Is the first 911 hybrid electrifying to drive?
If a hybrid Porsche 911 seems blasphemous to some, it will feel like a revelation to others. The new 911 GTS is the first 911 to employ an electrification. To use an obvious pun, the performance is “electrifying.” Is it worth the approximate $23,000 jump the 911 Carrera GTS makes over the $149,000 911 Carrera S? When you consider that Porsche has charged as much for other major upgrades, the answer is yes.
Meet the 2025 World Performance Car
Porsche is of course no stranger to hybrids, having included them in the Panamera and Cayenne lines for years, and also having used hybrid tech in the magnificent 918 Spyder supercar over a decade ago. This is the first time Porsche has put a hybrid powertrain into one of its regular production sports cars.
It is not an unusual move, but rather the trend among high-performance sports cars and supercars. Hybridization is becoming the norm in the Ferrari, Lamborghini and McLaren lines, and there’s also a Corvette hybrid called the E-Ray.
The new 911 Carrera GTS has already been named the 2025 World Performance Car, beating 16 other cars in that category of the World Car Awards. That’s the eighth time Porsche has won this title, more than any other brand. A jury of 96 auto journalists from 30 countries decide these annual awards.
How Much Quicker?
Some Porsche 911 mavens might be turned off by the idea of an electric motor contributing forward thrust to their beloved machine, but we think one test drive will bring doubters around. Motor Trend tested the new GTS and got 0-60 in 2.6 seconds and the quarter-mile in 10.7 seconds at a tick under 130 mph. Porsche says the GTS can reach a 194-mph top track speed.
Car and Driver magazine’s road test crew got a 911 Carrera S to do those speed deeds in 2.8 and 10.9 seconds at 128 mph, respectively. So, if you’re looking for a car that feels like somebody attached a rocket booster to a 911 Carrera S, the Carrera GTS is not that car. What makes the new GTS so special is the way it feels, according to those who’ve wrung it out on twisty roads and racetracks. Porsche’s electrification tech, which it dubs T-Hybrid (the T is for Turbo) helps explain.
532 hp total output. – Photo credit: Porsche
“Powertrain Disruptor of the Year”
The new GTS, available in coupe, Cabriolet, and Targa bodies, teams a 478-horsepower 3.6-liter turbocharged flat six with a 53-hp electric motor integrated into the eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Porsche rates the combined powertrain output at 532 hp and 449 lb-ft. of torque. The electric motor’s 110 lb-ft. of torque comes on instantly, as with all electric motors.
A second, small electric motor has a dual function. First, it helps spool up the turbocharger instantly, eliminating the fractions-of-seconds lag time before exhaust pressure spools it up. At higher speeds, rather than using a wastegate to bleed off excess turbo pressure, it is captured to power that motor, which then acts as a generator to convert the pressure to electricity, sending that back to the 1.9-kWh battery. That’s why Porsche’s T-Hybrid powertrain won Newsweek’s Powertrain Disruptor of the Year award. (Bet you didn’t even know that was a thing.)
The New 911 GTS is Really Six Models
Each of the three GTS body styles is available with the choice of rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The AWD is the “old fashioned” kind, with a driveshaft from the rear transaxle to the front differential. The other AWD hybrids in this category instead use one or two electric motors to drive the front wheels independently from the rear wheels. The difference with the Porsche 911 GTS is that you won’t feel a difference from other all-wheel drive 911 models. There is no “hybrid feel” about this car at all, a high compliment.
You also won’t notice the extra 110 or so pounds over the previous 911 GTS. That is a very small difference from adding hybridization. One reason is that the gas engine uses a single turbocharger, which is lighter than the twin turbos on other Porsche 911s. Another is that the main electric motor also serves as the starter motor and powers an electric air conditioning compressor and water pump, this eliminating all accessory belt drives on the engine.
Inside the new 911 GTS, the 12.6-inch curved full digital instrument panel can display seven different layouts, including the 911’s classic five-gauge cluster. The center console display, meanwhile, let’s you monitor how the powertrain is blending the gas engine and electric motor output. That seems like a gimmick that will get old quickly, so we’d say pay attention to the road and enjoy the astounding driving experience.
Worth the Price?
If you might be questioning the price difference over the 911 Carrera S, keep in mind that the GTS comes with a slew of features that cost extra on the S, including GTS-style 20-inch front wheels and 21-inch rear wheels; “Matrix Design” LED headlights; four-way Sport Seats Plus; GT Sport steering wheel wrapped in Race-Tex with mode switch; Sound Package Plus; Sport Chrono Package, and SportDesign Package.
In Porsche world, that’s a value. Of course, this being Porsche world, you can pile on the options to your heart’s content. Drive the 911 GTS before you decide on any other 911. The hybrid might just be the version of the latest-generation 911 (992.2) that gets you charged up.
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