2018 Porsche 911 Turbo S Exclusive

Porsche will build only 500 copies of the 911 Turbo S Exclusive globally. Exclusive—it’s right there in the name. Actually, the Exclusive part of the name refers to Porsche’s in-house customizing department: Exclusive Manufaktur, a label emblazoned on the fender badges. These are the folks made famous by their willingness to wrap anything and everything in leather. Want your tires to be wrapped in hides? They’ll probably do that.

While they’re renowned for their skills in the bovine-skin arts, the Exclusive department also does engine work. The Turbo S Exclusive is a showcase of everything that the factory will do to a 911 Turbo S.

Pushing Power past 600 Ponies

An extra 27 horsepower over the standard Turbo S pushes the Exclusive to 607 ponies. If that makes it quicker, it’s difficult to tell from the driver’s seat. Acceleration is brutally quick, but a regular 911 Turbo S is already among the quickest cars we’ve tested and the power gain is less than 5 percent. Porsche’s own numbers put the Exclusive ahead of the regular Turbo S by only 0.3 second to 124 mph, and the claimed top speed is identical at 205 mph. The company says that zero to 60 mph comes up in 2.8 seconds using the standard Sport Chrono package’s launch control, 0.2 second quicker than Porsche’s claim for the standard Turbo S; we’ve recorded 2.6 for that model. These aren’t differences that make themselves evident in your daily commute.

And we couldn’t feel much difference even while lapping the Exclusive at Thunderhill Raceway Park in Northern California. Then again, this Pirelli P Zero–equipped car had little trouble keeping up with the new 4.0-liter GT3 running on stickier Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. Like the Turbo S, the Exclusive is willing and eager on track. It’ll rotate if you provoke the rear end with the throttle, it has brakes that never give up, and the whooshing six behind the rear seats figuratively shortens straightaways even if the extra punch isn’t obvious without a stopwatch.

Adding Lightness

Visual differences are more obvious. Stripes of exposed carbon fiber are a tipoff that the roof and the hood are indeed composed of carbon fiber. The characteristic weave is on display all over the car, from the spoiler to the mirrors. The theme continues inside with multicolor carbon-fiber instrument-panel trim.

Believe it or not, at its $258,550 price of entry, the Turbo S Exclusive isn’t fully loaded. There are still a few stand-alone options available to further personalize this already rare car, including an audio-system upgrade and leather covering for the fuse box.

It appears Porsche is making this ultimate and rare 911 to test the quarter-million-dollar waters; while undeniably cool, the Turbo S Exclusive will appeal to the Porsche faithful who especially prize rarity. The rest of us could be more than satisfied with the $191,750 Turbo S or even the 540-hp Turbo for $162,850.

Specifications >

VEHICLE TYPE: rear-engine, all-wheel-drive, 2+2-passenger, 2-door coupe

BASE PRICE: $258,550

ENGINE TYPE: twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve flat-6, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection

Displacement: 232 cu in, 3800 cc
Power: 607 hp @ 6750 rpm
Torque: 553 lb-ft @ 2250 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 7-speed dual-clutch automatic with manual shifting mode

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 96.5 in
Length: 177.4 in
Width: 74.0 in Height: 51.1 in
Passenger volume: 70 cu ft
Cargo volume: 4 cu ft
Curb weight (C/D est): 3550 lb

PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 2.5 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 6.0 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 10.5 sec
Top speed: 205 mph

EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST):
Combined/city/highway: 19/17/23 mpg