Update: ‘Porsche 911 sales in the U.S.’ and ‘Porsche 911 Hybrid spied at the Nurburgring ‘ sections added.
According to a report on Motor1 Italy, the Porsche 911 Hybrid will be revealed soon, probably in the next 12-18 months, though the company has not announced an exact timeline. The publication attended a local Porsche press event where Porsche Italy CEO Pietro Innocenti commented that an electric 911 is an eventuality, but a 911 Hybrid will be revealed soon.
Porsche 911 Hybrid Powertrain
According to reports, the 911 hybrid will not be a PHEV requiring drivers to charge the battery externally. Instead, it will look for inspiration from the 919 hybrid endurance car for its powertrain. In an interview with Automobilwoche in November 2021, Porsche CEO Oliver Blume confirmed that the 911 hybrid would “not be a plug-in hybrid”.
As reported by Auto Motor Und Sport, engineers find the weight of the sportscar significantly increases with a PHEV powertrain. This is one of the reasons why an electric 911 is still some time away, as the weight and packaging will rob the icon of its handling characteristics as per the German magazine.
Instead, the focus of the 911 Hybrid will be sportiness and realising the potential of an electric motor with its instant torque supporting the combustion engine. The LMDh class (a category of sportscar in the FIA World Endurance Championship), which Porsche will compete in from 2022, specifies a hybrid system with a Bosch electric motor and lithium-ion battery that provides 50 kW (67 hp) and in combination with a combustion engine, delivers 500 kW (670 hp).
It will include brake energy recuperation, and at low speeds, it could give the 911 Hybrid pure electric propulsion, though that will not be the project’s focus. Instead, engineers will look at extracting around 520 kW (700 hp) from the Porsche 911 hybrid with peak torque expected at 1,000 Nm. As per early speculation, Porsche could install the small battery pack behind the seats and ahead of the engine.
Unlike the 911 Hybrid, the 718 (Cayman and Boxter) range will enter the BEV universe 2025 onwards and its gas versions will be permanently consigned to the history books. Porsche has been extensively testing the Mission R track-focused electric concept. Learnings from the project will be applied to the 718 and other Porsche electric models. Even though the Mission R is based on the 718 platform, the 718 electric would be based on bespoke EV architecture.
Porsche 911 Hybrid spied at the Nurburgring
The first ever electrified 911 Hybrid was spied blasting down the Nurburgring by Car Spy Media (via YouTube). Purists would breathe a sign of relief because the electrified Porsche’s six-pot grumble has not vanished. The hybrid’s vertical cooling flaps were wide open and the vehicle also has air inlets above the engine cover at the rear. We can also see unusual round lights at the edges of the bumper. We suspect they’re a temporary fitment because they do not bode well with the shape of the fascia.
That said, the test driver is absolutely sending it and visually, the 911 Hybrid test mule seems to carry some serious speeds around the corners.
Porsche 911 Hybrid Release Date
As per reports in European media, the 911 Hybrid could be revealed in 2023, which is when sales should begin. The introduction of a Porsche 911 hybrid would coincide with the mid-life facelift of the 992 series of the 911, which started its innings in 2019. Going based on the average lifespan, this facelift is anticipated sometime next year.
It will be interesting to see the sales impact of the 911 Hybrid since the electric Taycan overtook the 911 in 2021, indicating that Porsche enthusiasts are all for electrified vehicles. What’s more, Porsche is aiming for 80% EV sales by 2030, while the rest may come from electrified models, possibly running on synthetic fuels that burn clean.
Porsche 911 sales in the U.S.
Porsche did not enjoy a positive first quarter of 2022. Porsche 911 sales were down 23.7%—Porsche Cars North America managed to deliver 2123 units of the 911 range in Q1 2022, much less than 2782 units that were sold in Q1 2021. The total Q1 2022 sales for the brand plummeted to 13,042 units as opposed to 17,368 units that were sold in Q1 2021. The Cayenne and Macan SUVs outperformed their siblings. Porsche stated that the poor performance was due to supply and transit issues.
Featured Image – Porsche
