There is an obvious pattern when it comes to Porsche introducing its new 911 variants. There is a version of the rear-engine sports car for everyone, but when a new 911 comes out, we don’t get all variants at once. Things are not much different for the 992.2 update, although there is one big difference. For 2025, we got the first Porsche 911, powered by a hybrid powertrain, and this changes a few things in the Porsche 992.2 lineup. Models that are typically offered from the start will now take longer to arrive, and this includes the best-selling 911 variant – the Carrera S. This has everything to do with Porsche’s hybrid 911 variants, which sometime in the next two years, will be joined by the first hybrid Porsche 911 Turbo. Despite working on keeping the internal combustion engine alive for as long as possible, Porsche is really pushing the hybrid 911 agenda, and here’s what this means for the next-generation 992.2 Carrera S.

The 992.2 Carrera S could be the most powerful, non-hybrid Porsche 911

So far, we have gotten two variants of the Porsche 992.2 - the base-model 911 Carrera and the 911 Carrera 4 GTS, which features Porsche’s innovative, T-Hybrid powertrain. Known Porsche aficionado, ARC Driver points out that Porsche is currently prototype-testing the 911 R, Turbo, Turbo S, Turbo S Touring, GT3, GT3 Touring, and GT2 RS. Those models would, likely, appear later in the 992.2’s production cycle as with all higher-end performance variants, which means the Carrera S might be a surprise.

But how much power will the Carrera S have? So far, there is only one instance where we get a power figure. It comes from a Rennlist member, which according to ARC Driver, typically provides reliable information. According to his insight, the 992.2 Carrera S will be turbocharged and hybrid, with a power output of 510 horsepower.

The manual 911 we all want

There are a few problems with that aforementioned statement about the 992.2 Carrera S being a 510-horsepower hybrid. Firstly, this gets the Carrera S too close to the GTS power output. Secondly, we are yet to get a manual 992.2. I suspect the Carrera S’ job will be to satisfy the needs of those looking for the classic, three-pedal, stick-shift driving experience, even though the latest reports suggest that Porsche will not be offering a manual transmission on the 992.2, at least for now.

Hybrids and manual transmissions usually don’t go hand in hand as this requires a more complex algorithm of systems. We recently saw the BB Auto Porsche 911 Targa Hybrid, which was one of the Porsche highlights at the 2024 Monterey Car Week. While it proved hybrid powertrains can work with a manual transmission, it is unlikely that Porsche themselves would go through all the trouble to give us a hybrid 911 with a manual.

The 992.2 Carrera is a good reference point

Even before the 992.2 update, dyno results showed that the base-model 911 Carrera (and by extension, the Carrera T) was underrated at 380 horsepower. For 2025, the Porsche 911 Carrera gets the 992.1 GTS’ turbochargers, which are identical to the ones in the 992.1 Carrera S. The 992.2 Carrera packs the same twin parallel turbochargers but at a reduced boost pressure. With all that said, there are three possibilities regarding the 992.2 Carrera S’ powerplant. Either the 3.0-liter flat-six will be mechanically identical to what we get in the base 992.2 Carrera or it could feature bigger turbochargers from the 992.1 Turbo/ Turbo S.

The T-Hybrid is also not out of the question since Porsche says its iconic boxer engine pollutes too much. And yet, they are giving us a V-8-powered, non-hybrid Porsche Cayenne, in GTS guise.

When will the 992.2 Carrera S arrive?

Looking at what Porsche has done in the past, it seems reasonable to expect the 992.2 Carrera S to be unveiled around 2026. The Carrera S is the most popular 911 trim since it offers the base-model 911 with more power, better brakes, and sportier suspension. Up until the 992.1, you could get the Carrera S with a seven-speed manual, but this might not be the case for the future iteration.

Given the lack of prototype, spotted out testing, we can assume that the 992.2 Carrera S will not be vastly different from the 992.2 models we already have. The real question is, will it be a more powerful 992.2 Carrera or a de-tuned GTS?

GALLERY