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- One-off 2025 Porsche 911 GTS by Porsche Cars Australia, Exclusive Manufaktur, Sonderwunsch
- Named after Manthey-Racing’s fluorescent Grello GT3 R, coloured in Paint to Sample
- 3D-printed full-bucket seats, Bathurst headrest monograms, carbon trim, yellow highlights inside
- T-Hybrid uses an e-turbo motor, 398kW, 610Nm, 0-100km/h in 3.0s
- PDCC, rear-axle steering, and stiffer springs surprisingly manage the hybrid’s 75kg weight well
Somehow, the new Porsche 911 GTS with T-Hybrid technology has flown under the radar. When you drive one of the brand’s GT division cars, you quickly understand why these road-legal racecars get so much attention. But I firmly believe the “humble” $400,000 911 GTS deserves to enter that holy conversation, and this one-off 2025 Porsche 911 GTS built by Porsche Cars Australia, Exclusive Manufaktur, and with special wishes from Sonderwunsch is the best argument for that yet.
Named after Manthey-Racing’s fluorescent green and yellow Porsche 911 GT3 R race car, “Grello” started life as a 911 Carrera GTS Coupé (from AUD$380,100 plus on-road costs) before the Exclusive Manufaktur and Sonderwunsch teams worked their magic based on PCA’s requests.
You won’t mistake the combination of Paint to Sample green, contrasted by the Motor Sports Decorative Sticker Set, ‘PORSCHE’ side logo, pinstripe on the outer edge of the wheels, and Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB) system in Speed Yellow. You might miss small details at first glance, including tinted HD-Matrix LED headlights, an exterior package in high-gloss Black, and purple mirror caps to match the racecar. Quite frankly, the longer you stare, the more you discover, and it all starts to work harmoniously before you even open the doors and look inside the cabin.
What Makes Grello Special?
Squeezing my disproportionally sized rear end into the 3D-printed bodyform full-bucket racing seats took surprisingly little effort. They’re seriously snug seats, comfortable enough for short to medium journeys despite being fixed-back seats with only a sliding rail adjustment. However, watching someone get out of them is not a pretty sight.
I was pleased to see the car’s designers resist the urge to carry too much of the exterior’s fluorescent colour inside. You’ll find ‘Bathurst’ monogramming in the seat headrests, a clever nod to the Bathurst 12-Hour, which Matt Campbell has won twice—first in 2019 and then in 2024, wearing “Grello” Manthey-Racing colours.
The green-coloured air-conditioning vents contrast with the Interior Package in Carbon matt with an accent in Black nicely. Meanwhile, even the most minor details, such as the outlets for the seat belts, are finished in Racing Yellow and trimmed in Black Race-Tex, as are the sun visors. The yellow-faced tachometer and Sport Chrono stopwatch instrument dial follow suit to complete the cabin’s distinctive ‘Grello’ aesthetic. It’s a seriously special place to sit, and it’s only a carbon-fibre roll-cage away from feeling every bit like a Porsche GT3 RS.
How Does Grello Drive Then?
I’ve had the unique opportunity to spend time in several different 911 GTS T-Hybrid models, including 4 GTS Coupé, GTS Coupé, and Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet. I even had the chance to push the new model at Phillip Island for the Australian vehicle launch, but my time with Grello was different.
We headed to Bathurst, Mount Panorama, where this car has its roots. It was the only logical place to take this particular GTS Coupé, and while speed limits on this occasion limited us on the track, the car felt at home. That said, no 60km/h speed limit would do this car justice, so I ventured into the mountains to discover what Grello was like.
I’d heard Sonderwunsch cars were special, and this GTS Coupé did feel particularly sorted. I can’t say that it was measurably quicker in a straight line, or faster through the bends, but it sure felt it, thanks to the combination of 3D-printed bodyform full-bucket racing seats with the rear seat delete (by default). The lack of a rear seat meant more sound filled the cabin, and I wouldn’t be surprised if a bit of sound-deadening had been left out, too. It was exceptional, and I recommend watching it until the end of the video in this article to hear it for yourself!
The sound can only be described as a pure Porsche hotrod. It doesn’t sound great at idle or part throttle, nor does a GT3 RS, but it screams once you start exploring the rev range’s upper ends. If you’ve ever heard a bored-out Deman Motorsport 4.5-litre Cayman, it’s not far off.
To discuss technical specs before we conclude, the T-Hybrid system comprises an electric exhaust gas turbocharger and an electric motor, with a total system output of 398 kW (541 PS) and 610 Nm. It doesn’t take anything away from the driving experience, and if I didn’t tell you it was there, you’d think it’s a torquey, naturally-aspirated 911 Coupé.
You just need to know that the T-Hybrid system makes it brutally fast in a straight line, with a 0-100km/h time of 3.0 seconds (0.4 seconds faster than the previous model), but also a better, more efficient daily driver. It’s hard to describe how good this system truly is, but I could cruise up a hill at 60km/h in 4th gear at 1,100 rpm. The driveability is out of this world, and you notice it at all speeds.
No significant changes have been made to the suspension or chassis in Grello. Still, the GTS comes standard with an advanced Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) anti-roll stabilisation system integrated into the hybrid model’s 400V high-voltage system, which works faster than you think. You also gain standard rear-axle steering, which aids in turn-in and mid-corner stability, and stiffer front and rear axle spring rates to better manage the hybrid system’s 75kg of added weight.
I say all that to say that this is a weapon on the street. Could you imagine this on the open track at Bathurst?
Where Can I Get a Grello?
Grello is a special one-off Porsche 911 GTS built by Porsche Cars Australia. This month, you can see it as it tours Porsche Centres on Australia’s east coast.
Thanks to the work from everyone involved, it’s a fitting tribute to Manthey-Racing’s fluorescent green and yellow Porsche 911 GT3 R race car. It showcases what Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur and Sonderwunsch (special wishes) programmes can achieve with a dream-worthy budget, and it does so with heritage in mind.
More importantly, Grello showcases what a canvas the new 911 GTS is for customisation. You can take the standard GTS Coupé without any options and have one of the best daily driver sports cars on the planet, or you can turn it up to near-GT3 levels with PCCB brakes, carbon-fibre seats, and aero. Alternatively, take a Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet and option it with extended leather and have the sports car alternative to a Bentley Continental. It’s an outstanding vehicle that carries the 911 to new heights.
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