If Charles Darwin were still around, there’s a pretty good chance he’d drive a Porsche 911.
Going on the assumption that royalties from his On the Origin of Species tome provided a nicely padded bank account, Chuck would find the 911 to perfectly trace his pioneering theory of evolution. Over its 61 years of existence, Porsche’s rear-engine sports car has maintained its position as one of the world’s best through a gradual yet unrelenting evolutionary process, powered by passion, brilliant engineering, obsession to detail, and the adoption of new technologies.
The fact that the latest 911 still has a horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine slung out behind its rear axle and a profile that’s unmistakable from the original 1963 car would indeed warm Darwin’s heart.
But the fight for survival continues, which is where the 2025 Porsche 911 T-Hybrid comes in. Of course, traditionalists will have their Nomex knickers in a knot over this one. But fear not: time on the track and twisting mountain passes is proof enough that this car has everything you could want — assuming you want a 911 GTS — and nothing you wouldn’t.
In fact, if it wasn’t for the T-Hybrid badge on its flanks, you’d never guess this new Carrera GTS is packing any type of hybrid technology. The only real tells are the weird whirrs and clicks coming from the electric components under the rear deck when you shut it down after a spirited run.
Not a PHEV
For those of you squirming in your Pilotis, let’s look at what the 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS T-Hybrid is not. This is not a plug-in hybrid (PHEV); Porsche labels it a performance-focused hybrid powertrain, with tech gleaned from its racing program. As the entire setup only adds about 50 kg (110 lb) compared to the outgoing 911 GTS, bloat is not an issue.
The brakes are purely mechanical — there’s no unnatural regenerative system to corrupt the feel. The car will not drive on electric power alone. It seems Porsche isn’t too interested in trumpeting any great gains in fuel efficiency, either, as this area was barely touched upon during our technical briefing.
New Flat Six
Power comes from an all-new 3.6L flat-six sporting a single electrically-driven turbocharger, and a permanently excited synchronous motor sandwiched between the engine and upgraded eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The electric motor generates as much as 53 hp and 110 lb-ft of torque on its own, making for a total system output of 532 hp and 449 lb-ft of torque for gains of 59 and 49, respectively, compared to the outgoing 911 Carrera GTS.
The car runs on 400-volt architecture, with a lightweight 1.9-kWh battery under the hood where the 12-volt unit used to live. A compact lithium-ion 12-volt battery is located behind the rear seat. It’s a complex system, with the star of the show being the big turbo that spins up pronto thanks to its electric motor, providing instant boost as a result. The turbo’s motor also acts as a generator, harvesting energy from the exhaust stream and sending it back to the battery or directly to the main electric drive motor. As such, there’s no wastegate on this turbo.
There are other items not present on this fresh and compact flat-six. It’s a sealed unit with no external drive belts or accessories; no alternator, starter motor, or air-conditioning compressor (the latter is now electrically driven). With a profile that’s 110 mm (4.3 in) lower than the 3.0L twin-turbo six it replaces, there’s room atop for the pulse inverter and DC converter.
Loud and Proud
Fire it up, and any concerns of this new 911 having lost its voice vanish almost instantly. The 3.6L has a deeper, more guttural tone than the sweeter sounding 3.0L it replaces, and as the revs pile on it gets down right nasty. That’s with the sport exhaust activated, naturally, be that via a button on the console, or automatically when selecting sport or sport plus drive modes via the dial on the steering wheel. Press the red button at the centre of this controller and 10 seconds of full-on boost mode is unleashed.
This new car is quick, with a claimed zero-to-100 km/h dash of 3.0 seconds — merely a third of a second behind the bonkers 911 Turbo S. It also beats the previous 911 GTS around the Nürburgring by a substantial 8.4 seconds.
Standard extras on the T-Hybrid car include rear-wheel steering and staggered 20- and 21-inch centre-lock wheels. The tires measure 245 mm up front and 315 mm in the back. The sport suspension has it sitting 10 mm (0.4 in) lower than the standard 911 Carrera. The front brakes are from the Turbo S, and the rear brakes are even larger than that range-topper’s.
Look Out, Turbo
Up until this T-Hybrid, the GTS designation essentially denoted a Porsche S model with select performance options and few bespoke tweaks. However, this hybrid 911 moves the needle considerably, pulling away from the 911 Carrera S and nipping at the Turbo’s heels.
It’s priced accordingly, with the rear-wheel-drive 2025 911 Carrera GTS T-Hybrid starting at $182,900. The all-wheel-drive Carrera 4 GTS starts at $191,700.
Digitally Enhanced Interior
All 2025 911s get an upgraded interior featuring Porsche’s latest infotainment system and a new fully configurable 12.6-inch curved digital instrument display. For the first time, video streaming is offered. Gone is the traditional central analogue tachometer. And another wonderful Porsche tradition bites the dust here for 2025. No more twisting the key fob with your left hand; now there’s a starter button.
Aside from that, all is as expected within the cozy cabin — marvellously supportive seats, great outward visibility, perfectly placed controls, and build quality that feels like it will survive Armageddon.
Upgraded Base Engine
I also sampled the entry point for the 911 lineup: a rear-wheel-drive Carrera that gets a revised version of its 3.0L flat-six featuring larger turbos from the old GTS and an intercooler pilfered from the 911 Turbo. Horsepower is up nine to 388, and it makes 331 lb-ft of torque.
Threading this lovely Lugano Blue specimen through the Andalusian Mountains was pure motoring joy. It had me wondering why one would need any more 911 than this. It’s quick (zero to 100 km/h in 4.1 seconds with the Sport Chrono package), and it handles beautifully, displaying that undeniable, intangible 911 je ne sais quoi that ramps engagement and excitement up in equal measure. It makes all the right noises and, as a bonus, it’s still available with a manual transmission for its $135,600 starting price.
Final Thoughts
Nonetheless, there’s the 2025 Porsche 911 T-Hybrid. With its wider rubber, rear-wheel steering, prodigious power, and instant throttle response, it proved to be a true track maven at Spain’s challenging Circuito Ascari, somewhat humbling the base Carrera in this demanding environment.
The T-Hybrid system is a revolution to be sure, but also a natural evolution of Porsche’s timeless sportscar. Electrification is unavoidable, even for the 911. Porsche has done it right with this one. If you see a bearded dude in a wool suit blowing by you in a 911 while singing I Will Survive, say hi to Charles D. from me.
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