Porsche will reportedly cap off the current 992 generation of the 911 around 2026 with the return of the GT2 RS nameplate, this time with hybrid technology in tow.
Autocar reported on Monday the new GT2 RS will pick up hybrid technology derived from the hugely successful 919 Hybrid LMP1 race car and its successor, the current 963 LMDh.
According to the report, Porsche has yet to finalize the powertrain details but one system being tested is a mild-hybrid setup where an electric motor integrated with the transmission provides assist to the engine during high loads, like accelerating off the line or out of a corner.
The motor would be powered by a relatively small battery kept charged by the combustion engine or energy recovery systems relying on brake energy or even exhaust energy. Like in previous 911 GT2 models, the engine would be borrowed from the 911 Turbo, which in this case would mean a twin-turbo 3.8-liter flat-6.
2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS
Another potential technology, per the report, is a cooling system that swaps out the traditional engine fan for air pushed by an electrified turbo.
Peak output is expected to be above the 700 hp generated by the 991 GT2 RS.
Porsche 911 fans won't have to wait until the arrival of the new GT2 RS to opt for an electrified 911. Porsche is currently working on a mid-cycle update for the 992 911 range, and multiple models from the base Carrera right up to the Turbo are expected to offer the option of a hybrid powertrain.
Here, too, Porsche is expected to rely on mild-hybrid setups so as to avoid the heavy battery that something like a plug-in hybrid setup would require. Models from the updated 992 911 range are expected to start arriving for the 2024 model year.
