For 2025, Porsche is giving the base 992.2 Carrera some 992.1 GTS hardware, but claims minimal power gains
by Dimitar Angelov on July 11, 2024, 10:00Porsche sports cars have always punched above their weight, and most people who have driven one will testify that nothing handles and launches from a standstill quite like a 911 does. The 992-generation Porsche 911 finally gets a refresh. Despite the first production hybrid 911 being introduced for the 2025 model year, the 992.2 facelift will not be bringing radical changes to Porsche’s rear-engine sports car. It will be business as usual, meaning more power for each of the 911 versions, along with a few special-edition models.
Clever engineering aside, Porsche has another trick up its sleeve. By now, there is plenty of evidence that the Porsche 911 power output has been underrated across the board. A dyno test of the 992.1 Porsche 911 Carrera proved the model is very conservatively rated by the factory. Now that we know the official power output for the 992.2 Porsche 911 Carrera and what tinkering Porsche has done to its engine, it begs the question: how much power does the base Porsche 992.2 Carrera really make?
The outgoing base-model Porsche 992.1 is already severely underrated
In a world of tech-heavy sports cars and heavyweight hitters like the Porsche Panamera, the Porsche 911 remains relatively compact and lightweight. Its direct competitor, the Mercedes AMG GT tips the scales at a whopping 4,722 pounds in its most powerful, hybrid form. Meanwhile, the heaviest 911 you can find is the 992 Targa 4S, which weighs 3,770 pounds.
But lightness and compact dimensions are only part of the reason why the 911 punches above its weight. It is the engine’s “hidden” power that ultimately wins the day, and even the base 992.1 engine makes a lot more power than Porsche claims. A dyno test featured by Flat 6 Motorsport on YouTube shows M Engineering – a renowned tuner that provides performance-enhancing tools for the 911 – performing dyno runs back-to-back, comparing the stock 992.1 Carrera’s performance versus the same car with a tune.
2024 Porsche 911 Carrera performance specifications
Engine | 3.0-liter, twin-turbo flat-6 |
---|---|
Power | 379 hp (385 PS) at 6,500 RPM |
Torque | 332 lb-ft (450 Nm) at 1,950-5,000 RPM |
Transmission | 8-speed PDK automatic |
Drivetrain | RR, RWD |
Weight | 3,318 lbs |
0-60 MPH | 3.8 seconds |
Top speed | 182 mph (291 km/h) |
What’s the real power output of the Porsche 992.1 Carrera?
The stock dyno pulls reveal what we already knew – the Porsche 992.1 Carrera almost makes the advertised power... at the wheels. The dyno pulls reveal over 374 horsepower to the wheels, with just over 342 pound-feet of torque. After calculating for drivetrain losses on a rear-wheel-drive platform, the actual, crankshaft horsepower of the Porsche 911 (992.1) is around 440 to 447 horsepower (after using five different calculator tools to confirm it). In other words, the base 911 Carrera actually makes similar power to the 992.1 Carrera S.
Here’s Why the 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera is more powerful than advertised
We know the biggest novelty in the 2025 Porsche 911 is the addition of the hybrid GTS. However, the base 992.2 is also getting a few important updates. I won’t even go into the wireless smartphone connectivity and the fact Android users can now enjoy the wireless connection. Instead, I am focusing on the 3.0-liter, twin-turbo flat-six engine, which Porsche says makes 9 more horsepower – now 388 instead of 379. The torque remains the same at 332 pound-feet.
But I am here to tell you that’s not true because Porsche fitted the 992.2 Carrera with a new intercooler and turbochargers from the Porsche 992.1 Carrera GTS, which are the same as the Carrera S’. This allows the same engine to make up to 473 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque, in factory guise.
From what Porsche has shown us so far, we understand that the 3.0-liter engine will continue to be offered as the base engine. The expected bump in power for the 2025 Carrera is, likely, to bridge the gap between the base models and the 532-horsepower hybrid 911 GTS, which features the all-new, 3.6-liter, turbocharged flat-six.
Dimitar Angelov
Dim has been an automotive journalist since 2014. Although he is interested in all things automotive, his main interests revolve around, Asian, classic, and sports cars. He is particularly fond of Porsche sports cars as well as JDM classics from Toyota, Nissan, Honda, and others. Dim operates mainly from Bulgaria, but can, occasionally, be seen attending Europe's most reputable Auto shows, and events. Read full bio