911 GTS redefines sweet spot

HYBRID HERO: ELECTRIFIED PUNCH, FINEST ENGINEERING CHALLENGE GT3 TOURING'S THRONE

- Jaco van der Merwe

Up until now, many agreed that the GT3 Touring strikes the perfect balance between comfort and performance in the Porsche 911 stable. But this notion is about to be challenged by the arrival of the new Carrera GTS.

Porsche this month officially unveiled the new electrically-assisted 911 GTS that is offered in a choice of Targa, Cabriolet and Coupe with the two latter body styles available in both all-wheel and rear-wheel drive.

The updated 992 generation GTS was a pioneer for Stuttgart's halo car last year when it became the first production 911 to feature a hybrid system. The T-Hybrid system has since also made its way to the Turbo S which set to arrive locally in due course.

The 3.0-litre flat-six turbocharger petrol engine from the previous Carrera GTS has been replaced with a 3.6-litre flat-six blown mill featuring a 12-volt belt-starter generator and electric motor driven by a 1.9kWh battery pack.

It is hooked up to eight-speed dual-clutch transmission (PDK) and produces a system total of 398kW of power and 610Nm of torque. This is 45kW/40Nm more than its predecessor.

Porsche claims the new 911 GTS will sprint from 0 to 100km/h in 3.0 seconds on its way to a top speed of 312km/h. Its 50kg lighter predecessor's sprint time was 3.2 seconds.