For years, the possibility of a hybridized Porsche 911 has been the topic of much discussion among enthusiasts. Some said the move would spoil the recipe, suggesting the brand create an entirely new model for electrification like it did with the Taycan. Others believed the potential performance gains associated with hybridization were too lofty to ignore, often citing the legendary Porsche 918 as proof. Regardless of which camp you happen to occupy, Porsche is indeed building a hybrid 911 and has even confirmed its official debut for this summer.
The vehicle was included in Porsche’s Annual and Sustainability Report for 2023 and has since been referenced by top-ranking executives. Documents stipulate that the model (currently coded as the Porsche 992.2) will be part of the revamped 911 lineup and include a hybridized version of a six-cylinder powertrain. However, we don’t know which of the flat-sixes Porsche already has at its disposal are to be chosen.
“Once again we are deploying technology in series-production models that we have derived from the world of motorsport,” Porsche CEO Oliver Blume said in the report. “And our customers can look forward to further technological innovations along those same lines.”
Last year, Blume stated that any hybrid versions of the 911 likely wouldn’t be of the plug-in variety. Assuming that’s still true, expect the model to forego a charging port. However, the company has broken down future models into three categories: combustion models, plug-in hybrids, and all-electric vehicles. That doesn’t appear to provide space for the hybridized 911, as described by Blume, unless the company sees hybrids without a charging port as internal-combustion models.
There have been a lot of rumors about the vehicle. But the assumption is that the hybrid would be a 48-volt mild hybrid with a small electric motor powering the front wheels — leaving the gasoline motor to take care of everything happening at the rear axle. It has likewise been said that engineers were tasked with not making the vehicle heavy, perhaps explaining why Porsche seems like it dumped the plug-in concept boasting a larger battery pack.
While the above is obviously being done to adhere to increasingly strict emissions regulations, Porsche does not want the hybrid to be seen as a compliance vehicle. Leaks have suggested that engineers are dedicated toward building something that will surpass most members of the 911 family. But we won’t know for certain until the vehicle debuts early this summer.
“2024 is going to be a year of product launches for Porsche — more so than any year in our history,” stated Blume. “We will be introducing a variety of exhilarating sports cars to the road, they will delight our customers around the world. This will put the wind at our back for years to come.”
[Image: Porsche]
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