- Porsche is preparing an updated version of the 911 sports car that will be designated 992.2.
- Along with a new hybrid system, it will also feature a new 3.6-liter engine for certain models.
- Expect to see the 992.2 arrive within the next six months, going on sale as a 2025 model.
The revised Porsche 911, out early next summer as a 2025 model, will boast restyled front and rear ends, an updated cockpit, and a few detail changes including 48-volt hybrid systems for the engine lineup. But in terms of headline breakthrough material for this 992.2 model, nothing beats the new T-HEV hybrid system coming a bit later which will move the iconic sports car a big step closer towards electrification. While Porsche has not confirmed any details on the hybrid yet, two dealers we spoke to independently acknowledged the project’s existence, but claimed that deliveries would not begin before calendar-year 2025.
Hybrid System
Unlike the Ferrari 296 GTB and McLaren Artura plug-in hybrids, the Porsche unit is meant to be charged on the fly and can’t be plugged in. The electric motor is capable of generating an extra 80 to 90 horsepower and is fed by a high-performance Varta battery with a capacity of around 2.0 kWh. The software for the fast-charging and discharging Porsche 400-volt system inspired by the KERS technology used in F1 was allegedly co-developed with Rimac (Porsche holds a 45 percent minority interest in Rimac). The jointly conceived T-HEV system fuses two electrical elements. According to the supplier, the integrated starter generator creates an on-demand instant boost effect and drives the auxiliary equipment. The actual electric motor positioned under the fuel tank propels the front wheels and improves the weight distribution.
The heart of the T-HEV system is a small battery which powers the compact electric drive unit. It is constantly charged both by the combustion engine and the kinetic energy generated under braking. For complexity reasons, a manual gearbox is not an option, sources say. The complete T-HEV module is claimed to weigh no more than 55 pounds. The engine in question is apparently a modified twin-turbo 3.0-liter flat-six rated at 395 hp and 347 pound-feet of torque. Assuming the electric motor contributes about 84 hp and 129 pound-feet to the action, the combined output should be around 478 hp and 475 pound-feet of torque. Apparently there is also an even punchier 528-hp version in the works that would plug the gap between the beefed-up future 911 GTS and the next 911 Turbo. According to the Weissach grapevine, the top-of-the-line 800-plus-hp GT2 RS due in 2026 will also use a hybrid setup.
New Engines for GTS and Turbo
According to several internal and external documents, the rest of the lineup will also undergo some significant engine changes. While the twin-turbo 3.0-liter flat-six will continue in the Carrera and Carrera S, the GTS will adopt a naturally aspirated 3.6-liter flat-six and the Turbo and Turbo S will swap their 3.7-liter engine for a more advanced twin-turbo 3.6-liter range-topper. The naturally aspirated 3.6-liter boxer is destined to eventually replace the 3.0-liter boxers as well as the 4.0-liter motor unique to the GT3 twins and the S/T. The Carrera S and GTS will also adopt a 48-volt hybrid system.
The output of the essentially unchanged 3.0-liter in the base Carrera will go up from 379 and 331 pound-feet to 390 hp and 347 pound-feet. Next in line is the Carrera S which allegedly climbs from 443 hp and 390 pound-feet to 454 hp and 406 pound-feet. Still quoting the same semi-official source, the displacement of the GTS engine increases from 3.0 to 3.6-liters but, at 483 hp and 413 pound-feet, the new variable-vane VTCI engine musters only 10 hp more than today’s vintage, while peak torque drops by 7 pound-feet.
In a closely related scenario, the future 911 Turbo and Turbo S are tipped to swap the 3.8-liter boxer for a more advanced and economical 3.6-liter version. While the bigger displacement appears to support the deputy CTO Frank-Steffen Walliser’s earlier statement that the engine size must go up to meet tougher future emission norms, the standardized bore and stroke are bound to improve the economies of scale.
The naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six reportedly rated at 503 hp and 347 pound-feet looks like the logical evolutionary short-term choice for the next GT3 and GT3 Touring. Peaking at 8400 rpm, this is said to feature a 48-volt hybrid system courtesy of Valeo. With no more than 5600 units planned for the 2024-26 timeframe, the charismatic high-revving 24-valver remains the coveted choice in the brand’s powertrain lineup.
If our informant is right, the next GT3 iteration due for 2027 will however switch to a more efficient 3.6-liter engine with near-identical horsepower and torque numbers which is fully compliant with the upcoming tougher European emission regulations. Another source tells us that the reimagined GT3 will be an even rawer and more puristic piece of kit, kind of a modern interpretation of the minimalist 1984 911 SC RS.
Design Changes
Like the Macan EV and the facelifted Taycan, the 992.2 will be almost one year behind schedule when it arrives in dealer showrooms just in time for the 2025 model year. While the sheetmetal remains largely unchanged, almost all soft parts including bumpers, wheels, lights, mirrors, and aero aids are new. The eye-catching redesigned center lower front air intake is flanked by five adjustable vertical louvers which can channel more cooling air to the radiators and the brakes when required. The lower lip extends on certain versions to increase the downforce at high speed. As always, there are numerous model-specific front and rear bumper variations to choose from. While the Turbo and Turbo S feature two pairs of tailpipes which differ in style and execution, lesser models have center or side-mounted single or dual exhausts with chromed or black tips.
Further differentiation is by means of the Turbo, GT3, GT2 RS and Sport Design packs. The related aero treatment, which is either fixed or adaptive, ranges from a relatively small but full-width motorized rear air deflector to the extra-large and super tall semi-active wing of the RS. Apparently, different executions also apply to the split rear air intakes. Last but not least, there are redesigned five-dot matrix headlights complemented in the back by stacked wraparound taillights and indicators. The Porsche lettering in the middle is lit at night; the split rear fog lights are positioned right above it.
Inside, we noticed a new fully electronic hi-res instrument panel which depicts five partly overlapping round instruments with the no-longer-analog rev counter and the larger digital speedometer in the center. A new operating system with more powerful software is unlikely to materialize before the all-new 994, expected in 2027.
Where’s the Electric 911?
There has been talk of a radically reengineered electric 998 generation that was originally earmarked to debut in September 2028. But based on what we’re hearing, it is now unlikely to see the light before the beginning of the next decade—think 2034 when the life cycle of the 992 replacement, dubbed 994, expires. And even then, the battery-powered 911 will not entirely replace but complement its internal-combustion sister models, which could be fed by e-fuels by then.
Although I was born the only son of an ornithologist and a postal clerk, it was clear from the beginning that birdwatching and stamp collecting were not my thing. Had I known that God wanted me to grow to 6’8″, I also would have ruled out anything to do with cars, which are to blame for a couple of slipped discs, a torn ligament, and that stupid stooped posture behind the wheel. While working as a keeper in the Aberdeen Zoo, smuggling cheap cigarettes from Yugoslavia to Germany, and an embarrassing interlude with an amateur drama group also failed to yield fulfillment, driving and writing about cars became a much better option. And it still is now, many years later, as I approach my 70th birthday. I love every aspect of my job except long-haul travel on lousy airlines, and I hope it shows.