2014 Porsche 911 Turbo S

Automotive history was made when Po2014 Porsche 911 Turbo Srsche launched its first Turbo model in 1973, showing a prototype of the new car at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Unlike its naturally aspirated 911 siblings, the silver coupe on display was equipped with a 3.0-liter flat six-cylinder engine breathing pressurized air courtesy of a single turbocharger. At the time, few realized how significantly forced induction would change the game.

This rear-mounted engine was rated at 260 horsepower, giving the coupe a top speed of 155 miles per hour. The performance was excessive for a street car of the era, but Porsche had an ulterior motive; it was building the required 400 units to meet GT motorsport homologation rules. Yet the automaker greatly underestimated the popularity of its new street-legal race car. In response to demand, the company doubled – and then tripled – production. By 1977, Porsche had sold 2,876 copies of the Type 930 Turbo 3.0, and its enthusiast customer base was begging for more. The German automaker didn't hold back. More than four decades after its initial debut, Porsche has introduced its eighth-generation Turbo for the 2014 model year. The new coupe, built on the Type 991 platform that was launched just last year, leapfrogs its predecessor in nearly every category – pushing the envelope has always been a Turbo tradition.