Porsche fanatics may want to sit down for this.
The German brand has revealed the first hybrid powertrain for its iconic sports car, with the new 911 Carrera GTS T-Hybrid breaking cover.
While a radical departure for the model, which has been powered by petrol-fueled six-cylinder engines its entire life, as promised the hybrid system isn’t entirely about cutting emissions and does actually add more performance.
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Thankfully, a six-cylinder boxer engine remains at the core of the system. It’s actually a new 3.6-litre unit developed to allow for the hybrid powertrain, it uses a high-voltage system to electronically control the air-conditioning compressor and therefore do away with the need for a belt drive, which in-turn creates more space in the engine bay.
The T-Hybrid system (as Porsche is referring to it) consists of a new electric exhaust gas turbocharger, with an integrated electric motor positioned between the compressor and turbine wheel to allow for near-instantaneous response. In addition, there is a permanent magnet synchronous motor integrated into the new eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Porsche claims this layout allows for the use of a single conventional turbocharger, instead of two used on the previous GTS, while also helping performance and response.
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By opting for this type of hybrid system it has allowed Porsche to fit a relatively small battery, just 1.9kWh, which stores enough energy for its needs while also saving crucial weight; the company claims is the same size and weight as a conventional 12-volt car battery.
On its own the new engine makes 357kW of power and 570Nm of torque, but thanks to the hybrid help the total system output for the 911 Carrera GTS is 398kW and 610Nm; which is a 45kW improvement over the previous 911 GTS. This allows the new T-Hybrid model to launch 0-100km/h in just 3.0 seconds.
“We developed and tested a wide variety of ideas and approaches to arrive at the hybrid system that would suit the 911 perfectly,” explained Frank Moser, vice president Model Lines 911 and 718. “The result is a unique drive that fits into the overall concept of the 911 and significantly enhances its performance.”
As part of this upgrade Porsche has also overhauled the suspension settings of the 911 GTS, adding rear-axle steering as standard as well as integrating the Porsche Dynamic chassis Control anti-roll stabilisation into the hybrid’s high-voltage system.
‘Normal’ 911 gets upgraded too
While the addition of the hybrid is the headline news, the ‘base’ 911 Carrera has also been given a new engine for this updated model. It retains the same 3.0-litre twin-turbo flat-six but gets new turbochargers and the same intercooler as the Turbo models. This bumps the performance to 290kW and 450Nm.
Other changes for 2024 include subtle exterior styling tweaks, including model-specific bumpers and now-standard Matrix LED headlights across the range.
Inside Porsche is offering the entire 911 range as a two-seater for the first time. Although it will come standard with two seats in Europe, Australian delivered models will retain the 2+2 layout but can ditch the rear seats as a no-cost option.
In another major departure from tradition, the 911 does away with a physical tachometer, instead switching to an entirely digital instrument panel. It’s a 12.6-inch curved display with the choice of seven different views.
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