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.
View Comments (2)
Losing the vestigial rear seats is expected. Finding ways to make rechargeable batteries without upsetting weight distribution and the already small cabin is one issue, replacing the battery packs themselves through use is sn expensive "other."
Personally, I would much rather have conventional powertrains, and not political correctness.
For the life of me I cannot understand the value of a street vehicle that is capable of going 200 mph.
A long time ago I figured out that buying a decent tow vehicle and a race car was a lot more fun than driving around in a car that was not really happy unless it was endangering the public. I towed my 914/6 to PCA events for twenty years, drove as fast as I was capable of, made dozens of friends and had a wonderful time. Only a sociopath would ever drive a car like this on the road at a even a tiny fraction of its capability. What's the point?