Porsche celebrates 50 years of the 911 Turbo with special edition

• Tribute to the 911 Turbo unveiled at Monterey Car Week
• First production 911 shown in 1974
• New model based on 911 Turbo S
• Styling tweaks, but retains standard car’s powertrain
• Interior gets tartan seats and Turbo 50 logos
• Priced just over £200,000

Porsche is a company that’s very keen to celebrate its heritage, and for 2024 it’s marking a particularly exciting anniversary – 50 years of the turbocharged 911.

The new 911 Turbo 50 Years celebrates the original 911 Turbo, first shown off in production form at the Paris Motor Show in 1974. It also references the 911 RSR Turbo racer which was unveiled in 1973.

Porsche 911 Turbo 50 Years: design

The special-edition 911’s design pays tribute to both original 911 Turbos with what Porsche calls ‘timelessly elegant and contemporary styling elements’. There’s the option of Turbonite paint, the first time it’s been offered on a 911, exclusively designed wheels and it’s littered with Turbo 50 badging.

It gets Turbo vinyl graphics down each side, starting on the haunches and running below the windowline – that’s in homage to the RSR Turbo, while external trim pieces such as the mirrors, air intake and rear wing are finished in anthracite grey.

Open up the door and you’ll even see an image of a turbocharger projected from the puddle lights, which is either a sweet touch or rather gauche. We’ll let you decide…

An additional Heritage Design package switches the exterior paint for Aventurine Green metallic, plus a number graphic on the side. It uses the historic 1964 Porsche crest on the bonnet and wheel caps, too. For those who prefer a slightly cleaner look, the Turbo 50 can be had with fewer or no graphics at all.

Porsche 911 Turbo 50 Years: interior

The interior is rather bolder than the outside, and really leans into the retro/heritage vibe. The most striking addition is McKenzie tartan on the centre panels of the seat covers and door cards. It contrasts with black leather and additional highlights in Turbonite – the seatbelts, stitching and trim strips.

Add the Heritage Design pack and you get even more tartan – on the dashboard trim, glovebox and seat backrest inlays. You also get a historic Porsche crest on the steering wheel, while the instrument dials and the Sport Chrono clock are finished in green.

Porsche 911 Turbo 50 Years: how fast is it and can I buy one?

The Turbo 50 Years special edition is purely an aesthetic exercise – so you don’t get any more power or performance than the 911 Turbo S it’s based on. Nor do you get any powertrain differences like you do in the 911 Sport Classic – the Turbo 50 Years keeps its PDK automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive.

With 650hp and a 0-62mph sprint of 2.7 seconds, it’s hardly lacking in performance, though.

The 911 Turbo 50 is limited to 1,974 examples worldwide, of which a few will certainly be coming to the UK – though as with many Porsche special editions, a good relationship with your local dealer is likely to be the best way to get your name down for one. Priced at just a snip over £200,000, it’s not cheap – though you do get a matching Porsche chronograph to go with it.

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