--- title: "Porsche Says You Can’t Tune the Hybrid 911 GTS. How Long Until Someone Does?" description: "While Porsche admits nothing's impossible, its engineers aren't sure how anyone will be able to extract more performance out of the turbo-hybrid 911 GTS." date: "2024-07-15" modified: "2024-07-15" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/porsche-says-you-cant-tune-the-hybrid-911-gts-how-long-until-someone-does" categories: - "Aftermarket" - "Car Tech" - "News" - "News by Brand" - "Porsche News" tags: - "911" - "Coupe" - "porsche" - "sports car" --- # Porsche Says You Can’t Tune the Hybrid 911 GTS. How Long Until Someone Does? ![]() *Porsche* Never underestimate human ingenuity. Especially the ingenuity of nerdy enthusiasts with too much time on their hands. To them, there's nothing that can't be done, and no problem that can't be solved. So when [Porsche]() says you can't tune the new hybrid [911 GTS](), those same enthusiasts will see it as a challenge. Admittedly, when [Porsche engineers told *Top Gear* Netherlands]() that the hybrid 911 can't be tuned, they weren't throwing down the gauntlet or being antagonistic toward the aftermarket community. The company isn't even locking the ECU, like some other supercar brands have done in the past. They're just not sure how anyone would go about it—and it all has to do with the car's electric turbocharger. ![]() **Porsche** Most turbocharged engine tunes revolve around the turbo itself. Sometimes the turbocharger is replaced with a bigger, better one, which then requires a subsequent ECU tune. Sometimes, tuners just increase turbo boost by keeping the wastegates closed longer, thus creating more power. However, Porsche says messing with its turbo is a bad idea. Unlike the previous, pure-ICE 911s, the [new hybrid version]() features one turbocharger instead of two. However, it's larger than the older turbos and, rather than spin entirely from exhaust gases, it incorporates a small electric motor that can spool the turbo up while engine revs are low. And instead of a traditional wastegate, the 911 hybrid's turbocharger uses its extra internal pressure to spin the electric motor and send up to 11 kW worth of energy *back* into the high-voltage battery. That battery not only powers the turbo's electric motor at low rpm, but it also powers the electric motor that's sandwiched between the engine and transmission. There's also an anti-lag system that uses the turbo's little motor to keep boost up even while off throttle in Sport Plus mode, so that full boost is available on corner exit. ![]() *The 911 GTS' new 3.6-liter flat-six. The motorized turbo can be seen at the bottom right. *Chris Tsui** In other words, the GTS's hybrid system is complex and deeply intertwined, and the software that makes sense of it all is likely immensely difficult to tinker with. Hence why Porsche says it shouldn't be messed with, whether by tweaking the existing electric turbo or replacing it with a bigger one. However, there's an important distinction to be made between what Porsche is saying and what other brands have done in the past. Before the R35 GT-R debuted, Nissan claimed to have [software-locked the ECU,]() thereby preventing tuners from modifying it in any way; Chevy did the same for the [C8 Corvette](). However in both cases, tuners figured out how to crack them, and the tunes came. Porsche isn't locking anything, and its engineers still admitted to *Top Gear Netherlands* that nothing's impossible. Someone will eventually work everything out and open the floodgates for the rest of the aftermarket. The real questions are who that'll be, and how long it'll take them. *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()