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While the new T-Hybrid system promises gains in performance and efficiency, here's how it presents one big challenge for aftermarket tuners to overcome
by Amrit Balraj on August 5, 2024, 12:00An engineer from Porsche claims that its new hybrid powertrain in the new 911 cannot be tuned. It is not a challenge from the brand for aftermarket tuners to try their luck or anything of the sort. They believe their new electric turbo system is too complicated to be tinkered with. They are however open to ingenuity and have left the E.C.U. unlocked for you to try. Tuners are a mad bunch of people and are no doubt looking forward to the challenge.
Brands are always making claims about their technology being infallible like Nissan did in the late 2000s with their ’uncrackable speed limiter’ on the (R35) GT-R. By 2009, U.S.-based COBB Tuning was able to break the encryption and push the speed limit from a criminal 112 MPH to 193 MPH. More recently Ford encrypted the S650 Mustang’s PCM and made it almost impossible to tune by ’unauthorized tuners’. Ford claims it was more of a security measure to prevent data leaks of owner information from the car’s computer system.
- Porsche claims that the new T-Hybrid system present in the new hybrid 911 Carrera GTS cannot be tuned
- The car features a complicated electric turbo which is difficult to tinker with
- They are open to the idea of aftermarket shops trying it out and have left the E.C.U. unlocked
Porsche’s New Hybrid Drivetrain Holds Great Promise And A Big Challenge
The new 911 Carrera GTS is the first street-legal 911 to feature the high-performance T-hybrid system. The T-Hybrid system’s lightweight, powerful design incorporates a single electric exhaust gas turbocharger, ditching the twin-turbo setup on the outgoing model. An integrated electric motor powers the turbocharger, eliminating lag and instantly boosting power. The system features an anti-lag system that keeps the turbo spooled even when off throttle so boost is immediately available in Sport Plus Mode while taking corners. This motor also functions as a generator, recovering up to 15 horsepower from the exhaust gas flow which it uses to charge the car’s 11.9 kWh high-voltage battery. The battery in turn powers the electric motor of the turbo and the electric motor positioned in between the 8-speed PDK transmission and engine.
The 911 GTS’s ICE engine is an all-new 3.6-liter flat-six, with an AC motor putting out a combined output of 532 horsepower and 449 foot-pounds of torque. This allows the Carrera GTS to accelerate from 0-60 mph in 2.9 seconds and hit a top speed of 194 MPH. Unfortunately, it is this highly complex and interconnected electric turbo system that makes it impossible to modify according to an engineer from Porsche.
| Specs | 992.2 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS |
|---|---|
| Powertrain7 | Turbocharged 3.0-L Flat-6 + AC Motor |
| Horsepower | 532 HP (478 + 53) |
| Torque | 449 Lb-Ft |
| Transmission | 8-Speed PDK |
| Drive Type | AWD |
| 0 To 60 Acceleration | 2.9 Seconds |
| Top Speed | 194 MPH |
| Base MSRP | $164,900 |
The Efficiency Of The New Electric Turbo Might Be Its Downfall
Unlike a traditional wastegate, which controls the flow of exhaust gas to the turbine of a turbocharger, the 911 hybrid’s single e-turbo instead harnesses excess internal pressure to spin the electric motor, generating up to 11 kW of energy that is fed back into the high-voltage battery. Without a wastegate, there is no way for an aftermarket tuner to adjust and increase the turbo pressure. The GTS’s hybrid system is a complex, deeply integrated network, reliant on proprietary software. Altering this system would be incredibly challenging. Given the complexity and the likely immense difficulty of modifying the software, it’s understandable why tuners would find it impractical to invest in developing a larger electric turbocharger. However, it has not stopped them before. The electric turbocharger was a result of innovation in the Porsche 919 racecar, and one thing we can be sure of is in racing, you can never go too fast. Maybe Porsche themselves could also come up with ways to add power to their system to make the GTS faster.
In the meantime, Porsche has not restricted aftermarket tuners from trying new things, going as far as even leaving their E.C.U. unlocked for tinkering. The great thing about tuners is that they are constantly on the lookout for the next challenge. It’s only a matter of time before the ingenious people who tune Porsches come up with a way to juice up the T-hybrid system, we just have to wait to see how exactly can they accomplish that.
Amrit Balraj
When not reading up or watching videos about obscure and rare automobiles, Amrit spends his free time planning imaginary road trips on some of the best driving roads in the world, preferably in an old truck with a motorcycle strapped to the bed. Read full bio
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