The Porsche 911 Just Got Way Faster. But the Reason Why Will Be Controversial

Coming May 28, the first hybrid 911 won’t be a plug-in … but it will be quick.

Published May 13, 2024

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The 911 is the reason Porsche became Porsche. And while change has long been part of its journey, the iconic sports car is about to undergo what is arguably the biggest modification in its nearly six-decade lineage. (Yes, even bigger than going water-cooled.)

The 911 is going hybrid

On May 28, Porsche will officially unveil the long-awaited hybrid version of the 911. Though the change is likely to ruffle feathers among 911 purists, it will also result in a considerably quicker sports car.

According to Porsche, brand ambassador Jörg Bergmeister used a test version of the hybrid 911 to complete a lap of the Nürburgring in 7:16.934 minutes — 8.7 seconds faster than the vehicle’s predecessor, the Carrera S.

“The new 911 has become considerably faster on the track,” Bergmeister said in a press release, also citing “more grip” and “significantly more power.”

“We left nothing to chance during development and tested the new 911 under all sorts of conditions all over the world,” said Frank Moser, Vice President Model Line 911 and 718. “All in all, our engineers and test drivers clocked up more than five million kilometers of development driving.”

Though official details are still scarce, here’s what we know about the upcoming 911 hybrid.

It likely won’t be a plug-in hybrid

A late December report from Car and Driver by well-connected German auto journalist Georg Kacher — and subsequently confirmed by Autocar‘s 2024 report — claims that the 992.2 hybrid will, perhaps surprisingly, not be a PHEV like most of the brand’s other gas-electric models.

The reports say the new hybrid 911 will pack a 2.0-liter kWh battery pack, a 400-volt architecture and an electric motor that can generate 80–90 horsepower, with the whole system developed in part by Rimac. The EV motor will reportedly propel the front wheels and be located in the front half of the car for better weight distribution and to help the 911 put the power down.

The report claims the hybrid system will use a version of the 911 Carrera / 911 Carrera S‘s twin-turbo 3.0-liter flat-six, with a maximum combined system output of around 475 horsepower and a similar amount of torque. While this engine will only be linked to the rear axle, the electric motor’s power means the new hybrid 911 will indeed be all-wheel-drive. A dual-clutch automatic will allegedly be the only gearbox.

There’s no official name yet

Porsche has remained tight-lipped on the name but the manufacturer is pretty religious when it comes to its nomenclature conventions. The presence of a hybrid powertrain and all-wheel-drive makes it seem likely that the car will be known as the Porsche 911 Carrera 4 E-Hybrid.

Porsche has remained tight-lipped on the name but the manufacturer is pretty religious when it comes to its nomenclature conventions.

That said, that’s not guaranteed. “E-Hybrid” has generally been reserved for plug-in hybrids, which, as mentioned, this car isn’t expected to be.

Plus, the presence of extra power — and a desire to zhuzh up the model’s name for the very first gas-electric 911 — means the automaker could reach for a loftier designation, such as S or GTS. We’re not betting men, but if we were, we’d probably put our cash on Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Hybrid.

There might be more hybrid models on the way

Not surprisingly, Porsche doesn’t appear to have plans to stop with a single gas-electric 911. Hybrids have become a foundational part of the brand’s Panamera and Cayenne portfolios, with multiple options available at different prices and power levels; there’s no reason to suspect the 911 would be any different.

According to Autocar, 911 Turbo hybrid and 911 Turbo S hybrid models have been debated, but whether those would accent or replace the gas-only Turbo / Turbo S models remains TBD.

Autocar did mention that the system would be used in a future GT2 RS-like 911 making 800-plus horsepower, however.

Gas 911s aren’t going anywhere … yet

“The 911 will be, definitely, if at all, the last [Porsche] that will be electrified,” Porsche board member for development Michael Steiner told Motor Trend last September.