Photo credit: SpiedBilde
The Porsche 911, like every other Porsche product, will need some sort of electrification to survive the emissions changes coming to Europe in 2030. As a brand, the company is working on more EV versions of vehicles to build upon the sales success of the Taycan. But the iconic 911 is a different beast with a fan base that expects something very specific from its 911 experience. For those buyers, the move to electrification has to be deliberate.
This is now the second time we’ve seen the 911 Turbo on the Nürburgring doing its thing. We can confirm this is an electrified model of the vehicle — likely a hybrid or plug-in hybrid — due to the yellow round sticker on the rear window. We also believe, thanks to sources on the ground, that there is a 400 volt electrical system on board and set of hybrid batteries where the rear seats would go. That makes sense because where else would they go without a dramatic redesign of the model? It also makes sense because the rear windows are blacked out and really the only camouflage on this model.
We’re also still expecting horsepower to be over 600 in this turbocharged hybrid variant. How much will performance increase? That’ll depend entirely on how much weight the batteries add to the car. Right now the 911 Turbo hits 60 mph in 2.7 seconds and will hit a top speed of 199 mph. Which, last time we checked, was not slow.
It’s interesting that the brand is starting with a Turbo-branded model for the hybrid. The company is clearly attempting to communicate that electrification can increase overall performance and be a worthwhile addition to even the highest-end Porsche 911 models. We look forward to seeing the vehicle’s debut either next year or in 2023 when the 992-generation gets its mid cycle updates.
