A Porsche 911 powered by a gasoline-electric plug-in hybrid drivetrain is right around the corner, according to a new report coming out of England.
Company insiders allegedly told British magazine Autocar that engineers have started developing the first-ever production-bound hybrid 911 in a bid to comply with the strict new emissions regulations that will come into effect across Europe in 2020. While technical details weren’t provided, the drivetrain is widely believed to be capable of powering the 911 on electricity alone for short distances, and provide a generous boost when more grunt is needed.
It’s important to note that not all versions of the next-gen 911 will go hybrid. Entry-level variants will carry on with an evolution of the turbocharged 3.0-liter flat-six that was inaugurated by the facelifted 2017 model last September at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Both rear- and all-wheel drive will be offered, and many models will continue to be available with either a manual or a dual-clutch automatic transmission. However, it stands to reason the hybrid will only ship with all-wheel drive and an automatic gearbox.
At the other end of the spectrum, Porsche is surprisingly open to the idea of introducing an all-electric version of its iconic sports car. Unlike the hybrid, the electric model hasn’t been approved for production yet and it’s not actively being developed.
“[An electric model] is expensive and you never know if you will get your money back,” explained Erhard Mössle, the director of the 911 product line.
If Autocar‘s sources are correct, the 911 hybrid will be introduced alongside the next-gen model at a major auto show in 2018.
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