No, you’re not having an episode of déja vu—this isn’t a second take of the Porsche 911’s 50th anniversary, nor is there going to be a reimagination of its corresponding special edition model. That was a more of a general milestone, but this time there’s a bit more specificity surrounding the fanfare.
While the 911 bloodline itself began a decade earlier, it wasn’t until 1974 that the world would be introduced to the very first Turbo variant—and the rest, as they say, is history. Fast-forward to the present, and Porsche have just unveiled the Porsche 911 Turbo 50 Years during the 2024 rendition of Monterey Car Week, marking a celebration of a half-century of the automaker’s iconic flagship sports car.
In terms of approach, the Porsche 911 Turbo 50 Years is a familiar concoction of historic design cues that hark back to a storied past, blended with top-of-the-line modern day performance capabilities and exclusive design elements.
Nostalgic Vibes Meet Contemporary Machinery
The Porsche 911 Turbo 50 Years is based on the contemporary 911 Turbo S, which has been in production since 2019. Most notably, this means that it inherits the former’s 3.7L twin-turbocharged boxer-6, which produces an impressive 641 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque. Through the now-familiar 8-speed PDK transmission which sends power through an active all-wheel-drive system, the 911 Turbo 50 Years can complete the 0-60 mph sprint in as little as 2.6 seconds, on its way to a top speed of 205 mph.
There’s also a plethora of normally-optional-now-standard features, which include Porsche Traction Management (PTM) with Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV+), Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), PDLS+ with LED matrix headlights, PCCB with calipers finished in black, front axle lift, and a sport exhaust system. All the good stuff, basically—it’s take it or leave it territory now.
Reminiscing of The Good Ol’ Days
From The Inside…
While it has all the hallmarks of a deliberately crafted world-class athlete, the Porsche 911 50 Years certainly oozes plenty of old-school panache via inspiration from its royal bloodline. The 1974 Porsche (930) 911 Turbo was revolutionary, creating a new standard for turbo technology in its day. More importantly—particularly in the long run—Porsche was able to package all that game-changing performance into a versatile sports car with remarkable day-to-day usability. An “everyday supercar”, as the kids are saying these days. This was one of the first.
The 911 Turbo 50 Years is a tribute to the era from whence it was born, reimagining distinct and elegant styling cues through a contemporary lens. Perhaps the most striking resemblance to the original Porsche 911 Turbo, would be the use of the historically relevant “McKenzie” tartan finishings used for the front and rear seat covers and interior door panels. Other exclusive elements include “Turbonite” accents on the seat belts, contrast stitching, and center console surrounds. Special “Turbo 50” emblems and logos are also present throughout the interior, and each car will have its own unique aluminum anniversary plaque (placed above the glove box), denoting its limited-edition number out of 1,974 units produced.
..And Out
While the anniversary car doesn’t incorporate any of the OG Turbo’s exterior features on a 1:1 basis, the hints left by the Porsche 911 Turbo 50 Years as they pertain to the mission, are hardly subtle when viewed up close. The standard model comes with vinyl graphics across each side of the car, with the iconic “turbo” in cursive font across the top of the rear fender. Porsche says that this is a nod to the 1973 Porsche 911 RSR Turbo race car, which is considered to be the car from which the 911 Turbo production version was derived.
Like the interior, this celebratory Turbo model comes with special “Turbo 50” emblems, including an exclusive plaque on the rear engine cover. The sleek and stealthy “Turbonite” finish continues to feature as an accent or contrasting color on a number of exterior pieces, including the Porsche crest, fuel tank cap and rear engine cover slats. A really nice touch for the minimalists out there, I reckon.
Heritage Design Package For Those Who Want To Hark Back Even Louder
For those who find “Turbonite” on its own to be a bit too understated, the optional Heritage Design package from Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur turns the festivities up a notch. Given the über limited production run of this car, you might as well go all out on this one—dare I say the Heritage Design package is a must.
Opting for it will unlock a number of additional design cues and equipment features, including Aventurine Green Metallic as the base body color, although standard colors and Paint to Sample colors are also available with the Heritage Design package. Other visual add-ons include the white “lollipop” decal—by which a selectable number between 0 and 99 is encompassed—along with special versions of the “50 Years of Turbo” and “Porsche” emblems in gold colors.
If you’re one of those in-betweeners, you can forgo some, or all, of the aforementioned graphic elements and still have access to the full catalogue of other goodies that the Heritage Design package offers. This includes Sport Classic Wheels painted in a satin finish white and silver combination, and more exclusive interior features such as new tartan design elements adorning the dashboard trim, glove box, seat backrest inlays, and more. The instrument cluster and Sport Chrono clock also come in a special green color for the Heritage Design Package.
Pricing & Availability
The Porsche 911 Turbo 50 Years has a base MSRP of $261,000, and the first deliveries of the 1,974 units to be made, will begin in the fall of 2024. Like many exclusive, special edition, and limited production vehicles from Porsche, getting an allocation will always be the biggest challenge. Clients able to get one, will likely use the opportunity to spec their cars to the moon, bringing the total price comfortably beyond the $300,000 mark in most cases, I’d reckon. I’m willing to bet that the 911 Turbo 50 Years chronograph—by Porsche Design Timepieces—will also become a fixture amongst this lucky bunch of new owners.
Official Video
Photo Gallery
