Porsche has introduced a radical overhaul for its 992-series 2025 Porsche 911, headlined by an all-new electrified T-Hybrid powertrain for the 911 GTS that combines epic power with enhanced efficiency and lower emissions.
Claimed by engineers to have taken a comparable amount of time to develop as when it switched from air cooling to water cooling back in 1997, the new T-Hybrid powertrain is touted as a huge evolutionary step in the history of the 911 sports car.
As well as featuring on the GTS, the new powertrain tech will also be applied to the flagship 911 Turbo and new Turbo S, the latter to be rebadged Turbo GT, however details for these upper-echelon cars are still to be released.
The entry-level 911 Carrera, Carrera 4 and Carrera S/4S coupe and convertible models retain the current family of twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre boxer six-cylinder engines, while the hard-core 911 GT3 keeps its naturally-aspirated 4.0-litre flat-six.
In typical fashion, Porsche engineers ignored what’s happening elsewhere in the Volkswagen Group empire and went it alone when developing the hybrid powertrain, starting from scratch.
Instead of following the downsizing trend, Porsche went big with the combustion part of the T-Hybrid powertrain and created an all-new 3.6-litre flat-six.
Saving weight, there’s no more auxiliary drive belts with any accessories like the air-conditioning pump, which is now electrically powered.
The simplification continues with the turbocharger – there’s just one giant turbo that looks like it was lifted off a big rig rather than the two favoured by the 911 Turbo. Eliminating lag, within the blower is an e-motor that spins up the turbocharger at lower speeds.
A second motor lives within the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, while storing energy recovered under braking is a small 1.9kWh 400-volt lithium-ion battery that lives in the nose.
Alone, the combustion engine produces a maximum 357kW and 570Nm – respectable figures, with fractionally more power (+4kW) and the same torque as the current 991 GTS, but engineers admit that without electrification, the new engine would be so laggy it would be almost undriveable.
With the electric boost, combined power and torque increase to 398kW and 610Nm. Providing the extra bump is the e-Turbo that kicks in 10kW and the e-motor within the transmission that adds as much as 65kW (for 10sec) and a constant 55kW/150Nm whenever you need it.
But it’s the new turbocharger Porsche is most proud of. Doing without both a wastegate and variable geometry, the big turbo takes just 0.8sec to reach maximum boost pressure.
This means engine response is scalpel-sharp, with the engine on boost with even mildest brush of the throttle pedal.
Increasing efficiency, the e-motor can claw back up to 32kW but, again, it’s the turbo that goes above and beyond recovering a steady 10kW of power even at the 992.2 GTS’s maximum 312km/h top speed.
Speaking of power, the T-Hybrid never runs out, according to Porsche, with the system able to provide maximum power through the entire lap of the fearsome Nurburgring circuit.
Porsche hasn’t yet homologated the tech, but we expect a decent reduction in fuel consumption, even with the significant gains in power.
If you’re wondering why a full plug-in hybrid system wasn’t used, Porsche engineers say the excess baggage a PHEV system would bring was too great. That said, the T-Hybrid still tips the scales 50kg heavier than the old twin-turbo 3.0-litre.
Since the system is reliant on the e-motor within the transmission, a traditional manual six-speed is also off the cards, but in the real world (and on paper) the refreshed 911 GTS is as quick as the current 911 Turbo S.
Porsche claims 0-100km/h for the two-wheel drive 911 GTS T-Hybrid takes 3.0sec, while 0-200km/h is completed in an impressive 10.5sec.
How does it feel on track? Check out our shotgun ride with legendary German racer and Porsche ambassador Jörg Bergmeister behind the wheel.
Fresh look for 992.2 Porsche 911
So, how do you tell a new 992.2-series Porsche 911 from the current 992.1?
The new 2025 Porsche GTS T-Hybrid features new LED Matrix headlights that now incorporate the daytime running lights within the cluster, but you might be hard pressed to notice them.
Instead, your eyes will be drawn to the cool-looking new wavy active vents that balance cooling and drag. These flaps swing into action when you’re travelling above 50km/h and will also close to keep the brakes dry when it rains.
Moving the DRLs within the lamps has liberated space for a pair of large intakes, while new front and rear bumpers and a new engine cover emphasise the 911’s trademark curviness while slashing the overall drag coefficient from 0.32 to just 0.27Cd.
Keen observers will also notice the redesigned LED tail-lights that make the car look wider. The GTS also gains a pair of pipes that sit closer together, like a GT3, which is a hint at the new powertrain that lurks beneath the rear lid.
Inside, the changes are best described as mild. Gone is the old instrument cluster with its analogue rev counter, replaced by a fully digital display with seven different configurations – including a full-width map view for the first time.
Another first for 911 is keyless start, which customers have been wanting for years.
A new wireless phone charger is also introduced beneath the central arm rest. Heated seats and a heated steering wheel become standard across the range, along with electric-folding mirrors.
Cheekily, Porsche has removed the rear seats on all models and the coupe becomes a two-seater as standard.
The move saves 10kg and lowers its emissions in Europe, but luckily the useful rear pews can be slotted back in as a no-cost option.
Timed to arrive in Australia towards the end of 2024, we expect the new GTS to continue to cost around $360,000.