Porsche may be working on hybrid flagship
The Porsche 911 will see two plug-in hybrid variants added to its range when the next-generation 992 debuts next year — and one may even sit at the top of the lineup beside the Turbo, according to Auto Express.
The U.K. magazine, speaking to an inside source, suggests that one version will work as a Carrera alternative in the middle of the range, but the other hybrid could be a flagship car. The 992, set to debut in 2019, will either way be the first production hybrid 911.
The first powertrain, says the source, will resemble the 455-hp 3.0-litre turbo in the four-wheeldrive Cayenne E-Hybrid, which gets an electric boost from a 100-kW propulsion system. Despite an added 250 kilograms of weight versus a gas 911, that car should be good for a zero-to-100 km/h below four seconds.
Engineers and execs at the company are still debating the merits of the hotter-trim hybrid that may be in development. If it makes it to production, it would deliver about 700 horsepower via a twin-turbo flat-six hooked up to the rear wheels; and an electric motor connected to the fronts.
To sate the traditionalists, Auto Express’s source confirmed Porsche will continue to offer the top-line GT3, GT3 RS and GT2 RS in pure-gasoline-powered versions only for many years to come.
It shouldn’t be more than a couple of months before these rumours are confirmed or denied.