A Scottish shootout between two old foes… can the hybridised Lambo outgun the latest 911 Turbo?
The Porsche leads. The Lambo follows. Both historically and literally. It leads because it instigated the whole ‘daily supercar’ thing, and because if it follows, its windscreen will have been turned into a map of the cosmos within a few hundred yards.
What rule has Lamborghini dodged to leave so much of the rear tyre exposed? It’s like an angler fish on the road, a tempting visual lure dangled in front of its car spotting prey, and then the moment they stray within range, opening up with a pebble dash barrage of grit, dirt and gravel. For the entire journey up to Scotland Ollie Kew has witnessed a succession of cars weave in behind to get a closer look and then immediately swerve back out and retreat to a safe distance.
Temerario. It’s not the name of a bull this time. It translates as ‘reckless’. Pretty apt. It’s not a direct competitor for Porsche’s 911 Turbo S, but they do throw interesting light on each other, which is why we’ve got them together. Both are 4WD, newly electrified and aimed at regular daily use.
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Lamborghini first stepped into this realm with the Gallardo back in 2003 and hit a real sweet spot with the Huracán from 2014. Now it’s all change. No more naturally aspirated V10. They may have managed to keep the V12 alive for the Revuelto, but here downsizing and forced induction has arrived. Together with electric motors, batteries, plug sockets and hybridity. For Lamborghini’s typical customer this is a wheeled controversy. It rocks the boat, and to follow that metaphor further, risks capsizing the good ship Raging Bull.
They’ve got away with it for the Urus, but that’s an SUV. Trying to combine supercars with electric motors is like trying to push opposing magnets together. This, however, is merely a v1.0 and plenty of other versions will follow with names like Performante, STO and, hopefully, Sterrato. Given the rumours that Ferrari is going to do a lightweight 296 with the electric motors removed, what hope Lambo following suit? Good, we reckon. But how has Porsche managed to dodge all of this in the first place? Its concession to electrification is to drive its twin turbos electrically.
Which drastically reduces lag, increases performance and seemingly has zero downsides. My near 600-mile run up here in the Porsche has simply revealed that this is the most effective overtaking device mankind has yet devised. The roads of northern Scotland are a constant sluggish weaving tailback of camper vans. Not for long when you can throw 590lb ft at them anywhere from 2,300–6,000rpm.
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Just to challenge itself a bit, Porsche has reduced the Turbo S’s engine capacity from 3,745cc to 3,591. Yet it’s still gained 50bhp. Over 700bhp now, pushing 1,725kg. It’s a monster. And then the Temerario brings out its spec sheet: 907bhp and 10,250rpm from a 3,995cc twin turbo V8. It quotes 2.7secs to 62mph, but I reckon that’s only to stop it humbling the 2.5 second Revuelto. At the top end, the Turbo S can’t live with it. But that’s not the role of this test. We’ve driven both of these cars on track before, but they’re not track cars. They’re designed to live in the real world. So how much of the capabilities can you use out here? And are they engaging and fun at everyday speeds? What about that long haul roadtrip?
Step forward Scotland, a 10-plus hour drag up a broad selection of poorly surfaced, heavily dieseled motorways. But god, is it good when you get there. The traffic evaporates after 5pm, the vans off to dock at campsites and fire up the BBQs. The last miles heading past Lochs Loyne and Cluanie are heavenly. This is not scenery you blast through, eyes laser focused on the road’s vanishing point; it’s landscape to absorb, to spool calmly through.
I can’t say why exactly, but driving on these, the best roads anywhere in the British Isles, makes me want to drive better, to live up to the landscape. When there’s no other traffic around I find it almost dreamlike. Especially when the deer appear. This latest 992.2 Turbo S has been brilliant the whole way, riding more gently and calmly than I remember from the 992.1, less cabin noise too. So settled and accurate at speed that I rarely even bother to switch the lane keep off because it’s no effort to put it exactly where you want. And 30.2mpg.
