In standard form, no Porsche 911 Turbo S could ever be accused of being a slow car. Even the first Turbo S, which arrived in 1992, packed 376bhp and could sprint from 0-62mph in just 4.6 seconds.
By 2013, when the 991 generation of Turbo S was launched, power had risen to 552bhp while the 0-62mph dash had dropped to just 3.2 seconds.
The facelifted 991.2 Turbo S that arrived a few years later upped the ante even further, as the engine’s output rose to 572bhp while the car's 0-62mph time dropped to just 2.9 seconds.
That, to put things in perspective, meant the now-superseded Porsche was only half a second slower to 62mph than a 1479bhp Bugatti Chiron – a car that, when new, cost some £2.4 million more.
Half a second is quite a lot when you're talking about sub 3.0-second cars, admittedly, but aspects of the performance offered by even an older 911 Turbo S are still impressive when compared to many a more costly car.
If you own a 991.2 Turbo S and you fancy Chiron-like performance, however, German tuner Manhart Performance has just the answer: the TR 850 package. It boosts the output of the Porsche’s 3.8-litre engine by up to 266bhp and 288lb ft, granting a whopping total of 838bhp and overboost torque of 803lb ft.
So equipped, the Porsche can catapult its way from 0-62mph in a Chiron-rivalling 2.4 seconds. More impressively, it can dispatch the 0-124mph benchmark in just 7.3 seconds – that’s 0.5 seconds quicker than the book figure for a McLaren 720S and 0.8 seconds slower than the Chiron.
You’ll pay a hefty price for the additional performance, though, as the Manhart performance kit costs €27,186 (£24,903) – which is about 20 per cent of the cost of a used 911 Turbo S alone.
That said, you’re not just getting a few mild tweaks and a remap for your money. While Manhart ECU tuning does form a key part of the upgrade, you also get a new custom intake plenum, turbochargers, intercoolers, downpipes, a stainless steel exhaust system, a BMC air filter and a transmission upgrade.
There’s no definitive word on top speed, though, with Manhart only stating that a Turbo S with its tuning kit is capable in excess of 205mph. The standard car is similarly capable of that but it seemingly isn’t limited by its gearing, so if you had the room then your tweaked 911 may well go faster.
“We put our main focus on extending the biggest strengths of the Porsche – the perfect bridge between performance and daily driveability,” states the TR 850 brochure. “The Manhart 911.2 Turbo S does everything the stock Porsche does, just with a lot more performance all round.”
Manhart’s TR 850 pack is also offered with other upgrades, including custom downpipes without catalytic converters, forged monoblock alloy wheels from Levella, H&R lowering springs and a Manhart decal set.
Cost aside, some buyers do need to take note and inquire about one key issue: according to the website, the performance kit isn’t TÜV approved – so it can’t be used on a road car in Germany. Manhart does offer a wide array of other options, though, and it can even build you a bespoke TR 850 if you so desire.
Keyword: Manhart turns the Porsche 911 Turbo S into even more of a monster