Porsche has always been at the forefront of technology and driving pleasure for well-to-do enthusiasts. The automaker creates some of the greatest sports cars in the world, but will now tackle a whole new type of vehicle. Porsche has confirmed that the automaker is hard at work on creating a plug-in hybrid variant of the 911. The new hybrid model will be engineered to help the iconic sports car get through tougher fuel economy and CO2 standards. It was bound to happen sometime, right?

At the Detroit Motor Show, the Porsche 911 Turbo's engineering boss Erhard Mossle confirmed that the automaker had started to work on a plug-in hybrid model. However, the new model won't be here until the next-generation of the 911, which should be around 2020. "It takes some time to bring something like this to market," Mossle stated. "With the packaging problems of the car, there are a lot of things to solve before then." Finding the appropriate amount of space for a battery pack will sure be a major hassle for the sports car and will surely alter its weight. "For some parts you can substitute a carbon-fiber part, like the floor or the rear seat section, Mossle said. "But that's the future, it's not decided now."

While this sounds like terrible news, Mossle took some time to stress that the automaker was committed to keeping the 911's infamous character intact. "As far as I can see into the future we will stay with the six-cylinder engine," stated Mossle. "There is still a lot of potential to reduce consumption and CO2 emission further. As much as I think we will need to." Another concern for purists is the death of the manual transmission. Roughly 15-percent of 911s are ordered with a manual transmission worldwide, which quite frankly isn't a lot. However, Mossle stated that Porsche would continue to offer a manual option as long as there was demand for it. "I think we will fight for it as long as possible," stated Mossle.