First Porsche 911 Hybrid Could Be Reborn 700-HP New GT2 RS: Report

Mild-hybrid tech borrowed from Le Mans 919 race cars could make the next GT2 RS the fastest road-going Porsche ever.

byNico DeMattia|
Porsche News photo
Share

0

The first step toward electrifying the iconic Porsche 911 might come in the form of a mild-hybrid 911 GT2 RS. According to a report from Autocar, Porsche is looking into Le Mans technology to bring back the 911 GT2 RS as a 700-plus horsepower hybrid that would also be the fastest and quickest road-going Porsche ever.

Power will come from the 911 Turbo's twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter flat-six engine, with an electric motor mounted to the transmission. In the Turbo S, that engine makes 640 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque, so pumping out more than 700 horsepower seems easy with some electric assistance. It's the torque figure that's important, though, as the electric motor could add 184 pound-feet.

According to Autocar, Porsche's target performance goal is to beat the old GT2 RS' 2.8 second 0-60 mph time and 211 mph top speed.

Like the C8 Corvette E-Ray, the hybrid Porsche 911 GT2 RS won't plug in and will have a very limited electric range. Instead, the electric motor will be purely for performance enhancement and as ligh as possible. That's why it will use 400-volt battery technology, rather than the 800-volt tech seen in the Taycan, and an air-cooled battery that will be charged solely by energy recuperation. The battery will be mounted behind the front seats, keeping the center of gravity similar to the normal 911, and it reportedly would offer a 39:61 rear-biased weight distribution.

One of its battery energy recuperation technologies is reportedly a small turbine in the exhaust system, that spins up during acceleration and generates electricity for the battery. It's tech Porsche developed for the 919 Hybrid Le Mans car. There's also apparently a Porsche patent filing for an electric turbocharger that can also generate air to help cool the battery, which would replace a fan.

Porsche hasn't officially confirmed a hybrid GT2 RS but if it is in the works, we could see it as early as 2026. From there, its hybrid tech could trickle down into other 911s, eventually electrifying the lineup.

Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com

stripe
News by BrandPorsche News