Coupe - page 192

The Porsche 911 has finally taken the hybrid route for 2025, setting the tone for future sports cars of the German carmaker. The next-generation Porsche 718 goes even further by becoming fully electric, but the company is adamant that the 911 will feature an internal combustion engine for as long as possible, especially on the 911. While Porsche’s T-Hybrid powertrain, effectively, schooled sports car manufacturers on how to properly hybridize a performance car without making it too heavy, many people frown upon the notion of an electrified sports car. With the 992.2 Carrera GTS being able to match and, in some aspects, even surpass the 992.1 Turbo S (starting MSRP of $230,400), the 992.2 Turbo S will also rely on the same hybrid setup, although with around 710 horsepower, instead of the 532 seen in the GTS. That said, if you are looking for something that has the pedigree and performance but doesn’t come with a complex hybrid powerplant, here are three Porsche 911 Turbo S alternatives that will deliver the thrills.

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.

Sometimes I like imagining purely hypothetical competitions about some of my favorite things- Godzilla vs Kong, Edison vs Tesla, Autobots vs Decepticons, etc. I also like to imagine the odd supercar match-up from time to time, something I am sure we are all guilty of. The question of whether one car is better than another is a question that is as old as automobiles itself. And while we can only compare spec sheets or watch the drag races of some of our favorite supercars, some of us are fortunate enough to take it a step further.

If you’ve ever wondered how a classic car would fare around one of the most iconic racetracks in the world, driving instructor and local Nürburgring dweller/ YouTuber, Misha Charoudin gave us an answer, through a video he shot in what started life as a 1972 Porsche 911 T/S. There is no shortage of reimagined, restored, or resto-modded classic Porsches these days, but this one seems to be ticking all the right boxes. You wouldn’t be able to tell at first glance, but the car has been tastefully done up. I suppose that’s the proper way to know if a car has been modified properly when it looks bone stock. Under the hood lies the most pleasant of surprises, thanks to which the classic 911 now packs substantially more power. The engine is also much larger than the original 2.3-liter Carrera S mill. In a way, this is the Porsche 911 equivalent of a muscle car, and this particular example started life as a race car, according to the owner.

The 911 Turbo S may not be one of the world’s most beautiful cars, but it does have a timeless appeal, and if you are lucky enough to have one in your garage, you probably spend a lot of time just admiring it. However, if you ever feel like Porsche’s vibrant PTS colors do not offer the individuality you are looking for, this is where TopCar design’s Stinger GTR comes into the picture. TopCar Design has always been about pushing the boundaries when it comes to crafting custom Porsche body kits and the Stinger GTR is a spectacular manifestation of their unique creative process.

Porsche has a long history of rallying, and its lineage includes models like the iconic Porsche 953 – the original 911 Dakar. For the 992 generation, the German automaker decided to have another crack at the 911 Dakar formula. The rally-inspired 992 was produced in just 2,500 examples, and they are all sold out. That said, these 992 Dakar models started popping up on the auction sites for more than twice the original, $222,000 asking price. Most examples seen on classic.com cost north of $350k. But thankfully, there are plenty of alternatives to the Porsche 911 Dakar. It seems every other day we are getting an off-road version of the Porsche 911 from some company. Let’s suppose you are looking for something more affordable or closer to the original, 953 Dakar. In that case, there are a few companies out there, making fully-functional Porsche 911s that can easily tackle rough terrain while still being refined enough for daily use.

Look, let’s be honest. Every other Porsche 911 on the road these days looks like it escaped from a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon’s office. All bloated and overdone. But this 2022 GT3 Touring? This, my friends, is a Porsche with a purpose. First off, the paint. Forget boring ol’ black or white. This example is dipped in a paint-to-sample Superior Red metallic (W10), a rare PTS color. Yeah, that’s right. Now, I haven’t seen it in person, but from the pictures, it sure does pop. It’s more burgundy wine than red. While most GT cars are adorned in a loud shade with the RS models even getting graphics, this wingless 911 appears to be a track weapon or canyon carver for the discerning gentleman.

Since its inception back in 1964, the Porsche 911 has been going against the status quo. For over six decades, Porsche engineers have perfected the formula of putting the engine in the rear – a highly uncommon design decision among modern-day automakers. But back when the 911 was still a young name, the company wasn’t sure the rear-engine formula would work long-term. At one point, Porsche even considered replacing the 911 with the V8-powered 928, but that never happened. Porsche’s decision to keep the rear-engine 911 around, paid off as continues to deliver truly unique driving characteristics, for which the car is still praised today.

Hold the phone on the Dubai supercar tours (been there done that already). Instead of some track-action, Porsche Experience has cooked up something way more my speed – Camp 911 Namibia. Forget pavement princesses and garage queens; this is about conquering Namibia’s lunar landscapes in a rough-and-tumble 911 Dakar. But let’s get one thing straight: Namibia ain’t exactly the Dakar Rally. The real Dakar throws down in West Africa, Senegal to be precise. But Namibia, further down south? It’s equally epic in its own right.

For many, the Porsche 911 is the ultimate sports car. Refined and versatile enough (in most of its variants) to be used on a daily basis, but also quick enough to put most exotic cars to shame. Every generation of the 911 gets its fair share of special editions. For the 992 generation, Porsche decided to bring back the Dakar monicker, originally used on the 1984 Porsche 953. That said, with only 2,500 examples of the modern-day Porsche 911 Dakar made, only the quickest and most resourceful of Porsche enthusiasts would have had the chance to get behind the wheel of the special 911 off-roader.

Look, I’m not gonna lie. My heart aches a little when I think about the Porsche 911 these days. That sleek, timeless silhouette, the soundtrack from a flat-six (okay maybe just the naturally aspirated ones), the quality, and the ballistic speed, – it’s the full package, that some might call automotive nirvana. Remember back in the day? You could (almost) walk into a Porsche dealership with a wad of cash and snag yourself a brand-new 911. Sure, it was never cheap, but it at least felt attainable. Now? Forget it. Those days are long gone. Forget about showing up with a briefcase full of benjamins – they’re playing a whole different game at Porsche dealerships these days. Recent trends indicate a shift towards scarcity and acquiring a new 911, is more challenging than ever. But in 2024, prospective buyers face extensive waitlists for not only high-performance models like the 911 GT3 but also entry-level trims like the Carrera and GTS.

If you’ve been following what’s happening in the world of Porsche sports cars, you probably already know that from 2025, the mid-engine 718 is going fully electric. While Porsche is doing a lot to ensure the internal combustion engine remains in service for as long as possible, the brand also has goals to electrify 60 percent of its lineup, by 2030. While this may not turn out as the company initially anticipated, the next-generation Porsche Cayman/ Boxster will feature a fully electric powertrain. The thought of a fully electric Porsche sports car is detested by many Porsche purists.