2026 Porsche 911 Turbo S Is Quicker Than the 918 Spyder and Corvette ZR1X

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The Porsche 911 Turbo S has always been known for blistering acceleration, and the latest iteration, which adopted a hybrid powertrain, is no exception. In fact, at the test track, the 2026 Porsche 911 Turbo S not only beat out other performance beasts like the Chevy Corvette ZR1X and the 918 Spyder, Porsche's last mid-engined hypercar, but its sprint to 60 mph is tied for the quickest time we've ever recorded with a gas-powered vehicle.

See all results for new 2026 911 Turbo / Turbo S for sale near 94040

The 911 Turbo S blasted to 60 mph in just 2.0 seconds flat, putting it dead even with our current gas-powered acceleration king, the $511,250 2021 Ferrari SF90 Stradale. The Ferrari, which was fitted with the Assetto Fiorano handling package, is also a hybrid, pairing an electric motor with a twin-turbocharged V-8 and two additional electric motors on the front axle for a combined 986 horsepower. The Porsche's combination of a twin-turbo flat-six and a single electric motor in the eight-speed automatic produces 701 hp, but the two cars are equal on torque at 590 pound-feet. The 911 was fitted with Pirelli's P Zero R tires and the SF90 with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2Rs.

As the speeds climb, the Ferrari begins to create a gap. The Turbo S required 4.8 seconds to hit 100 mph (four-tenths behind the SF90), and it falls 1.3 seconds behind the Ferrari by 150 mph. The Porsche recorded a 9.7-second quarter-mile run at 142 mph, crossing the line two-tenths behind the Ferrari with a 6-mph-slower trap speed.

Still, the 911 Turbo S's test results are mind-bogglingly rapid, and it out-accelerates cars with much higher outputs, such as the Corvette ZR1X—at least in the race to 60. The ZR1X's hybrid setup mates a twin-turbo 5.5-liter V-8 with a front-mounted electric motor for an absurd 1250 horsepower, but the Vette can't put all of that power down as easily off the line, and it's a tenth behind the Porsche to 60 mph. Still, like the Ferrari, the ZR1X's power advantage shows up later, as the Corvette beats the Porsche to 100 mph by eight-tenths and arrives at 150 mph 2.6 seconds sooner. The ZR1X's quarter-mile time is a face-melting 9.2 seconds at 155 mph.

The 911 Turbo S also serves as a perfect example of the rate of progress that performance vehicles have taken over the past decade. Ten years ago, the 918 Spyder was the pinnacle of Porsche's lineup, but even this hypercar that sold for around $900,000 when new has been bested by the new 911 Turbo S ($286,180 as tested). The 918 needed 2.1 seconds to reach 60 mph when we tested a 2015 model, and it matched the 2026 Turbo S to 100 mph. The 918's V-8 hybrid setup produces 887 hp, allowing the iconic hypercar to at least win the battle to 150 mph by eight-tenths of a second. The 918 Spyder and 911 Turbo S both completed the quarter-mile in 9.7 seconds, although the 918 did it 3 mph faster.

Porsches are expensive, but considering the 911 Turbo S's absurd performance, its $272,650 starting price feels like a bargain. Sure, it can't quite keep up with mightier rivals as speeds climb into the mid-triple-digit range, but its ballistic 60-mph acceleration allows it to hold its own against far more expensive and exotic cars at speeds you might actually reach on the street. The only counterargument is the Corvette ZR1X, which may be a breath slower to 60 mph but is an absolute rocket ship beyond the mile-per-minute mark and starts at a cool $212,195. But between the Chevy and the Porsche, it seems we're in a golden era of hybrid performance.

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Caleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.

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