Technology -- 6 days ago
Words: Gentleman's Journal
There are few names in motoring that stir the heart quite like 911. I myself have also found a 911, perhaps a bit boring, a bit too predictable, well that was until recently. A feet weeks back I got behind the wheel of the 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS and it’s fair to say my mind has been changed.
A Hybrid — but not as you know it
If the word hybrid makes you picture an earnest commuter in corduroy and sensible shoes, think again. Porsche’s new T-Hybrid system is no moral compromise. It’s a weapon. The familiar flat-six has grown to 3.6 litres and gained an electric motor, combining for a sumptuous 532 horsepower and 449 lb-ft of torque.
The effect? A car that surges like a shot of espresso in the veins. Zero to sixty in 2.6 seconds, the horizon arriving sooner than your better judgement. And yet, thanks to the hybrid wizardry, there’s no turbo lag, no hesitation — just instant, linear thrust.
It’s not an eco plaything. It’s evolution. It’s also a feeling that has to be felt rather than described.
Still unmistakably 911
Visually, the GTS remains the gentleman’s racer we all know: muscular but not brash, elegant without pretence. A new nose, subtler lighting, and a stance that suggests a well-cut suit over coiled muscle.
Inside, Porsche has gone fully digital — the classic five-dial layout replaced by a curved screen that could shame a private jet’s cockpit. Traditionalists may grumble, but the execution is flawless. The driving position remains perfection, the materials — leather, aluminium, a whisper of carbon — all whisper quiet confidence rather than shouty opulence.
On the road, the best of both worlds
Out on the road, the GTS reveals its duality. It can be savagely quick, of course, but what truly impresses is its ability to turn into a everyday drive with relative ease. The steering, still hydraulically telepathic in feel, threads the car along country lanes like silk through a needle. The PDK gearbox snaps through ratios with the crispness of a Swiss watch.
Yes, it’s firmer than a Carrera S. And yes, the hybrid system adds a few kilograms of ballast. But Porsche’s engineers have balanced the scales beautifully. It’s the kind of car one might drive to the office in the morning and to Le Mans by evening, all without spilling one’s espresso.
Not without its foibles
Perfection, as ever, comes at a price. The manual gearbox is gone, sacrificed to the gods of progress. There’s a faint sense that some of the raw, mechanical intimacy of earlier 911s has been smoothed away, replaced by relentless competence.
And, inevitably, the GTS’s talents will cost you: a base price hovering near £140,000, before Porsche’s famously tempting options list turns that into something rather north of reason.
But then, one doesn’t buy a 911 GTS with the head. One buys it with the heart, and perhaps the spine, for it’s best enjoyed firmly braced.
The final word
The 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS is a rare thing: a supercar with impeccable manners. It’s quicker than ever, cleverer than ever, and still manages to make you feel part of the machinery, a true feat in our era of algorithms and autonomy.
For the modern gentleman who still appreciates the romance of speed but prefers his thrills to come in tailored packaging, the GTS remains the ultimate companion. Elegant, ferocious, and entirely self-assured, rather like the man who owns one.
Specifications
- Engine / Drivetrain: 3.6-litre flat-six petrol engine boosted by a hybrid “T-Hybrid” system (single turbo + electric motor integrated into the eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox).
- Combined output: ~ 532 hp (≈ 397 kW) and 449 lb-ft torque (≈ 610 Nm)
Transmission: 8-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic (no manual option in this variant). - Layout: Rear-engine, rear-wheel drive (for the GTS RWD version) – some variants may offer all-wheel drive (4 GTS) depending on specification.
0-60 mph (approx.): ~ 2.6 seconds (in test conditions) for the coupe - Top speed: ~ 194 mph (≈ 312 km/h) as a representative figure.
- Fuel economy / Emissions (UK spec estimate): Combined fuel consumption around 25.7 mpg (UK) / CO₂ ~ 244 g/km
- Dimensions (approximate): Length ~4,553 mm / Width ~1,852 mm / Height ~1,301 mm
