NA4.0

992.2 GTS Reveal Pic (Porsche Stock Pic)

Every few years (7 or 4 to be precise), a vast Internet army shakes off a couple of years of lassitude and makes those fan-equipped laptops sound like a group of Apache helicopters taking off on a critical mission. The signs point to a new version of a Porsche 911 being revealed, and a lot of people are not happy.

To be fair, I used to be one of that happy (?) crowd, and not just for Porsche 911s. I merrily spun up my laboring Intel Mac to look at all the reveal videos and early impressions of Caymans, Taycans, M3s, M2s, and yes, I am ashamed to admit, the Kia Stinger.

I had the script down: “TOO HEAVY”, “TOO UGLY” (Hey G8x M3!), “TOO EXPENSIVE”, “TOO MODERN”, "TOO DERIVATIVE" “TOO QUIET”, “TOO LOUD”. I would hastily type into any available platform and bask in the glow of affirmation from like-minded enthusiasts who would heartily validate my highly opinionated takes on a car I had not even seen in person.

I promise that I was ready to do the same this time. We all know Porsche is heading in the “wrong direction” by turning away from ICE engines for the 718, and there was a real fear that the 992.2 would be some hybrid travesty that would be a pumped-up Prius with a Stuttgart coat of arms.

So, the 992.2 is here, and the GTS is a hybrid. I like it. I like it a lot.

What happened to my sense of outrage and disgust? What am I doing writing this interminable post that only I will read when all the top posts on this subreddit are about how we hate the new GTS?

I like the fact that the GTS is a hybrid only in the sense that it has a secondary motivation method. Much like the 911 GT3 R Hybrid, it’s not your uncle’s Prius’ hybrid. Porsche has actually pulled off the electric turbo trick while everyone else has been playing around with using e-turbos to fill some of the gaps in the turbo lag equation (Audi, AMG, and Polestar). This is a big freaking deal! I remember back in 2013/14 when BMW patented an e-turbo concept and everyone went nuts thinking it would come in the new M3/4 (It didn’t, and the Fx M cars were weird, noiseless shadows of their former selves). Then, I was sure that AMG would stuff one into one of their cars because, obviously, their F1 team had figured this out almost a decade ago. They sort of went halfway but retained the traditional turbos.

The 992.2 GTS goes all in on the e-turbo, and this is huge. After a gap of almost 8 years, Porsche has given us a “NA” GTS. I think this moves the GTS in the 911 hierarchy from being closer to the Carrera S in the 992.1 generation to being closer to the GT3 in the 992.2 generation. Whether the GT3 will get its own version of the e-turbo remains to be seen, but if they put it into the 4.0L GT3 engine, it will easily get to ~600 HP, which it needed to do to keep up with the turbo competition.

I realize that the original allure of the GTS was that you could get all the meaningful options in a Carrera S for a bundle price along with some cool stickers. However, I have a feeling that Porsche is trying something different with this generation. Somewhat like the 718 GTS 4.0, the 992.2 GTS will sit on its own shelf with more separation between it and the Carrera S. Of course, Porsche could totally make me look stupid by offering the 3.6L + e-Turbo as options on the Carrera S, but that doesn’t seem likely.

So, there are a few things I wish the 992.2 GTS had retained. The lack of a manual is lamentable and potentially reduces desirability for someone looking for the “total analog” experience, but we all know the PDK is simply amazing, and a very large population of buyers won’t really care. The YouTube reviewers will care, but I doubt that this will elicit the same groan of disappointment that came with the 2.5 Flat-4 in the 718 GTS or the same collective moan that accompanied the 991.1 being PDK only. I bring those two examples up because they both carry a silver lining after the fact. Porsche did listen to the enthusiasts, and we now find manuals in 991.1 GT3s and 4.0 Flat-6s in 718 GTSs.

The only other quibble I have is with the digital-only dash. It would have been nice to retain a hint of an analog past with a tach, but again, I doubt that most buyers will care. The gills? I think they are fine. It’s not like they are some stupid decorative flourish. They are functional and will definitely grow on us, particularly once other companies start copying them.

Ksdaoski

There's like a million posts already in the 992 forum you may want to check out

NA4.0

I have. I am also trying to reach a wider audience than the 992 forum where 90% of the posts are about how they hate the slats and the digital dash.

elvisdoc

The missing story is....a simple ECU tune on the new hybrid GTS will likely result in a sub 7 minute Ring car and much cheaper than a Mercedes One or 919 Hybrid Evo. 3.6 liter engine combined with higher boost pressure, larger included intercooler, larger included turbo that is now electric assist, and 400KW electric boost. Override Lambda 1, run the engine rich, advance the timing. 200 missing ponies restored. This is going to be a monster.

abiazis

Might be one of those, once you drive it, you have to have it cars…..or maybe not….could have both ends of the spectrum

chassis

I like the slats. The hybrid powertrain tech is not new, is mild, and pushes no boundaries and does not impress.

A timid step into electrification.

995

I don't think this will be as simple as change your afr table. Turbo will be the bottleneck there is nothing like it, doesn't even have wastegate..

I think it will take YEARS before you see those extra 200hp lol.

elvisdoc

Years? I would take that bet. I think an aftermarket upgrade will happen much faster than you think, likely within the first year. It could all be done in the ECU and it's pretty obvious what needs to happen to un-Europe that engine.

As for the new base Carrera, it too is going to be interesting cuz the aftermarket people are going to love those bigger GTS turbos it is getting and upgrades could give surprising performance numbers.