Hybrid version as a performance edition
Porsche is launching a hybrid version of the 911 from the 992 series. Porsche boss Oliver Blume has now confirmed the model to the British Autocar. A “very strong” version of the current 911 will be launched.
The fact that Porsche wants to put a hybrid version of its legendary sports car on the wheels is not entirely new. At the beginning of the year, Michael Steiner at Porsche, responsible for research and development, said that the weight of the battery for a sports car like the 911 was not satisfactory. “The platform is also made for hybrid powertrains,” he said to the British media, “and we have some prototypes, but that’s still not good when it comes to weight.” The hybrid 911 weighs around 100 kilos more.
Performance version with around 700 PS ?
Frank Walliser, head of the 911 series, said: “The electrification of the 911 is very tricky. If I look at the vehicle layout as a 2 + 2-seater, the large trunk at the front and the rear engine, it is very difficult to provide adequate electrification without to destroy the character and look of the 911 “. Accordingly, a fully electric Porsche 911 should not be expected before 2030. However, a hybrid version could reach buyers at the end of the 911’s product cycle from 2026.
Well-informed circles say that various options are currently being worked on. A plugin version is not yet completely off the table, although a mild hybrid version is preferred. The electrical range is less important here, for example, when entering urban environmental zones, than the performance concept in the foreground. Accordingly, the 911 with electric support should have around 700 hp and 1,000 Nm of torque.
In addition to the Porsche 911 as a hybrid, the electrification of the 718 models is also pending. Here, too, it is not yet clear whether the Zuffenhausen company uses plug-in hybrids or mild hybrids to increase performance. By the way: The Turbo is currently the most powerful model of the 911 series with 650 HP – you can see it in the photo show.
Conclusion
It is difficult to implement an electrification in the existing layout that does not destroy the balance and the sports car character of the 911. 100 extra kilos are an extreme value – and also clear, the access to the environmental zone is on the priority list of Porsche rather second. Whoever electrifies the 911 must do that through performance, put sportiness in the foreground and above all , leave the look of the legendary sports car untouched.