Yahoo Finance The Porsche 911 enters its hybrid era
The iconic sports car gets electrified.
For the first time in its 50-year history, the Porsche (P.911.DE) 911 is getting electrified, with hybrid power coming to the iconic sports car later this year.
Currently slated only for the higher-trim 2025 911 Carrera GTS, the “T-Hybrid” system is quite unique in the automotive world. Porsche’s setup includes two motors: one housed in the 8-speed PDK (dual clutch) transmission and another in the car’s turbocharger.
“We developed and tested various ideas and approaches to decide on a hybrid system that optimally suits the 911,” said Frank Moser, Porsche vice president and head of the 911 and 718 sports car lines. “The result is a unique powertrain that is well integrated into the overall concept and enhances the performance significantly.”
Porsche says the electric motor in the PDK system provides 54 hp (40 kW) and 110 lb-ft of torque, giving the 911 total power output of 532 hp and 449 lb.-ft of torque.
The electric motor in the turbocharger has two jobs: It allows the turbocharger to spin faster to boost power and also acts as a generator, using exhaust fumes to generate 11 kW of energy.
This all feeds into the car’s front-mounted 1.9 kWh high-displacement battery, which Porsche says is derived from its motor sports arm. Porsche's prototype race cars, which participate in both the IMSA SportsCar series in the US and the FIA World Endurance Championship series in Europe, use a similar 1.35 kWh battery in their hybrid systems.
The 911 GTS's T-Hybrid system, paired with the new rear-mounted 3.6 liter flat 6-cylinder engine, takes the car from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.9 seconds.
Moser said in a presentation that the new 911 GTS’s hybrid system feels more responsive with the addition of electric power, giving it a more “naturally aspirated” feel (likely meaning little to no turbo lag and easier revving), and it went around the demanding Nurburgring circuit 8.7 seconds faster than the previous GTS, which is a significant improvement.
Famed for its high-revving air-cooled engine when it debuted just over 50 years ago, changes in the Porsche 911’s power plant are widely followed among sports car fans — and not without controversy.
When Porsche went to water-cooled engines for the 911 in 1999 purists deemed it blasphemy, many then changed their tune once they got behind the wheel and saw the power that could be produced. Similar concerns arose in 2015 when Porsche introduced turbochargers into the base 911 Carrera - and again a majority of the complaints went away once the 911’s power improvements were apparent.
The reaction to the 911 and its new hybridized powertrain remains to be seen. The sales success of Porsche's iconic sports car is not insignificant to Porsche's bottom line, however. Last year Porsche sold 50,146 911 vehicles globally, up 24% from a year ago which was the largest sales increase across all model lines.
Electrification has also been a big focus at Porsche as well. In addition to the all-electric Taycan, Porsche will soon start selling its all-electric Macan, which could be considered a make or break model for Porsche, given the Macan being the German automaker's top volume vehicle. Porsche all sells plug-in hybrid versions of its Cayenne SUV and Panamera sedan.
Porsche says the new 2025 911 GTS with T-Hybrid power will start at $164,900, and the company is taking orders now. The base 911 Carrera with improved power numbers (but no hybrid, at the moment) will start at $120,100.
Pras Subramanian is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on Twitter and on Instagram.
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