Porsche Panamera Turbo 970.1 vs Porsche 911 Carrera S 991.2: which is truly faster?

Off the line, the Panamera Turbo hits 100 km/h in 3.92 s versus 3.93 s for the 911 Carrera S. The 0.01 s gap is negligible: both vehicles are neck and neck.

At 200 metres, the 911 Carrera S is doing 162 km/h against 153 km/h for the Panamera Turbo. The gap is 0.02 s. The gap remains stable from the start.

At 400 metres standing start, the 911 Carrera S crosses the line in 11.77 s versus 12.01 s. The 0.25 s gap represents roughly 13 m of track - two to three car lengths.

Past 400 metres, the 911 Carrera S continues to build its lead. At 600 metres, it runs at 225 km/h versus 213 km/h. At 1,000 metres, the 911 Carrera S finishes in 21.09 s versus 21.90 s, with a 0.81 s lead. Both vehicles have similar top speeds (293 vs 307 km/h), preventing any comeback.

The Panamera Turbo features all-wheel drive (AWD) against the 911 Carrera S’s RWD. At low speeds (0-30, 0-50, 0-80 km/h), AWD doubles the driven contact area: all four wheels transmit torque to the road, virtually eliminating wheelspin at launch. This traction advantage is decisive in the range where the motor delivers peak torque, before power and aerodynamics take over.

Both rivals are electronically governed, but not at the same level: the Panamera Turbo is capped at 303 km/h, the 911 Carrera S at 307 km/h. This isn’t a physical engine limit - it’s a manufacturer choice, usually for tyre safety or homologation reasons. Neither car reaches its true aerodynamic top speed.

With two combustion powertrains, the difference comes down to power-to-weight ratio (3.58 kg/hp vs 3.38 kg/hp) and transmission (Automatic vs Automatic).

In European road use (130 km/h max), both vehicles reach the legal speed limit in under 5.84 seconds. The 0.01 s difference in 0 to 100 km/h is mostly felt in motorway merging and overtaking.