{"id":35002,"date":"2025-09-18T11:00:53","date_gmt":"2025-09-18T15:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=35002"},"modified":"2025-09-18T11:18:17","modified_gmt":"2025-09-18T15:18:17","slug":"payne-911-gts-goes-hybrid-the-porsche-way-fast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/payne-911-gts-goes-hybrid-the-porsche-way-fast","title":{"rendered":"Payne: 911 GTS goes hybrid the Porsche way. Fast."},"content":{"rendered":"

Phelps<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 Two years ago at M1 Concourse\u2019s American Speed Festival, I took my 1964 Porsche 904 GTS on track. The OG.<\/p>\n

The first GTS (aka, Gran Turismo Sport) performance trim made by the German automaker, the wee, 1,450-pound 904 was one of 108 street-legal models built in 1964-65 to homologate Porsche for international racing. With my head stuffed in the ceiling and my knees in the Spartan dash, I rowed the five-speed manual gearbox around M1 \u2014 the glorious, normally aspirated, 3.0-liter flat-6 engine wailing in my ears at 7,000 rpm. Before me, my father used the 904 GTS as a daily driver for four decades in West Virginia.<\/p>\n

Sixty years later, the legendary GTS badge lives in the roomy, 2025 Porsche 911 GTS T-Hybrid tester in my driveway: an automatic, turbocharged, gas-electric hybrid with Android Auto, 11-inch infotainment screen, 18-way heated\/cooled seats, and launch control.<\/p>\n

\"On<\/p>\n

On a twisty road in the 2025 Porsche 911 GTS T-Hybrid you can engage SPORT PLUS mode which deploys a rear spoiler and tightened suspension for better grip.<\/em><\/div>\n

Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/p>\n

Toto, we\u2019re not in 1964 anymore.<\/p>\n

In SPORT PLUS MODE, I pushed the brake pedal and accelerator pedals to the floor. The tachometer stabilized at 4,000 rpm. The instrument gauge flashed LAUNCH CONTROL SET. I released the brake and released the Kraken. BWAAAWRR!<\/p>\n

The T-Hybrid shot past 60 mph like it has been launched from a cannon. It\u2019s a Porsche worthy of the GTS badge. Solid as oak. Stunning performance. Flat-six engine note from the gods. 911 has been a sports-car icon since it was introduced in 1963 for eight model generations. It\u2019s maintained its place with elite engineering, timeless design, incremental change, and obsessive dedication to its brand.<\/p>\n

\"With<\/figure>\n
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With better low-end torque from its electric motor, the turbocharged, 3.6-liter, 2025 Porsche 911 GTS T-Hybrid can now vault 0-60 mph in just 2.6 seconds.<\/em><\/div>\n

Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/div>\n

Like the resurrection of the GTS badge from the 904.<\/p>\n

Representing extra performance paired with excellent trip qualities, GTS reappeared on Porsche production models like the front-engine 928 and Cayenne SUV models at the turn of the 21st<\/sup>\u00a0century before becoming a fixture on the 911 in 2010.<\/p>\n

The eighth-gen car (the so-called 992 series) has taken big, risky leaps at a time when technological advancements and regulatory hammers present historic challenges to the industry. My 911 992.2 (translation: the second evolution of the 992 generation) tester maintains GTS thrills by integrating new tech, resulting in a supercar that \u2014 while not the most spectacular firecracker in the market \u2014 sits at the sweet-spot of supercar speed, price, and ergonomic refinement.<\/p>\n

The compromises? Weight gain, price gain, complexity, and more robotic performance.<\/p>\n

\"Detroit<\/figure>\n
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The OG. The 1964 Porsche 904 was the German maker’s first GTS model – creating a car that was equally comfortable on the street and on the track. Sixty years later, the badge is used on multiple models.<\/div>\n

Henry Payne<\/p><\/div>\n

911 T-Hybrid \u2014 short for Turbo Hybrid \u2014 redefines the popular conception of hybrid. For example, Porsche uses the electric motor wedged between the gearbox and engine for \u201ctorque fill.\u201d Like the $109,795 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray, Porsche introduces electrification into its lineup a step above standard Carrera\/Carrera S models, but below the track-focused GT3. Unlike E-Ray, which uses its front e-motor to create an all-wheel-drive, all-season daily driver, GTS is pure hellion.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, this is nice and stiff!\u201d said my son as we carved corners on M-66. WAPPA! WAPPPA! went the auto downshifts as I quickly slowed into a left-hander courtesy of massive, 16.5-inch ceramic brakes.<\/p>\n

Where the first, 1960\u2019s sportscar Golden Age set the tone for brands from Porsche to Ford, our second Golden Era has to contend with the Fun Police. The 2019 model of the 992 generation (992.1) introduced turbochargers to augment performance while also reducing CO2 emissions.<\/p>\n