The new Porsche 911 GTS. (Image source: Porsche)
It was inevitable. For the first time ever in the 911’s 60-year history, we are getting a hybrid version of what is arguably the world’s most recognisable sports car.
Happily, only the GTS variant is getting the hybrid treatment. Its 3.6-litre turbocharged flat-six will be boosted with an electric motor to give a total power output of 532hp and 610nm of torque. The geeks will want to know that the motor alone generates 478hp and 570nm of torque.
The GTS' 3.6-litre flat-six. Note the single turbo in the bottom right. (Image source: Porsche)
Porsche calls the hybrid system “T-Hybrid” and it is a complicated one. Improving emissions and efficiency, it seems, wasn’t a key consideration because a report says the new GTS only saves about 3g/km in emissions and fuel savings are said to be “negligible”.
It looks like Porsche’s focus was to improve performance and the driving experience, so, there are two electric motors at play here.
One lives in the eight-speed PDK transmission and it adds 55hp and 150nm of torque to the GTS’ performance. The other smaller one lives in the turbo and its job is to spool it up quickly.
A small electric motor within the turbo spools it up quickly to reduce turbo lag. (Image source: Porsche)
It’s so effective that Porsche ditched the twin-turbo setup found in other 911s for a single-turbo setup in this new hybrid GTS. According to Porsche, the old GTS had a two-second delay between flooring the accelerator and maximum torque arriving at the wheels. Thanks to the twin electric motors, this has been reduced to just half a second.
Performance is naturally ballistic. 0-100km/h in three seconds and the quarter-mile timing is said to be in the region of 10 seconds. Top speed is over 300km/h.
One important thing to note about this new GTS is that it isn’t a plug-in hybrid and that it cannot drive on electric power alone. The reason for this is because the battery for the motors is tiny. It’s only 1.9kWh and is roughly the size of a shoebox. It’s so small because Porsche wanted to reduce the weight penalty that a hybrid system would create. The battery weighs 27kg, which isn’t that much more than a standard 12v battery. Overall, the new GTS weighs just 50kg more than its predecessor.
There are some changes to the interior. The instrument cluster is now entirely digital. (Image source: Porsche)
Visually, not much has changed. It’s still unmistakably a 911. Eagle-eyed readers will however notice the new vertical shutters in the front bumper. These open and close depending on the car’s cooling requirement. When closed, Porsche says it reduces drag and keeps the brakes dry.
Fans who worry that a hybrid 911 would be an antithesis of what the badge stands for can heave a sigh of relief. This new 911 is resolutely focused on performance and the driving experience. One can only hope Porsche follows this path as it electrifies the rest of the 911 line-up.
Pricing and availability
(Image source: Porsche)
No word on local pricing and availability yet, but prices of the new GTS will start at US$166,895 (S$224,974) in the US with deliveries expected to start later this year. Expect it to cost well over a million dollars when it arrives on our shores.
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