outrageously capable and ferociously fast. Powered by the same 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six as the standard Turbo S, it produces 641bhp and 800Nm of torque. That’s good for 0–62mph in just 2.7 seconds and a top speed of 205mph (330km/h), making it one of the fastest road-legal 911s ever.
But what really stands out is how approachable it remains. Engage launch control and it’s predictably brutal, but ease off and the car reveals its GT character. It’s composed, refined, and endlessly fast – a car that shrinks distance with an uncanny sense of calm. Yet on tighter roads, there’s enough balance and adjustability to remind you it’s a 911 at heart. It never quite matches the pin-sharp precision of a GT3, but it’s not trying to. The Turbo’s genius has always been in its breadth of ability.
The Turbo 50 is a celebration with substance, a reminder that evolution doesn’t have to mean compromise. In Aventurine Green with white wheels and 641bhp under your right foot, it’s a tribute that does justice to a legend, and a signal that the Turbo bloodline is alive and well. We know the 992.2 Turbo S will follow in GTS T-Hybrid recipe with electric turbocharging and eagerly anticipate experiencing the brute force of the next generation.
