Only the new 992 GTS is a hybrid. Porsche says it makes the best sports car better. But it will be?
The new 911 GTS is a “T-hybrid” (T for turbo) and will accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in “less than three seconds.” Sorry to start this off with a cold, emotionless number… but isn’t it outrageous? The mid-of-the-range 911 is a 193 mph quarter-mile car.
Let’s get down to the hybrid bit of the new 992. Only the GTS model is electrified so far, but do you really expect Stuttgart to go all in and not run it across the family?
Know this: it’s not a plug-in hybrid and it can’t run on electric power alone. The 27kg battery is a shoebox-sized unit of just 1.9kWh that lives under the front bulkhead and doesn’t intrude on the boot. It provides plenty of power to the two electric motors.
One lives in an eight-speed PDK transmission and delivers 55 horsepower and 110 foot-pounds. The other is a 14bhp tiddler and its job is to lift the turbo. Yes, turbo, singular. Instead of twin blowers, Porsche has binned one and opted for a single, larger turbo in the new GTS because it spools up so quickly thanks to the integrated electric motor. Lag is banished. They have charts to prove it.
In the old GTS, the charts said there was a two-second delay between the throttle and maximum rear-wheel torque. This delay is now half a second. Crikey.
We had a prototype ride with a passenger and felt the eerily smooth fury of the power delivery, which comes with a strange linearity… and still drags. It’s a lively blend of instant EV punch and turbo thrust in the main chest with no peaks or gaps in between. And fast enough to give full-fat supercars sleepless nights.
The turbo captures the thermal energy of the exhaust gases and does without a wastegate. Even F1 cars aren’t that smart, say Porsche poems. But they are silent on any meaningful efficiency gains. When poked and prodded, they admit the ‘T-hybrid’ powertrain will save around 3g/km on emissions, and the fuel economy is so negligible you wouldn’t even notice.
The reason the electricity is there is to clear the turbo lag. Add power. Do not increase the range.
Clearly, it’s also gaining weight: 50kg has gained against the estimated 150kg penalty the PHEV system would add. Porsche insiders admit their desperation to keep the 911 GTS weight under 1,600kg. Wouldn’t you know it – the claimed curb weight is 1,595 kg. I bet there’s a German word for “by the skin of your teeth”.
By launching a 400-volt electrical architecture, Porsche’s big brains unlocked unexpected rewards. A high-voltage system takes care of powering the air conditioning, so the 3.6-liter flat six no longer needs the parasitic belt drive of the air conditioning compressor. This not only helps the engine rev faster, but makes it a smaller, slightly lighter powerplant than in the old twin-turbo, belt-driven GTS. As a result, the mentioned engine lies 110 mm lower in the bowels of the car. Which leaves room for a new lithium-ion accessory battery on top.
Adaptive suspension reacts faster thanks to a powerful electronic nervous system. You probably won’t notice the night and day control changes – but you will will you’ll appreciate that the nose lifter now raises the front end in one second instead of five. Steep driveway owners of the world, rejoice.
As you can see, the GTS doesn’t scream “ICH BIN EINE HYBRID” to onlookers. There are no badges or green brake calipers, although you can buy a “T-hybrid” sticker for the doors. Should be popular in Yorkshire.
How to know one? Louvers in the front bumper are a spoiler, opening and closing on demand to increase cooling or smooth out drag. The intakes are larger because there is no longer a separate daytime running light at the front.
Oh, and when the shutters are closed, Porsche says the brakes stay dry. So if you should perform an emergency stop in a downpour, the new one will stop sooner. How is that German?
Inside, there are few clues that you’re in the first electrified road-going Porsche 911 since 1963. In fact, you have to dive into the touchscreen to discover the hybrid display that shows the on-board computers draining and recharging the battery. . In normal driving, the car always tries to maintain a 70% state of charge, so you’ll never be in the GTS with dead boost. Re-gen braking has been completely redesigned from the Taycan’s “never use discs” philosophy.
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It’s only when you flip the drive mode switch to Sport Plus that the car says “ah, to hell with that” and concentrates on draining the battery as quickly as possible, even though it’s calibrated to last a full lap of the Nürburgring. The mid-range Carrera’s lap time on standard tires is a barely believable 7m 16s.
That’s ten seconds faster than the Carrera GT. In a car with a total of 80 hp less. Big boot. And rear seats (which aren’t actually standard anymore. Find out why here).
GTS prices start at £132,600, which is £8,393 more than the old non-hybrid model and £32,800 more than the base Carrera coupe. You can shave more money off by outfitting it with a convertible or Targa roof or all-wheel-drive flavor. Oh, the RWD car is actually faster off the line because the RWD version has incredible traction and is lighter. Madness.
So no, it’s not a styling revolution because it’s a Porsche 911. But under the skin, Porsche’s greatest minds have left almost nothing untouched.
That’s a bold move, given that the outgoing 992 was as good – as talented and unflappable – as sports cars get. But it also makes the 911 the biggest scalp in the sports car world, and companies like Aston Martin and Mercedes-AMG would love to knock that crown off its head. This is how Porsche calculates to stay one step ahead.