With the 911 lineup being so vast, Porsche is always up to something. Whether it’s a facelift, a special edition, or a new optional package, the iconic sports car from Zuffenhausen is constantly evolving. The biggest update for this generation arrived last year with the introduction of the first 992.2 models. Even so, the portfolio hasn’t been fully fleshed out yet. The next variant likely to get a nip and tuck is the Turbo/Turbo S.
Is that what Porsche is teasing in its recent cryptic social media videos ahead of a September 7 debut? It may very well be. The company has already confirmed the Turbo S will debut this year, and when it does, it’ll follow the GTS by adopting a hybrid setup. This major change was confirmed a few weeks ago during the half-year earnings call. Logic tells us that electrification will push output beyond the outgoing model’s 640 hp.
Whatever Porsche is working on, the car will be “faster than schnell (German for ‘fast’).” The mysterious model is certainly a 911, as the video featuring American actor and race car driver Patrick Dempsey clearly shows a 2+2 layout. The outgoing Turbo S sprints from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 2.7 seconds with the Sport Chrono Package, so expect its successor to shave off a few tenths thanks to the electric motor’s instant response.
The Turbo S won’t be the last member of the 992.2 family. Multiple reports suggest a GT2 RS is coming next year, and it too may feature a hybrid system. There are also rumors of a Slantnose revival, so this generation still has plenty of secrets left to reveal. What you won’t see is a fully electric 911, as Porsche has pledged to avoid a 911 EV this decade.
A few years ago, Karl Dums, the man in charge of Porsche’s synthetic fuel program, pledged that the 911 would remain in production with a combustion engine for as long as possible. It’s destined to go down in history as the brand’s final ICE car. With the Cayenne keeping its V-8 well into the 2030s, the 911’s rear-mounted engine is safe for many years to come.
However, it’s game over for the gas-fueled Boxster and Cayman, with both going out of production next month. Purely electric replacements are due later this decade, but there won’t be a combustion-engine successor to the 718. One can only hope Porsche has a change of heart, as it did with its decision to develop a new gas crossover to succeed the first-gen Macan. For now, though, that remains wishful thinking.
Actually, Porsche hinted that some future models originally envisioned solely as EVs might also get gasoline power after all. The company admitted that “what is clear is that we are sticking with the combustion engine for much longer.” So while a reversal for the 718 seems unlikely right now, it’s no longer outside the realm of possibility. Unless it’s too expensive to reengineer the car for ICE. It’s easier to make it work for the gas crossover by borrowing hardware from the new Audi Q5.
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