For the first time in the model’s history, a plug-in hybrid will form part of the Porsche 911 lineup in the next-generation 992 range. Company boss Oliver Blume has previously hinted it will be the most powerful 911 ever, and now a new report by AutoExpress suggests there will be not one, but two plug-in hybrid 911s in the pipeline. A company insider told the UK publication that one will sit at the top of the range alongside the flagship 911 Turbo, while the standard 911 plug-in hybrid will be a mid-range model positioned above the Carrera.
Details are hazy, but the source claims the tech powering the hybrid 911 will be similar to the new Cayenne E-Hybrid, which produces a combined 455 hp and 516 lb-ft in the V6 model. In the flat-six 911, the powertrain will be tuned to “produce more sporting responses and sounds” and will be linked to a dual-clutch PDK gearbox. According to AutoExpress, the plug-in hybrid could also use all-wheel drive to improve traction and handling flexibility. 0-62 mph is said to take less than four seconds in the base 911 hybrid, while top speed should exceed 180 mph. As for the other model, Porsche wants a more powerful 911 plug-in hybrid to sit alongside the Turbo and Turbo S.
Purists may bemoan the idea of a 911 plug-in hybrid, but the source assured that enthusiasts won’t be left out since the hardcore GT3, GT3 RS and GT2 RS models won’t be electrified for the foreseeable future. Porsche CEO Oliver Blume previously confirmed the hybrid 911 won’t arrive until the next-generation model's mid-cycle refresh as the company is waiting for the technology to evolve. At the time, Blume suggested it could have as much as 700 horsepower on tap, so it sounds like the range-topping 911 plug-in hybrid will arrive first. Before then, Porsche’s first fully electric car, the Mission E, is slated to arrive next year to take on the Tesla Model S.
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