The carparazzi have recently spotted Porsche transporting a hybrid 911 Turbo S to the Nurburgring Nordschleife, where said prototype was put through its paces on Pirelli P Zero rubber. Barely disguised, the cabrio-bodied sports car also features a number of Sport Design items, beginning with two oval exhaust tips rather than the quad-pipe exhaust that comes standard.
Expected on sale in 2025 for the 2026 model year, the 992.2-series Turbo S further boasts mismatch wheels of the center-lock variety, carbon-ceramic brakes, a roll cage, and a yellow sticker on the small rear window of the convertible top. The sticker in question is a high-voltage warning, therefore indicating some hybrid assistance.
Although Porsche updated the Carrera line for model year 2025, bear in mind that only the rear-drive Carrera GTS and the all-wheel-drive Carrera 4 GTS feature Porsche's new T-Hybrid system. The 400-volt setup comprises a high-voltage battery with a capacity of 1.9 kilowatt hours, a small traction motor in the front section of the PDK transmission, and an electric exhaust gas turbocharger.
Indeed, that would be turbo rather than turbos because Carrera GTS and Carrera 4 GTS feature a newly developed 3.6-liter engine. Lower down the spectrum, the Carrera boasts the old 3.0-liter engine with twin turbos and no hybrid assist. It's widely believed that the 3.6-liter unit will ultimately replace the aforementioned 3.0 plus the Turbo-specific 3.7 and the high-revving 4.0 thriller that powers the GT3 and GT3 RS.
Hearsay also suggests that Porsche's 992.2 update will see the Turbo remain purely internal combustion to better differentiate it from the hybridized Turbo S. There is also talk about a Touring spec with no rear wing, rear-wheel drive instead of all-wheel drive, and a manual transmission to the detriment of the PDK.
Photo: Baldauf
Whatever may be on the horizon, you can look forward to a heavier Turbo S due to hybridization. In combination with the new engine, this electrified Neunelfer should easily surpass the max output ratings of the 992.1 Turbo S.
Still available to configure, Turbo S carries a starting price of $230,400 in the United States, with the canvas-topped version retailing at $243,200 from the outset. By comparison, the revised Carrera GTS comes in at $150,900 with rear drive or $158,200 with all-wheel drive.
Porsche claims 650 pferdestarke at 6,750 revolutions per minute and 800 newton meters of torque at 2,500 to 4,000 revolutions per minute for the pre-facelift Turbo S, meaning 641 mechanical horsepower and 590 pound-feet. With the Carrera GTS now rated at 541 metric ponies (534 horsepower) and 610 newton meters (450 pound-feet), one has to wonder if the facelifted Turbo S retains the single-turbo arrangement or features two electric exhaust gas turbochargers.
Visually differentiated from the outgoing model by means of vertical instead of horizontal slats in the front bumper, the mid-cycle refresh also rocks updated matrix LED headlights with a four-point graphic. Inside, the biggest changes will come in the form of an engine start button to the left of the steering wheel and a fully digital instrument cluster. Unfortunately, the 992.2 does mark the end of the analog tachometer in the Neunelfer.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News