2014 Porsche 911 Turbo S
2014 marks the 50th anniversary of the porsche 911. and despite being a pentagenarian, the 911 is showing no signs of slowing down. in fact, now that a turbo 991 has arrived it’s moving along quicker than ever. so come along as we hit our favorite road course, savannah’s roebling road raceway, to find out just how much faster and better this all-new 911 turbo really is!
While we are always pumped to drive a new Porsche, just as a race team begins thinking about their next race as soon as the checkered flag drops, we begin dreaming about the next Porsche we get to drive as soon as we hop out of one. So, no sooner did we pull our 911 C4S into pit lane at Roebling Road Raceway last year, we began thinking about this car, the 2014 Porsche 911 Turbo S.
The 911 Turbo and this 2-mile road course are made for each other. Unlike previous gens of Turbo, with the 991-series, both Turbo and Turbo S models are available right away, with the S adding more standard equipment and more power from the 3.8-liter twin-turbo flat-6.
Turbo numbers are 520-horsepower and 487 lb-ft. of torque. The Turbo S hikes those to 560 and 516, with up to 553 lb-ft. of torque available at full throttle, with overboost as part of the Sport Chrono package.
If there’s one constant in our society, no matter how much you give, people always seem to want more, and the new Turbo delivers. How much more? Well, the Turbo S is the quickest road going production Porsche ever. On Roebling’s front straight, we managed to hit 60 in 2.9-seconds, with the ¼-mile pass taking 10.8 at 129 miles-per-hour.
And as great as that is, the real reason you should want a Turbo is for the handling. It’s all-wheel-drive of course, and the current system is a evolution of the torque vectoring setup with an added Electro-hydraulic control for the multi-plate coupling that enables more power to be delivered to the front axle faster.
In addition, the Turbo gains rear wheel steer. With an electromechanical actuator for each back wheel, the system provides varying degrees of steering to both tighten turns and increase high speed stability.
But even with electronics managing just about every aspect of the chassis, the drive experience is about as intuitive and easy as it can be. Amazingly enough, Porsche has succeeded in not entirely dialing out all of the driving enjoyment. But if you’re looking for hairball, rear end out kicks, you might have to wait a few more months for the GT3. This car has phenomenal grip. The harder you push it through corners, the more it eggs you on.
Active roll compensation keeps things flat no matter the speed, and the stability and overall manner through high speed sweepers is incredible. Roebling also has a few tight corners and when coming off of them, depending on how much throttle you were able to maintain, you will experience some turbo lag going full off to full on.
We like big brakes and we cannot lie, the Turbo’s standard ceramic brakes are eye popping effective. As for transmission, the Turbo is PDK only, and while purists will surely cry for a manual, we’re beyond that. The PDK’s shifts are incredibly quick, and it makes street driving in every day traffic that much more livable.
Who would have thought you’d need to artificially pump exhaust sound into the 911 to get the full experience, more so, who would have thought we’d enjoy it so much!
Visually, all the usual Turbo clues are here, wider hips, enlarged air intakes, and serious 20-inch wheels. While new active air elements like an extending front spoiler and a slotted rear wing take down force to new levels. Full LED headlights provide bright-as- day nighttime illumination on the Turbo S.
There’s plenty for the tactile senses to enjoy inside as well, from the 2-tone leather treatment throughout to the Turbo specific gauge package.
Government Fuel Economy Ratings are also improved to 17-City, 24-Highway, and 20-Combined. That also improves the Energy Impact Score to 16.5-barrels of oil and 7.4 tons of CO2 emitted annually.
As for pricing, does it really matter? While every red-blooded driver should want a Turbo, you either can afford one or you can’t. Sticker shock starts at $149,250; Turbo S at $181,950.
It is truly insane that Porsche has taken the rear engine platform to this level. The 2014 Porsche 911 Turbo simply exceeds all rational expectations. Can you have too much of a good thing? As far as we’re concerned, never. And you can be assured that Porsche engineers are already working on delivering even more for the next one. And yes, we are already thinking about driving it!
Specifications
- Engine: 3.8-liter
- Horsepower: 560
- Torque: 516 lb-ft.
- 0-60 mph: 2.9-seconds
- 1/4 mile: 10.8 seconds @ 129 mph
- EPA: 17 mpg city/ 24 mpg highway
- Energy Impact: 16.5 barrels of oil/yr
- CO2 Emissions: 7.4 tons/yr
2025 Genesis G80
New Interior And New Tech Elevates G80 Sedan
Talk about bad timing. This second-generation G80 debuted at the height of a global pandemic. But that hasn’t stopped Genesis or this Bentley-on-a-budget sedan. In fact, since then, Genesis has unveiled a spectacular all-electric version and now given all G80s a makeover. So, let’s find out what a better and better-timed new G80 is ready to deliver.
Breaking into the luxury sedan scene requires going up against traditional brands with long pedigrees and legions of loyal buyers. But Hyundai has never shied away from a challenge, and has made steady progress with their Genesis brand, and hopes that a revised 2025 G80 midsize sedan will be their next step up.
Styling matters more when you’re the upstart, and the Genesis Athletic Elegance theme changes very little for ’25; just a new grille, slightly reshaped bumpers, new wheels ranging from 18 to 20 inches, and an updated color palette. The G80’s unique two-line LED headlamps get revised Micro Lens Array technology that boosts performance while minimizing the brightness for oncoming drivers.
Changes inside are much more significant with an entirely new dash and console, eliminating both the hooded gauge panel and dashtop wide info screen. Merging them together into one 27-inch wide LG panoramic display than runs from behind the steering wheel to over the center stack. There’s a bigger and more comprehensive control panel in the center stack; while the console gets less armrest coverage, more space for storage, and reshaped cupholders. The wider display is still a touchscreen, but there is also a console mounted controller if you prefer to keep it fingerprint free. Both options work well, but the controller is still too easy to confuse with the dial-like shifter.
Materials are on par if not a notch above most European luxury rivals, and there are 18 speakers to crank out 1,400 watts of premium sound from Bang & Olufsen. Top Sport Prestige trim comes with Nappa leather seats, carbon fiber trim, micro-suede materials for the headliner and pillar covers, heated armrests, head-up display, and upgraded active safety features. Front seats are immensely comfortable without feeling overly soft, and there’s plenty of comfort and room for adults in the back seat.
More Bentley than Benz; streaking down the track with European-style solidity that gives you very little indication of the high speed you’re traveling at.
Same powertrains as last year. Base power comes from a 300-horsepower 2.5-liter turbo-four; the upgrade is this 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 that outputs 375 horsepower and 391 lb-ft of torque. Both are hitched to standard all-wheel drive. At our Mason Dixon Dragway test track, the AWD delivered enough grip for consistent slip-free launches. We hit 60 in 5.0 seconds flat. Run after run, the 3.5T pulled as strong as it sounds. All G80s work with the same paddle-shift eight-speed automatic transmission, and while shifting was silky smooth on the street, here on the track with Sport Mode and wide-open throttle they were noticeably firmer and quicker.
It was a very surreal experience in the cabin. More Bentley than Benz; streaking down the track with European-style solidity that gives you very little indication of the high speed you’re traveling at. For us, that was 105 mph in 13.4 seconds at the quarter. In addition to the G80’s Sport Mode that tightens steering, improves throttle response, adjusts shifting points, firms up the suspension, and reconfigures stability system parameters; Sport Prestige trim adds rear-wheel steering and an electronic limited slip differential. But, even with all of that, it didn’t feel overly sporty in our handling course. Now, we were able to comfortably carry quite a bit of speed through the cones, but there was just an overall soft, somewhat disconnected and heavy presence that had us unsure of how hard we could push. Sport Prestige also adds upgraded performance brakes. They were plenty capable, bringing this 4,600-lbs. luxury liner consistently down from 60 in just 104 feet with little fade.
Government Fuel Economy Ratings for the six-cylinder are 16 City, 24 Highway, and 19 Combined. We averaged a good 21.3 mpg of Premium. Still, that’s a slightly below average Energy Impact Score, using 15.7 barrels of oil annually with 7.8 tons of CO2 emissions.
Considering the amount of luxury packed into the G80, its $58,350 starting price, even though slightly higher than last year, remains pretty remarkable. It’s a substantial step up to the 3.5T though, as it begins at $70,850.
Genesis has existed as a standalone luxury brand for just less than a decade, and it has indeed been making steady progress into what is surely the hardest segment of all to master. The 2025 Genesis G80 sedan continues to impress and is a great option for luxury-minded buyers who prioritize true value over badges.
Specifications
As Tested
- Engine: 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6
- Transmission: eight-speed automatic
- Horsepower: 375
- Torque: 391 lb-ft
- EPA: 16 City | 24 Highway | 19 Combined
- 0-60 mph: 5.0 seconds
- 1/4 Mile: 13.4 seconds at 105 mph
- Braking, 60-0 (avg.): 104 feet
- MW Fuel Economy: 21.3 mpg (Premium)