All electric cars aren’t new. In fact, while not “all electric”, Porsche can be credited with the development of the first full-hybrid car. Couple that with their pioneering work with the 911 GT3 R Hybrid, the electric motors in the 918 Spyder and the 919 Hybrid and it’s no surprise Porsche announced the Mission E, their first all electric sports sedan.
With all the discussion around global warming, and the continued refinement of CAFE regulations, you don’t need to be a Issac Asimov to envision a future where all new cars are electric and fossil fuel cars are relegated to the track, private collections and museums. I’m not saying it’s going to happen soon, but it could happen at some point. That’s why electric Porsche 911 conversions like the one below interest me. It’s well done, has reasonable range and performance is actually enhanced from original.
What Makes a Porsche a Porsche?
Air-cooled to water-cooled. Normally aspirated engines to only turbo charged engines. Rear engine 911 race cars to mid-engine 911 race cars. These were all huge sea changes in the world of Porsche. What happens when Porsche goes all electric? Is it still a Porsche? To me, that begs the question what makes a Porsche a Porsche? Is it the engine? Is it the design? Is it the exhaust sound? Is it the feel on the road? Or is it that sound the door makes on a classic Porsche? Perhaps its a combination of all of them?
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Coming from someone who did a conversion very similar to this one about 2 years ago to my '89 911 Coupe (same motor (and same color), different Li ion cells, about 2/3rds the range), I can tell you that it is still very much a Porsche. I initially drove the 911 with its 3.2L for a year first before undertaking the conversion, and while I did initially miss that beautiful purr of the "flat six", I did get over it pretty quickly after experiencing how much better the car drives and handles. Having all your torque available on the low end makes for some amazing acceleration and cornering. Totally stealthy. Yeah, I get a lot of sh*t from the Porsche "purists", but for those I allow behind the wheel, their giddiness when they put the accelerator down pretty much ends that whole conversation, in an instant. When Porsche eventually comes out with their take on a fully electric 911, you bet that it will be well engineered, it will be amazing, it will perform, and it will sell like hotcakes.
If LeMans is any indication of reliability .... when you replace engine/gearbox testosterone w electric motors you can keep your electric Porsche !
Totally support Steven Moore theory.. Its all BS and its just another way to profit from the public. It happens with computers and now cars.. Money money money that's all these morons strive for. My 934 will never be replaced with an electric car, certainly while I am still breathing. Porsche bring back our cars and stop trying to turn everything into a cash cow.
What a clever world of people we have, i can see it popular with some of the public but it is not a Porsche persay with a petrol engine, nor would it make me buy one with the electric motors.
It would be fine on the highway or streets but as i like motor sport it would be interesting the difference of an electrified one and an identical model and year petrol original with the same torque engine, how they would compare on a race track.
There is nothing like a Porsche flat six humming away behind you at over 7000 rpm, "bliss".