Porsche is preparing to launch a mid-cycle update for the current 992-generation 911 family, and a prototype for the updated 911 Turbo S Cabriolet has been spotted testing at the Nürburgring and on some of the German racetrack's surrounding roads.
The fresh photos and earlier spy video show the prototype with the yellow warning stickers that are required for electrified test vehicles in certain countries, pointing to the prototype packing a hybrid powertrain. Porsche CEO Oliver Blume said in 2022 that a hybrid 911 is coming, and speaking just last month he said the debut will take place this summer.
Judging by the latest prototype and similar test vehicles for the coupe, the updated 911 Turbo S Cabriolet will feature some styling tweaks. The prototypes reveal new designs for the taillights and exhaust tips. The front fascia also sports new intake designs with verticle slats instead of the current horizontal design. The internals for the headlights also adopt the latest matrix LED technology which is able to deliver brighter, more precise light beams.
For the interior, there will be a fully digital instrument cluster replacing the current unit which still contains an analog tachometer, similar to what Porsche first used in the Taycan. The fully digital gauge cluster has slowly been expanding to more models, including the updated 2024 Cayenne and new 2024 Macan EV.
Porsche is quiet on what exactly is planned for the powertrains in the updated 911 range. However, Blume has said the hybrid system will be along the lines of the former 919 Hybrid LMP1 race car, and not a plug-in hybrid like the 918 Spyder hypercar. This means there won't be a plug, and any electric motor-generator(s) will purely be used to support the internal-combustion engine and recover energy under braking.
According to our source, the Turbo S hybrid will use a 400-volt electrical system instead of an 800-volt system like the Taycan. The higher voltage system is better suited to rapid charging, which isn't necessary for a hybrid whose battery is much smaller than an EV's battery.
It's possible the electric motor to be integrated with the transmission. Former 911 chief August Achleitner told Motor Authority in a 2019 interview that the 911's 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission is the same unit used in hybrid versions of the Panamera.
2025 Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet facelift spy shots - Photo credit: Baldauf
Combined peak power should be higher than the 640 hp of the current Turbo S.
The facelifted version of the regular 911 Turbo is also out testing. Rumors point to this model skipping hybrid technology for now.
Look for the updated 911 Turbo S to start sales late this year or early next. It should arrive roughly alongside a facelifted 911 Carerra, which is also expected to offer a hybrid option. Both grades should arrive as 2025 models in the U.S. Also out testing are updated versions of the Carrera GTS, Targa, GT3, and GT3 Touring.
