Earlier this month, Porsche introduced the new 911 T, a back-to-basics lightweight model based on the standard Carrera, albeit one that sadly appears to skip the more aggressive gearing of its predecessor. And that was probably the final iteration of the current car, with the way now being paved for the arrival of the 992.2 mid-cycle facelift. This revision is more significant than the already-important traditional Zuffenhausen refresh of the sort—for one, it is set to bring the 2024 Porsche 911 hybrid, the first-ever production version of an electrified 911.
With development of the gas-electric Neunelfer now being in its final phase, the carmaker was recently spotted completing high-altitude testing in Colorado.
To be more precise, TFLcar came across more than one 911 hybrid prototype during the Youtube channel’s usual test car spy rounds. The label’s Roman followed a test vehicle on the road while driving the GMC Hummer EV that notoriously broke down earlier this fall, which allows us to sample a soundtrack that appears to retain the traditional flat-six voice.
The vlogger then turned around to a parking lot where he had initially spotted some prototypes and filmed a test car parked at a hotel’s charging station. However, the (supposedly) hybrid 911 wasn’t charging. Instead, an external plug that seemed to come from inside the facility provided power for what appeared to be a data logger and a computer that supposedly read data in the vehicle.
Porsche has confirmed that the 911 hybrid won’t be a plug-in
It’s important to remember that, back in March, Porsche CEO Oliver Blume used a media briefing to let the world know that the electrified 911 will not be using a plug-in hybrid setup. The head honcho told Car and Driver that the sports car will borrow from the 919 Hybrid endurance racer that won Le Mans between 2015 and 2017. This means we can expect a small battery that would not only reduce the weight penalty, but also maintain the sports car experience without the need to plan one’s charging. In other words, power boosts, not MPG numbers will be the priority.
With the 992.2 Neunelfer expected to debut next year, as a 2024 model, the Hybrid may not be the only gas-electric derivative. For one, while answering a question regarding the potential hybridization of the more track-focused GT3, Blume stated that we can expect surprises for Porsche’s GT cars.
Perhaps the top executive was preparing us for the mild-hybrid setup that’s found in the majority of new cars sold nowadays. However, given Porsche’s tech inovator reputation, we wouldn’t rule out a more extreme, performance-over-efficiency approach like the supercapacitor tech we’ve seen on the Lamborghini Terzo Millennio concept car.
In addition, with the Germans preparing to introduce the lifted 911 Safari that would offer a factory iteration of all the off-roading tuner 911s, the rumor mill mentions that the all-rounder focus of this derivative potentially allowing for a hybrid powertrain.
Porsche’s electrification plans and synthetic fuel investment
The carmaker has repeatedly shown its commitment to keeping internal combustion engines on the road for as long as possible by investing in developing synthetic fuels. However, such initiatives may be reserved for the $100,000+ starting price 911 range, while the rest of the line-up plunges deeper into battery power.
On the all-electric front, Porsche is working overtime to introduce a more powerful version of the Taycan, which would rival the 1,000+ hp Tesla Model S Plaid and Lucid Air Sapphire.
It’s not all smooth sailing on the battery power front, though, as the introduction of the EV Macan has been delayed to 2024 due to software-related reasons.
2025 will bring us the all-electric version of the 718 Boxster and Cayman sports cars. Further down the road, there will be a (confirmed) EV SUV slotted above the Cayenne.
All these vehicles are part of a plan that shows Porsche estimating half of its sales will come from EVs by 2025, with that set to jump to 80% by the end of the decade.
