The GTS can be easily distinguished by its vertical air flaps below the headlights. The GTS version of Porsche's new hybrid 911 will be powered by a larger, 3.6-litre six-cylinder boxer engine.Courtesy of manufacturer
It’s been a poorly kept secret for months now, but Porsche finally pulled the wraps off its latest 911 on Tuesday and yes, it really is a hybrid.
The GTS version of the 911 will be powered by a larger, 3.6-litre six-cylinder boxer engine, which includes electric motors in its eight-speed PDK transmission and in its turbocharger. The motors are there to improve performance and also reduce tailpipe emissions – any potential saving in fuel consumption are just an added bonus.
Hybrid and electric power has long been incorporated into performance cars and exotic supercars, but it’s a big deal for Porsche to include it in the iconic 911. Purists look to the 911 as an escape from technology for its own sake and a return to the essence of pure driving, whatever they consider that to be.
2025 Porsche 911 Targa 4 GTS will be offered with a hybrid engine.Courtesy of manufacturer
This is not officially a new generation of the 911 and the car looks similar to the 2024 editions. The engine and transmission of the 911 GTS is entirely new, however. As well, the regular 911 Carrera has an updated and slightly more powerful version of the current three-litre twin-turbo boxer engine.
The 2025 Carrera will be available in Canada this fall and will start at $135,000, with the Cabriolet starting at $150,000. The five variants of the GTS, which include all-wheel-drive and cabriolet and targa options, will be available at the end of the year and will start at $182,900, rising to $206,000 for the open-roof versions.
The GTS can be easily distinguished by its vertical air flaps below the headlights; they are active, and will automatically close when cooling air is not required for the rear-mounted engine. Those headlights are LEDs, of course, and available as a high-intensity version with more than 32,000 light points, to illuminate the road up to 600 metres ahead.
The 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet will be offered with a hybrid engine.Courtesy of manufacturer
The big news is the 11-kilowatt electric motor inside the single turbocharger, sitting between the compressor and the turbine wheel, which is used to develop “immediate” boost and does away with the wastegate. Unlike mild-hybrid powertrains that use 48-volt systems to power accessories and the engine, the GTS uses a full-on 400-volt system that’s powered by a 1.9-kilowatt-hour battery, which is comparable in size to the regular 12-volt battery. The second motor inside the transmission supplements the engine’s power at idle and slow speeds, with up to 110 lb-ft of torque and 54 horsepower.
Porsche says the engine of the new GTS will produce 478 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque, but the hybrid system boosts this to 532 horsepower and 449 lb-ft. This is an increase of 59 horsepower over the current GTS, which lets the car accelerate from zero to 100 kilometres an hour in three seconds – 0.3 seconds quicker than before.
Inside the cabin, all Carreras now have a fully digital instrument cluster.Courtesy of manufacturer
The new GTS now includes both rear-axle steering and active sport suspension as standard features, though the exceptional Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC), which further helps suppress roll and is integrated into the high-voltage system, is still an option. Rear wheels are 21 inches as standard, with tires 10 millimetres wider than before. The car is 47 kilograms heavier than its predecessor.
For those serious about their performance (and spending money), there’s an optional Aerokit with a front spoiler lip, side skirts and a big fixed rear wing. Test driver Jorg Bergmeister drove a GTS fitted with the Aerokit at Germany’s Nurburgring this month, and shaved 8.9 seconds off the fastest lap time of the current Carrera GTS.
For the regular Carrera, the updated three-litre engine now uses the intercooler found in the 911 Turbos, which boosts its power by nine horsepower to 388. It will accelerate to 100 kilometres an hour in 3.9 seconds, which is a tenth of a second quicker than before.
Inside the cabin, all Carreras now have a fully digital instrument cluster contained on a 12.6-inch curved display. They even have a start button – the first to be featured in a 911 – that’s placed, like all Porsches, to the left of the steering wheel.
For all this, will the new Carrera and Carrera GTS actually perform any better? We’ll be driving them next month, so check back here to find out.
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