Flagship Porsche 911 to go hypercar hunting with advanced 530kW mild-hybrid powertrain
Porsche is secretly developing its next-generation hybrid powertrains that are set to be launched under the rear boot lid of the 2026 Porsche 911 GT2 Hybrid.
According to reports, the next-gen 992-series Porsche 911 GT2 Hybrid’s electrified flat-six will produce upwards of 700bhp (522kW), with some outlets claiming the halo car will lift its hybrid tech from the Le Mans 24 Hour-winning 919 Hybrid racer.
Once launched, the 911 GT2’s electrified technology, which has been further developed on the 963 LMDh racer, will then be rolled out to the rest of the 911 line-up, with the entire range set to be electrified before the end of the decade.
Instead of a plug-in hybrid set-up, the electrified powertrain is based around a mild-hybrid system that uses an electric motor to boost the internal combustion engine.
Said to be “even more advanced” than the 963 LMDh’s powertrain, which combines a 4.6-litre V8 and a 50kW electric motor to produce 470kW, the new 911 GT2 Hybrid will combine the current 911 Turbo’s 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six with a gearbox-mounted electric motor and a small lithium-ion battery that will sit behind the front seats.
Even though the final production details have not yet been released, reports suggest that engineers have managed to package a small electric motor within the transmission casing for a 39:61 weight balance and, presumably, rear-wheel drive.
New tech developed for the 911 GT2 Hybrid include a lightweight air-cooled battery that’s said to use air from the electric turbocharger, reducing the need for an additional fan.
A trick variable-geometry turbine within the exhaust will generate electricity under acceleration in a similar way to the 919 Hybrid.
Saving weight, the next GT2 will shun an 800-volt electrical architecture as found in the all-electric Taycan and upcoming Boxster and Cayman EV replacements, instead using a simple 400-volt system.
The new hybrid powertrain will allow limited EV-only driving but the main advantage is said to be the big performance gains with minimal weight increase, compared to conventional hybrid tech.
With internal targets of “more than 700bhp” and a sizeable bump in torque thanks to the electric motor assistance, the next 911 GT2 Hybrid should be on track for a 0-100km/h time of around 2.5 seconds and a top speed that will exceed 350km/h – a big improvement of the outgoing car’s figures (0-100km/h 2.8sec, 340km/h).
The bad news is that Porsche may no longer be able to offer a six-speed manual gearbox, owing to the potential 1000Nm torque output of the new powertrain.
Put simply, there isn’t a DIY cog-swapper that Porsche makes that can handle that level of grunt.
To further save weight that comes with adding an electric motor and extra battery, the 911 GT2 Hybrid will get a lightweight composite body and even more extreme kilo-cutting via its Weissach Package.
That said, the new 2026 Porsche 911 GT2 Hybrid might still bloat in weight by around 100kg over the 991 version that tipped the scales at around 1470kg.
Once launched, Porsche is expected to snatch back its Nurburgring lap record the last car held between 2017-18 and then again in 2021-22 when a 911 GT2 RS with OEM Mathey Racing parts clocked a 6:38.835 time.
However, the new car will have its work cut out to beat the astonishing 6:30.705 time set in October 2022 by the new Mercedes-AMG ONE hypercar.
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Keyword: Next Porsche 911 GT2 to lift tech from Le Mans winner