The debate has been smouldering for years and brings 911 purists to the brink of despair. A 911 with a hybrid? Electrification plus the weight of a fatty in the sports car icon? Unthinkable, unfeasible, absolutely not! Well, now they've done it after all and, at least on paper, Porsche has once again achieved what only Porsche can.
Drive
But let's start from the beginning. What you see here is the major facelift of the 911 at the middle of its life cycle. 992.2 in Zuffenhausen-speak. The 3.0-litre biturbo boxer in the basic Carrera has also been reworked and now delivers more power, because Porsche model upgrades always need more power. Thanks to turbochargers from the old GTS and intercoolers from the Turbo, 385 PS is now 394 PS. The torque remains at a maximum of 450 Nm. 0-62 mph in 4.1 seconds (3.9 with the Sport Chrono package) and a top speed of 183 mph are improvements of 0.1 seconds and 0.6 mph.
However, the eyes of the sports car world are clearly on the new 911 GTS. Porsche has chosen the three popular letters for its 911 turnaround. The new GTS is the first 911 with hybrid drive, and it is the first performance hybrid in the rear-engined legend which is tech overkill in the best possible sense.
However, it should be clear that the aim here is not to minimise fuel consumption. What was needed was a unit that is Euro 7-compliant, and that is the case here. At the heart of the so-called T-Hybrid system is a newly developed six-cylinder boxer engine with a displacement of 3.6 litres. Yes, nothing to do with downsizing. Electrification gives us 0.6 litres more here. A bore enlarged to 97 millimetres and a stroke increased to 81 millimetres make it possible.
The engine features VarioCam camshaft adjustment and valve control with roller cam followers. It maintains the ideal mixing ratio of fuel and air (lambda = 1) over the entire map. So far, so good.
But things get really crazy when we look at how cleverly Porsche has electrified the power unit. Firstly, the T-Hybrid system has a newly developed electric turbocharger. An integrated electric motor, positioned between the compressor and turbine wheel, brings the turbocharger up to speed at lightning speed. This builds up boost pressure immediately. The electric motor in the turbocharger also works as a generator. It generates up to 11 kW (15 PS) of electrical power. This energy is extracted from the exhaust gas flow. The electric turbocharger without wastegate enables the use of just one turbo instead of two, as was previously the case.
A second electric motor (a permanently energised synchronous motor) is located in the new eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox (PDK). It supports the boxer engine from idling speed with a drive torque of up to 150 Nm and provides an output of up to 40 kW (54 PS).
Porsche couples both electric motors to a high-voltage battery, which is roughly equivalent in size and weight to a conventional 12-volt starter battery. However, it stores up to 1.9 kWh of energy (gross) and operates at a voltage of 400 volts. To save weight, Porsche has designed the 12V on-board power supply battery as a lightweight lithium-ion battery.
Gallery: 2024 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS, 911 Carrera Cabriolet and 911 Targa 4 GTS
The 400-volt system allows the air conditioning compressor to be driven electrically and eliminates the need for a belt drive. This makes the new three-cylinder Boxer very compact, and this in turn creates space above the unit for the pulse inverter and DC-DC converter.
Without electric assistance, the petrol engine produces 485 PS and 570 Nm of torque. The system output is 541 PS and 610 Nm. That is 61 PS and 40 Nm more than the previous 911 GTS. When accelerating, the new model should outperform the old one, especially in the starting phase. The driving figures here are almost at 911 Turbo level. You can look forward to 0-62 mph in 3.0 seconds and a top speed of 194 mph. An improvement of 0.4 seconds and 1 mph.
Of course, the weight of the new hybrid 911 is not entirely unimportant - to put it mildly - and Porsche has probably managed to keep the discussion to a minimum, as the additional weight compared to the pre-facelift GTS is a respectable 50 kilograms. This gives the first electrified 911 a kerb weight of 1,595 kilos.
Chassis
In the new hybrid GTS, rear-axle steering is now part of the standard equipment for the first time. Porsche integrates the PDCC roll stabilisation system into the high-voltage system of the
performance hybrid. This enables the use of an electrohydraulic control system, which should make the system even more flexible and precise. As before, the adaptive PASM sports suspension is 10 mm lower in the GTS.
For the first time, wheels with carbon blades are available for the 911, which are intended to reduce the drag coefficient and thus increase efficiency. The 911 Carrera GTS models roll on 21-inch rims with a width of 11.5 inches and 315/30 ZR 21 tyres at the rear axle as standard. 245/35 ZR 20 tyres on 8.5-inch rims are used at the front.
Exterior
You have to take a closer look at the base model to notice the changes. There are redesigned aprons, and Porsche now integrates all lighting functions into the main headlights, which creates space in the apron for larger air intakes.
Left: the 992.2 after the facelift
And on the right the 992.1 before the facelift
By contrast, the look of the electrified 911 GTS is much more striking. Here, the front apron now has five active cooling air flaps visible from the outside and a further flap on each side that is not visible. That does take a bit of getting used to. For the first time, there are also adaptive front diffusers in the underbody panelling, which are controlled together with the cooling air flaps.
Closed flaps optimise the aerodynamics when the power requirement is low. When the power requirement is high, for example on the race track, the flaps direct more air to the radiators.
The difference in the GTS is much more striking. On the left, the 2024 GTS Cabriolet
And quite a GTS Coupé from 2021
Other new features include the optional HD matrix light, the light strip and a modified rear grille with five louvres on each side. The number plate has also been moved upwards.
The optional aero kit includes more aggressive skirts, side skirts and a fixed rear wing.
Interior
Existing drivers of the 992 will not have to change much when they take their seats in the revised model. We see a new driving assistance lever and a (somewhat understated) start button for the first time in the 911 - to the left of the steering wheel, of course. In addition, the smartphone is now cooled and charged in the centre console storage compartment.
The fact that there is also a fully digital instrument cluster (12.6 inches) for the first time should hardly come as a shock to anyone. It offers up to seven views, including a Classic display based on the historic 5-zone design with a central rev counter.
Porsche promises significant improvements in the customisability of the driving modes and the operation of the driver assistance systems. There are also new connectivity functions. For example, Apple CarPlay will be more deeply integrated into the car. It displays information in the instrument cluster on request and enables the operation of vehicle functions, for example via Siri.
Market launch and prices
The facelift of the Porsche 911 Carrera is now available to order at prices from £99,800 in the UK. Prices for the very first hybrid 911 Carrera GTS Coupé start at £132,600. The price of the optional Aerokit package for the 911 Carrera GTS is £2,342.
Deliveries of the 911 Carrera in the UK will begin in late summer, and deliveries of the 911 Carrera GTS at the end of 2024.
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