2025 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS T-Hybrid Review: Soul, Preserved

Key Points in This Review

• The first-ever production Porsche 911 hybrid perfectly preserves the character of the iconic sports car.
• The hybrid portion of the GTS’ drivetrain is entirely focused on performance, not efficiency.
• There is no all-electric range or drive mode.

Welcome to the most important evolution of the Porsche 911 in the past 25 years — or, more precisely, the past 26 years, as the 1999 model year marked the arrival of the 996 generation, which was the first water-cooled 911. If you’re not familiar with the significance of Porsche’s switch from air cooling to water cooling, just know it was a really big deal — and I reckon the new 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS T-Hybrid comes close to matching it for historical importance.

Related: 2025 Porsche 911 Gives One of Its Hottest Trims a Hybrid System

If that all sounds a bit dramatic, know that the Porsche 911 is widely considered the most important sports car in history writ large; it’s served as the taproot of Porsche’s brand identity since 1964. It’s also one that’s greatly evolutionary; generational changes have been graduated, only radically departing from the prior generation a handful of times.

For 2025, we have the first example of hybridization in a production 911. For now, it’s contained to the GTS — the third trim level up from the base Carrera — and the range-topping Turbo S, but it’s certainly a herald for future generations. Think of this development in the same vein as the 1975-89 930 generation, which was the first turbocharged 911 to reach production: It took 42 years, but when the 991.2 generation debuted for the 2017 model year, that shift to turbocharging had finally reached across the entire 911 range (outside of the GT3).

Will All Future Porsche 911s Be Hybrid?

• Takeaway: It’s likely that most — but not all — future 911s will be hybrids.

I feel confident declaring that a hybridized base Carrera is not 42 years away; it’s likely less than 10 years out. This new GTS T-Hybrid is a preview of what’s to come — a clear signifier of how Porsche plans to electrify its icon. Amid the ongoing upheaval in the automotive industry (and at its own corporate level), Porsche is handling the 911 with kid gloves, as it almost always has.

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The GTS T-Hybrid isn’t a plug-in hybrid in the manner of competitors from Mercedes-Benz and Ferrari — as token as some of their all-electric ranges may be — and offers no fully electric driving range. In fact, aside from the preternatural speed with which the new single-turbo 3.6-liter flat-six engine spins to life, and a small battery charge indicator on the lower portion of the central digital tach, you’d never know it’s electrified at all.

How Much Power Does the Porsche 911 Carrera GTS T-Hybrid Have?

• Takeaway: The GTS’ hybrid drivetrain makes 532 horsepower and 449 pounds-feet of torque.

You can’t tell from the stats, either. The hybrid system, which includes an electric motor in the transmission, adds 54 hp to the engine’s baseline 478 hp. In symphony, the car’s 532 hp and 449 pounds-feet of torque are up “just” 59 hp and 29 pounds-feet of torque versus the prior Carrera GTS, which is less than you’d expect at this stage of performance hybrids. This is largely due to Porsche politicking; anything more would risk blurring the demarcation lines within the 911 lineup. Essentially, the GTS T-Hybrid is capped at what the badge represents, not at what’s possible.

Do I mean to imply that 532 hp isn’t impressive, healthy or appropriate? Absolutely not — this is a perfect example of Porsche’s gradual evolution at work. The Carrera GTS is significantly more capable than the base 2025 911 Carrera, but not so hot that it steps on the toes of the big-buck Turbo variants. And since it’s part of the Carrera family, you can have your GTS in four distinct configurations: coupe and cabriolet body styles with a choice of rear- or all-wheel drive, the latter designated by a “4” (as in Carrera 4 GTS).

My test car was an AWD coupe. All GTS models are fitted with an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, as Porsche says the car’s hybridization isn’t compatible with a manual gearbox. That’s understandable but a slight bummer; as of this writing, your choices for a new three-pedal 911 are limited to the Carrera T and the GT3. Still, Porsche’s PDK system is one of history’s all-time great transmissions, and the driving experience isn’t lessened by it, it’s just different.

How Does Porsche’s T-Hybrid Work?

• Takeaway: A motor integrated into the transmission works in conjunction with an electric turbocharger and a 1.9-kilowatt-hour battery.

Efficiency isn’t the name of the T-Hybrid’s game. It has no electric driving range or dedicated electric-vehicle mode, nor does it bring any significant bump in fuel efficiency. The rear-wheel-drive coupe earns an EPA-rated 20 mpg combined, which is 1 mpg better than the prior automatic-equipped car. It’s (thankfully) no quieter, its regenerative braking is imperceptible, and the powertrain doesn’t feel any more complex than the last, gas-only GTS. The transmission-mounted motor acts primarily as torque fill to smooth out the curve of the single-turbo engine, while a second electric motor integrated into the turbocharger ensures boost is instant and predictable.

That and the lack of a wastegate in the turbocharger allows for energy recuperation during “high-load driving,” situationally generating enough power to feed the electric motor without pulling from the relatively small 1.9-kWh battery. Between standard braking recuperation and the so-called e-turbo, the battery remains brimmed in most situations.

The sum experience is equal parts familiar and reassuring. The 911’s engaging launch control is as it’s always been: Toggle the wheel-mounted rotary drive mode selector to Sport Plus and clamp the optional carbon-ceramic brakes hard with your left foot. Floor it, keep the revs sustained for a second or two for dramatic effect, then sidestep the brake and — jeez. The pressure tenses your neck first, then your torso and shoulders bear the squeeze a moment later as that lovely flat-six rasp fills the cabin.

Keep your eyes up but sneak a careful peek at the digital speedo: A 0-60 mph run rips by in a manufacturer-reported 2.9 seconds en route to a quarter-mile time of 11 seconds flat, and you don’t need to know that Porsche always underrates its official performance figures — you’ll feel it. Hybrid or not, AWD and PDK make for a quick car, and the extra invisible “push” from the GTS’ electric motor delivers straight-line performance that matches many supercars.

How is the 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS Different From a Regular Carrera?

• Takeaway: Besides more power, there are also differences in the suspension, wheels, tires and exhaust.

The GTS, however, is far more focused on a well-rounded driving experience than hot holeshots. The same formula is applied here as in the first GTS back in 2011: uprated suspension, bushings, brakes, wheels, tires and exhaust versus the Carrera S. The 2025 GTS has standard rear-wheel steering and is more visually aggressive, too, with a 0.4-inch drop in ride height, black exterior trim and active aero slats in the front grille that look a bit like a moustache. You can have your GTS trimmed any which way you want limited only by your budget, but there’s an increased focus on microfiber upholstery and carbon-fiber trim, along with a standard Sport Chrono Package that adds that neato dash stopwatch and a very useful “push-to-pass” Sport Response button on the mode selector.

The GTS is, of course, the most capable and best-driving 911 short of the GT3, but good luck really pushing the envelope of even the base 911 Carrera anywhere outside of a track. My “fun” drive time was limited to some of California’s finer canyon roads, and the GTS is as comfortable on tight, technical passes as it is on high-speed stretches of open tarmac — as it always has been. As is the case with every single modern 911, its incredible confidence is both immediate and innate; even if this is your first time ever driving a sports car, you’ll feel a level of comfort pushing the GTS that you likely wouldn’t feel in a Chevrolet Corvette or Mercedes-AMG GT. Inputs are perfectly weighted, from the steering to the brake pedal and accelerator, calibrated to be satisfying both at parking-lot speeds and at ten-tenths. Front-end grip is tremendous — heck, all grip is tremendous — regardless of AWD.

How Is the 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS as a Daily Driver?

• Takeaway: It’s usable, but the GTS’ stiffness might push you to the Carrera S or even Carrera for better comfort.

Duality has long been the GTS’ key characteristic, and that’s still mostly the case here. The car’s seat comfort, steering effort, PDK shift logic, road noise and general refinement is not significantly different from a standard Carrera, but the suspension is admittedly a little flinty for daily use if you commonly find yourself on anything other than glass-smooth pavement. Far from a deal breaker, it’s just something to keep in mind, especially given my test car had the optional Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control active suspension. I’d suggest driving one with and without this option before making a decision.

Everything else was Porsche par excellence. As a purist, I’m relieved and hopeful for the future; there’s little about the 2025 Porsche Carrera 4 GTS T-Hybrid that worries me regarding the 911’s soul state. I do think it’s a bit of a Rube Goldberg machine for not much gain in either performance or efficiency, but it’s perfectly in tune with what enthusiasts want in a hybrid 911.

Air-cooled, water-cooled, turbocharged and now hybrid — the progress of the Porsche 911 continues.

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