All-New 992.2 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS Hybrid Shares a Road With a 997 911 Carrera GTS

Dan Prosser hits the road in a new, hybridized 992.2 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS and its spectacular, 15-year-old 997 sibling.

The all-new 992.2 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS is the first hybrid 911 ever, and The Intercooler’s Dan Prosser pitted it against a 15-year-old Carrera GTS in a side-by-side comparison. For starters, the 992.2 Carrera GTS took a subtle approach to hybridization, opting for a tiny 1.9 kWh battery. 

You won’t find electric-only drive like in the Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray, either. However, what you will find is 533 bhp and 450 lb-ft of torque. Frankly, Prosser thinks that’s more than enough for the new Carrera GTS. “The result is far in a way the most responsive turbocharged Porsche 911 there has ever been,” Prosser said. “You put your foot down, and the thing just picks up immediately.”

However, the hybrid platform doesn’t sacrifice any of the classic turbo Porsche character. The reviewer regaled viewers with talk of the new Carrera GTS’s delightful ride and “pin sharp” handling. Prosser points out that the new hybrid 911 is heavy, though. Around 3,530 lbs of hybridized heft, he estimates. Still, the thrust is more than enough to make the heavy new-age Porsche feel light on its feet. 

 But Prosser thinks the 992.2 Carrera GTS model is lacking in the shock department. He says that it’s a very “grown-up” car, with all-around capability and refined road manners. However, to get the full smile-inducing thrill of the nameplate, buyers will be better off with a 911 GT3 RS or the like. Oh, and forget about a manual. This arrangement is PDK-only. 

The 997 Carrera GTS remains one of the ‘greatest 911s of all time’

Then Prosser took a look at a 2010 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS. It’s a similar badge, separated by the better part of two decades. As expected, Prosser says the 997 model feels smaller and more compact than the all-new Carrera GTS. And he’s right. The 15-year-old 911 is nearly 400 lbs lighter than the new hybrid.

Part of what Prosser loved so much about the 997 Coupe was its hydraulic power steering in place of electric steering. A hydraulic steering setup and a manual transmission is a much more engaging, grab-a-gear driving event. “It makes it a more tactile driving experience,” Prosser says. He even commends the 997 Carrera GTS for its body roll compared to the rock-solid newcomer.

At the end of the day, Prosser concludes that the 992.2 Carrera GTS is the better “everyday sports car.” However, the 997 model is a finer enthusiast’s plaything. “This would be the better weekend car. The better toy car,” he said of the older Porsche.

Photos: The Intercooler via YouTube

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