It's Official: A Plug-In Hybrid Porsche 911 Is Happening

Mar. 09, 2018 11:41 AM ET by Martin Bigg / 15 Comments

And it will be the most powerful Porsche 911 ever made.

There have been strong rumors that the next-generation Porsche 911 will adopt a hybrid powertrain for the first time in the model's history. Except it's no longer a rumor – it's now been officially confirmed. Porsche previously hinted that the new 911 will embrace electrification in its most recent teaser, but now Porsche boss Oliver Blume has confirmed the model's existence to Autocar at the Geneva Motor Show. "The 911 plug-in must be a very strong performing car," he said.

Porsche

"It will be the most powerful 911 we've ever had; 700 hp might be possible." As with the current car, the new 911 will likely still have a turbocharged flat-six engine, but this will be coupled with an electric motor rated at a minimum output of 136 hp matching the power of the Panamera E-Hybrid's motor. Engineers have also added "a special button for the electric punch," to celebrate the 911's first hybrid powertrain. According to Autocar, the new 911's plug-in technology will be bespoke due to its unique configuration, but Porsche is using experience gained with the Panamera hybrid and the 918 Spyder supercar. Don't expect it to arrive in time for the launch of the new 911 early next year, however.

Instead, Blume says the plug-in hybrid variant will launch "a couple of years" after the next 911, which will be revealed at the Paris Motor Show in October before deliveries start early next year. Codenamed the 992, Porsche will first present the new Carrera 2S and 4S coupes at the Paris Auto Show. The base 992 Carrera is expected to have around 400 hp, while the Carrera S will reportedly be bumped up to 450 hp and the Turbo S will apparently pack 620 hp. There's good news for purists too, as recent spy shots have confirmed the new 911 will have a manual gearbox after rumors suggested it will only be offered with a PDK transmission.

Overall, the styling promises to be familiar and look unmistakably like a 911, but with subtle refinements that make it look more aggressive. The interior will be more hi-tech, too, with a wider infotainment screen than the current model.

It's Official: A Plug-In Hybrid Porsche 911 Is Happening

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It's Official: A Plug-In Hybrid Porsche 911 Is Happening

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