Porsche 911 May Gain High-Performance Hybrid Variant

If Lamborghini is adding a hybrid, then it makes sense that Porsche’s most iconic sports car wouldn’t be immune to the electrification crusade underway by Volkswagen Group. Porsche is mulling over a plug-in hybrid powertrain for the 911, according to a report from Bloomberg.

Citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, Bloomberg says the vehicle could debut a few years after the eighth-generation 911 comes out. If engineers can figure out how to reduce the weight of the battery, the plug-in 911 could offer a range of about 40 miles in EV mode, Bloomberg’s sources claim.

Porsche has set up the new 911 to accommodate an electric powertrain to keep options open, a Porsche spokesman confirmed to Bloomberg. The next 911 is expected to debut near the end of 2018.

Porsche recently added electrification to the Panamera in the form of the Turbo S E-Hybrid, a high-end $185,000-plus saloon. Packing a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 and an electric motor, the model produces a total of 671 hp and 626 lb-ft of torque. The plug-in 911 also promises high levels of performance, although exact specs remain unclear.

Purists may lament the shift to hybrid technology, as if adding turbo power wasn’t enough of a blow. But this is the way that Volkswagen Group is headed. Through 2022, the automaker is investing around $40 billion in future mobility technologies, primarily electrification. By 2030, the automaker wants to have electrified variants of every model in its lineup, including Porsches. And let’s not forget the Mission E sports car is in the pipeline for 2019.

Source: Bloomberg

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