Porsche 911 Turbo S vs Panamera vs Taycan drag race: Triple Threat

Recently, we compared Porsche's two Turbo S super sedans – the Panamera and Taycan – to see how they compared on the highway, in the city and on a twisty section of road. For its uncompromising and brutal efficiency, the Taycan came across as a bit clinical compared to the more emotional Panamera, but the real celebration is now. We've borrowed a runway for a precious short while to decide once and for all which is the quickest Turbo S of them all. 

Okay, I admit, the Pan will probably lose this to the EV, but it doesn’t take a Porsche enthusiast to know that there is another Turbo S in the line-up. The original giant slayer itself, the 911 Turbo S. The Taycan’s power output rises to 761hp (from 625hp) with launch control, but the 911’s 650hp comfortably eclipses the Panamera and at 1,640kg, it weighs several hundred kilograms less than both. I know I’m in the slowest car here, but which will come first?

Launch control is as simple as it can get. The trio shoots off the blocks with violent efficiency, all 12 tyres yanking hard at the tarmac with no wasteful wheelspin. Through my windscreen and my concentration, I see the other two peel away, but I’m not prepared for just how comprehensively the 911 obliterates us both. Lucky launch? We run again, and again, and again, but the result is the same. I even get a jump on the Taycan a few times, but it’s not enough to change the result at the end of the quarter mile. You’d think maybe the EV would own the first few metres at least, but no. It’s pure 911 dominance. The sedans clocked 0-100kph times a few tenths behind Porsche’s claims; the 911 beat it by 0.3sec. What a day at the office!