Heroically fast Porsche 911 Hybrid is tremendous to drive with scalpel sharp steering but two changes are frustrating
WAIT, what? Porsche has made a hybrid 911?
The keyboard warriors were on it immediately.
“It’s the beginning of the end. Goodnight Porsche.”
“A 911 hybrid will be far too heavy.”
Fools.
Porsche hasn’t electrified the world’s greatest sports car to satisfy some government regulations.
They’ve done it to make it go faster. A lot faster.
Heroically fast
No plug. No pure electric mode. Just instant egg-scrambling performance.
The extra weight doesn’t add up to much either. Kylie after a Sunday dinner.
Let me talk you through the headlines.
Power is up 61 horses to 541hp.
The 0-62mph sprint is four-tenths quicker.
Wider rear tyres, rear-wheel steering and bigger anchors than a 911 Turbo add to the drama.
Now I should perhaps explain the old 911 Carrera GTS is powered by a 3-litre twin-turbo flat six. This new one is 3.6 litres, single turbo, with two e-motors.
One e-motor spools up the turbo to eliminate lag. The second e-motor in the eight-speed gearbox adds a huge dollop of torque.
The compact 1.9kWh battery is positioned where the normal 12V battery would be. The wins are everywhere.
So, what’s it like to drive?
Tremendous.
It feels, sounds and smells like a 911. This thing is heroically fast when you bury your foot in the carpet, yet you can drive it around town as you would any normal car.
The re-worked suspension breathes with the road. The steering’s sharper than a surgeon’s scalpel.
Which brings me nicely to looks.
Only a proper fan boy can tell one Porker from another.
But here’s a clue. Active cooling air flaps in the lower front bumper — and a centrally-mounted twin exhaust at the rear.
Then there’s the “t-hybrid” stickers on the bottom of the doors. Duh. But you can delete them.
Top-notch fit
The two-seat cabin is mostly brilliant.
Superb driving position. Controls exactly where you want them. Top-notch fit and finish.
But we’re a bit disappointed the analogue dial has been swapped out for a fully-digital binnacle and the turn-key start has been replaced by a starter button. Grrr.
It’s not a deal-breaker, though.
A hybrid 911 is the next natural step to lift performance to a new level and keep the combustion engine alive.
When Porsche do something, they do it properly.
KEY FACTS: PORSCHE 911 CARRERA GTS
Price: £132,600
Engine: 3.6-litre 6cyl petrol with two e-motors
Power: 540hp, 610Nm
0-62mph: 3 secs
Top speed: 194mph
Economy: 26mpg
CO2: 239g/km
Out: Now