Porsche 911 (992): the icon that keeps reinventing itself without ever forgetting its roots

The 992 generation, launched for MY 2020 and refreshed for 2025, bridges six decades of evolution: it still looks unmistakably like the first 911 shown at Frankfurt, yet hides more digital intelligence, aerodynamic finesse and motorsport DNA than any Stuttgart road car before it. The body has grown—4.53 m long, 1.85 m wide—but remains low and lithe, with rear haunches 44 mm broader than the previous 991, an adaptive rear spoiler integrated so cleanly you barely notice it until it deploys, and flush door handles that pop out only when required. Made from a mix of aluminium, hot-formed steel and composites, the structure is 12 % stiffer while shaving weight wherever possible: the bonnet is aluminium, the roof magnesium on the GT3, and even the anti-roll bars can be specified in carbon fibre. Add Porsche’s “turbo” waistline, wide LED light bar and—and the 911 still looks as fresh parked outside an Ibiza beach club as it does screaming down the Mulsanne straight during a Porsche Track Experience. 2025 powertrains: flat-six mastery from 385 hp Carrera to 650 hp Turbo S—and the first hybrid 911 Every 992 engine remains a rear-mounted, twin-turbo flat-six displacing 3.0 L (Carrera family) or 3.7 L (Turbo models), with plasma-coated cylinders, variable-vane turbos and charge-air cooling integrated into the intake plenum. The range starts with the Carrera at 385 hp and sprinting 0–100 km/h in 4.2 s with PDK. The Carrera S/4S lift output to 450 hp, cut the sprint to 3.7 s, and can still be ordered with the beloved seven-speed manual. Need more? The Carrera GTS/4 GTS reach 480 hp, running special cam profiles, titanium-coated turbos and a lighter flywheel that snaps to 7,400 rpm like the old naturally-aspirated Mezger engines. Climb one rung higher and you meet the Turbo—580 hp and 750 Nm with over-boost, 0–100 km/h in 2.8 s, secure enough traction to embarrass AWD super-sedans yet civilised enough for a coffee run. The Turbo S unleashes 650 hp, hits 200 km/h in 8.9 s and tops out at 330 km/h while still returning 11.2 L/100 km WLTP thanks to new variable-displacement oil pumps and a 48-V electrical system that powers electric anti-roll bars and an e-turbo pre-spool function. Pure driving fanatics can skip turbos entirely and order the GT3: a 4.0-litre naturally-aspirated screamer that spins to 9,000 rpm, pumps out 525 hp, weighs 1,418 kg DIN and laps the Nürburgring Nordschleife in under 7 minutes. The wild-winged GT3 RS turns that dial to 515 hp but, more importantly, adds active aero producing 860 kg of downforce at 285 km/h—double the figure of the 991.2 RS. New for the 992.2 update is the 911 Carrera e-Hybrid: a 3.0-litre flat-six paired with a 60-kW axial-flux e-motor sandwiched inside the eight-speed PDK. Total system output sits at 485 hp, but the shock is torque—650 Nm on tip-in, filling the boost gap so completely the turbos now use smaller, quicker-spooling impellers. A 6.5-kWh lithium pack nestled ahead of the rear axle lets the car cruise silently up to 85 km/h for 12 km—ideal for city centres with low-emission zones—yet adds only 60 kg over a base Carrera thanks to extensive aluminium wiring and a carbon-fibre rear deck. Driver-focused cockpit: Classic analog soul meets Porsche Driver Experience Slide into the low-slung bucket or 18-way Adaptive Sports Seat Plus, place your right hand on the ascending centre console and left foot on a pedal set positioned 14 mm closer to the driver—perfect heel-and-toe spacing even with today’s wider pedal box. The “five-dial” motif remains, but four of those dials are now rendered on a 12.6-inch curved display that can show navigation, g-meter or full-width night vision. The centre 10.9-inch PCM touchscreen runs Operating System 7.0 with wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, Spotify native, Android Automotive app-store access and over-the-air map updates. Toggle switches remain for climate, but drive-mode selection moves to the steering wheel via a rotary dial borrowed from the 918 Spyder. Cabin materials follow classic Porsche logic: standard partial leather, optional Club leather, and for GT buyers a Race-Tex package that saves 5 kg. The new “Heritage” interior line lets you order hound’s-tooth seat centres and green-backlit gauges—a nod to the 1960s. Ambient lighting fades from cool white in Normal to crimson in Sport Plus, while the 1,455-W Burmester® 3D High-End Surround Sound system, with sub-woofers integrated into the bodyshell sills, turns the 911 into a rolling studio when you’re not chasing lap times. Dynamics: PASM, rear-steer, PDCC and motorsport-grade aero All 992s sit on Porsche Active Suspension Management with two damper maps (three on GTS and Turbo), variable-rate springs and helper coils that maintain tension under full droop. Optional Porsche Active Ride (now available outside the Turbo S) uses high-speed hydraulics to counter roll so effectively that the car can corner flat at 1.0 g in Comfort mode. Rear-axle steering turns the back wheels 2.5° opposite front below 50 km/h, shrinking the turning circle to a Cayman’s, then in phase above 80 km/h for arrow-straight lane changes. The carbon-ceramic brake package (410 mm front, 390 mm rear) slices 50 kg of unsprung mass and can haul a Turbo S down from 200 km/h in 123 m—with zero fade after ten emergency stops. For the GT3 RS, the central-radiator layout from Porsche’s GT endurance racers frees the side ducts to channel air to massive front diffusers, while the swan-neck rear wing’s DRS function can bleed 40 kg of drag at full throttle yet act as an air-brake during ABS interventions. Sustainability and future fuel options While flat-sixes devour petrol with gusto, Porsche offsets every new 911 with investment in Chile’s Haru Oni eFuels plant, creating synthetic methanol-derived gasoline that can run in any 911 without hardware changes. The 48-V system permits extended sail-coast phases and powers an electric AC compressor to remove an ancillary pulley, trimming drag on the serpentine belt by 2 %. From 2027, Stuttgart’s engineers hint the 911 will adopt a multi-fuel closed-loop strategy: customers choosing between premium unleaded, eFuel or bio-ethanol blends—all while the hybrid variants curb urban emissions. Short-term rental: experiencing the 911 without the burdens of ownership Purchasing a 911 Turbo S or GT3 RS involves a substantial outlay, waiting times and significant running costs. Premium short-term rental of Driverso provides a practical alternative: you book online and select the model that best suits your plans—Carrera S for a scenic tour, e-Hybrid for access to low-emission zones, GT3 for a track day—along with transmission, brake package, data logging or other specific options. The car is delivered by enclosed transport to your chosen airport, hotel or circuit, accompanied by a technical briefing and 24/7 assistance. You pay only for the days you actually use the vehicle, avoiding depreciation, annual insurance and specialist maintenance, yet retaining the freedom to enjoy the performance and technology of the Porsche 911 whenever you need it.