► 911 goes hybrid
► It’s not much heavier
► Instant performance
It’s finally happened; the 911 has gone hybrid. But we’ll cut to the chase now; it’s great. In fact, it takes precious little seat time in the new Carrera GTS to imagine future 911 GT3s putting a twist on this new T-hybrid technology. Now that the panic’s over, keep reading our first drive of the new Porsche 911 Carrera GTS to find out exactly what Stuttgart’s engineers have done and how.
At a glance
Pros Instant power, not much additional weight, 911 character intact
Cons Rear-wheel steer can feel a little artificial
What’s new?
Front and centre or, rather, at the rear – is an all-new hybrid system that consists of three parts that bolt onto a customary flat-six. The electric turbo, the e-motor in the eight-speed PDK gearbox and the tiny extra battery combine to give this 3.6-litre turbocharged flat-six far more of a ‘naturally aspirated’ edge than the previous 3.0-litre. It’s so seamlessly integrated too. Think sprinkles of spicy garnish, not platefuls of sustainably sourced sides.
Hybrid systems often eat into space, add lots of extra weight or jolt uncouthly when they switch between modes, but because the T-Hybrid system is both compact and integral to the powertrain with no zero-emissions mode, there are few downsides.
What are the specs?
Officially, T-Hybrid stands for ‘turbocharged hybrid’, but it could equally be ‘tiny hybrid’, so compact is the package. The 1.9kWh battery over the front axle is almost a quarter of the size of those found in the Ferrari 296 GTB and McLaren Artura, which is why unlike those cars – there’s no plug-in capability and no zero-emissions running.
The battery weighs 27kg but sits where the starter battery did previously – helping explain why Porsche claims ‘no significant change in weight distribution or centre of gravity’. The battery runs the air-con and PDCC active anti-roll control too. All in, the hybrid system adds only around 40kg.
Going against usual trends, the engine is also upsized from 3.0 to 3.6 litres, with a small emphasis on increased bore (+ 6mm) over stroke (+4.6mm). Packaged 110mm lower than before (though there are power electronics on top), it’s now fitted with just the single turbocharger, not the previous two.
An electric motor between the turbocharger’s compressor and turbine wheels all but eliminates lag, and there’s a second electric motor in the standard-fit eight-speed PDK gearbox.
The engine alone produces only slightly more power than the previous GTS (478bhp plays 473bhp, both at 6500rpm), and delivers the same 420lb ft of torque over a broader bandwidth (2000-5500rpm plays 2300-5000rpm).
That’s plenty, but the electric motor in the gearbox chips in with 53bhp and 111lb ft, and the electric part of the turbo can add up to 15bhp, giving a system total of 534bhp with 450lb ft. It’s an unusually large power boost for a facelift.
There is no regen from the brakes, but both the electric motor in the turbo and the gearbox recuperate energy.
Based on WLTP figures, the hybrid system doesn’t just improve fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions for the new 3.6 litre motor, but compared with the less powerful 3.0-litre and PDK gearbox too. Gains are pretty small, though, the new model’s 239-251g/km CO2 makes a marginal improvement over its predecessors’ 244-258g/km.
How does it drive?
Squeeze the throttle through town and there’s instant juice. Floor it on the autobahn and performance just keeps coming – 534bhp isn’t only 60bhp up on the last model, it’s out of reach even for a GT3 RS. I squeeze the throttle in fourth, letting 450lb ft of torque do the heavy lifting. The turbo loads instantly thanks to the electric motor inside, so there’s no lag to chew through like the last (really impressive) 992.1 model, just an immediate snap to attention, and from there it’s a progressive build of boost.
When I drop it to third and send revs shooting for the upper portion of the dial, there’s real intensity to this delivery. Sonically I’m reminded of a GT3 with a darker flavour, while the deep, manic fury of peak revs brings to mind McLarens. Here and there under deceleration, I’m aware of whizzy e-motor noises, but it’s subtle and blended with the transmission. From outside, the soundtrack is all about the boost. It gets to 7500rpm very quickly, and feels extremely direct.
PASM adaptive dampers with 10mm lower springs are again standard, both tweaked to flatter the 50kg or so extra weight that’s mostly hybrid related, and the rear axle is completely new. This car also rides on the optional Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control set-up with its electromechanical anti-roll bars.
The chassis is clearly firm, if buttered with pliancy in the Normal mode that’s best suited here. There’s gorgeously weighted and direct steering, and fantastic agility too.
Wheel widths and diameters carry over (8.5 and 20 inches front; 11.5 and 21 rear), but while the front tyres are the same 245 section, the ears have 10mm more footprint at 315mm –understandable given the significant extra torque flowing to those boots.
Porsche has made rear-wheel steering standard for this Carrera GTS chassis. It helps to both shrink the GTS and perk up its handling when I slalom through a series of downhill flicks – if perhaps in a slightly artificial way – plus there’s a surplus of bite from the front, body control to spare and unflappable balance too.
Despite the composure, the ability to play with 911 physics remains. When I roll it into a mid-speed bend off-throttle, rear-wheel steering tweaks its attitude towards the apex. It’s also deliciously malleable given a bung of steering and bootful of throttle, the extra torque let- ting me dig deeper into the 911’s balance.
What about the interior?
While the interior is gently evolutionary, the instrument binnacle is all new, finally doing away with the analogue central rev counter (previously flanked by digital information) in favour of a curved 12.65-inch digital display.
It’s still possible to have the traditional five dials among a choice of seven views, including a sat-nav map filling much of the screen – something impossible with the physical dial.
A 10.9-inch touchscreen continues to form the central display, but Apple CarPlay is more deeply integrated, allowing information to be displayed in the instrument cluster and giving the option of activating vehicle functions by Siri voice control.
You can also import Spotify and Apple Music apps without having to connect your smartphone.
Verdict
A GT3’s extra precision and feedback still give it plenty of clean air but this GTS is a sizeable step up from the previous model –not to mention the rather half-hearted facelift of the base Carrera that gains just 9bhp. It feels like hybridisation integrated to create a better driver’s car, not tacked on to hit targets.
It also raises intriguing questions about where a GT3 could go next. Does it need to top a non-GT model’s power output? If it does, where exactly will that already highly evolved engine find another 30 or 40bhp or so? Who knows, maybe one day we’ll see a naturally aspirated GT3 R-Hybrid. I think I might quite like it.