German sports car manufacturer Porsche has announced that its iconic 911 will, for the first time ever, receive hybrid power. The 911 equipped with electrified powertrains will debut with a mid-life refresh this year.
Although Porsche has not revealed the specifics of its new hybrid powertrain, the 'regular' 911's 3-litre, twin-turbocharged flat six should remain. The debate on whether the upcoming model will be a plug-in hybrid or a mild hybrid is very much on, although most auto experts seem to agree that Porsche will pick the latter option.
The announcement does not come as shocking since the 992 generation 911 was designed to accommodate hybrid power from the outset. For example, the 8-speed PDK transmission, which was introduced with the 992 model, was created to house an electric motor by using a gearset that is 100 mm shorter than that of the previous 7-speed unit.
Porsche is not expected to exempt the high-performance Turbo and Turbo S models from featuring electrification either. The boosted 3.8-litre flat-six unit should make more power than the current top output of 641 BHP with the electrical assistance.
As with any mid-life refresh, the 911 will be fitted with revised bodywork and new lights. The bumpers will be new, and particularly the rear one will have four tailpipes sticking out of it.
With all the changes to the powertrain, Porsche is also likely to tweak the interior of the 911 a bit. We reckon some of the newly added screens first seen in the updated Taycan electric sedan will be loaned to the 911 as well.
It is without a doubt that the power delivery of the 911 will change with the introduction of the hybrid system. The gaps in the flat-six's torque delivery should be filled by the electric motor, thus improving acceleration overall.
However, will the sports car come with a pure-electric range, however small that might be, at all? Well, come summer, all will be revealed.