Porsche wasn’t just the first performance brand to release an EV that didn’t affect its brand image, but also managed to make a top-seller out of the Taycan, which convinced more customers than the 911 last year. Speaking of which, while some fans may still find the idea of electrifying the 911 a taboo, the upcoming 992.2 mid-cycle revamp will deliver a production 911 hybrid for the 2024 model year, Porsche is also reportedly experimenting with an all-electric Neunelfer.
Battery-powered 911 restomods are also a thing now, with California-based Bisimoto having even unveiled the Moby X tribute to the 935 racers of the 1970s earlier this month at SEMA.
And, given all those details, the first thing that came to my mind when coming across the rendering we have here was some form of electric assistance for what its creator label as a 935 Moby Dick-style restomod.
Most of the work, 3D modelling and rendering included, comes from Lotus exterior designer Matteo Gentile (aka mattegentile). For the record, Lotus is currently going through its own electric revolution, which was kickstarted by the Evija hypercar and the Eletre SUV.
As a bonus, the CGI eye candy in the images showcasing the vehicle in silver was delivered by digital artist David Baylis (aka davidbaylisdesign)
The massively successful 935 endurance racers from five decades ago were already given a modern take by Porsche itself a few years ago, with the new-age Porsche 935, a track-only beast, being based on the 991.2-gen 911 GT2 RS.
However, as stated above, this 935 Moby Dick rendering is all about gifting a senior Neunelfer with the kind of looks and dynamic abilities you’d expect from a modern go-fast machine.
Stunning aerodynamics for this 3D work
The aesthetics are certainly on par with Porsche’s current efforts, but there’s much more to this pixel creation than the OEM-look front and rear fascias or the unmistakable 911 silhouette.
That’s because the creation introduces uber-advanced aerodynamics, elongating the machine and widening the rear tracks to the point where the newly created space can accommodate airflow manipulation hardware that looks like it could generate all the downforce a circuit instrument may need.
Yes, there are two tailpipes at the back, which, to return to the electrification theme, would make this a hybrid. However, at least given the weight penalty of the current battery technology, such a restomod could rely on supercapacitors to generate short bursts of extra grunt with a limited scale footprint drawback.
If the concept sounds familiar, it’s probably thanks to Lamborghini, which has used such tech on both the 2017 Terzo Millennio concept and the 2020 Sian coupe/2021 Sian roadster V12 limited-production models.
Porsche’s 2024 Macan EV details and other electrification plans
As for what Porsche is doing on the electrification front, the next all-electric model we’ll see is the Macan EV. And while software issues have postponed its release (probably to 2024), the German automaker offered some fresh details on the all-electric crossover earlier today.
The 2024 Macan EV will ride on the PPE architecture developed by Porsche and Audi for premium vehicles, but we already knew that. The new info starts with the crossover’s 100 kWh battery pack. As is the case with the Taycan, this is an 800V system, which reduces the weight of the cables and allows for shorter charging times (think:0-80% in under 25 minutes).
In its top trim, the electric Macan will offer 603 hp and 738 lb-ft of twist thanks to a dual-motor setup. Mind you, the rear motor will sit behind the rear axle (a la 911), with the idea being to deliver sporty handling—the weight distribution will be 48 front:52 rear in this case. And while there will also be at least one RWD option, superior models will back that handling promise with an e-Diff, rear steering, PASM active suspension, and others.
As for the all-electric 911 mentioned in the intro, Porsche CEO Oliver Blume has shared the plan with Germany’s Manager Magazin. Essentially, Porsche has joined forces with American solid-state battery developer Quantumscape, whose majority shareholder is Volkswagen and is looking to fit such hardware on its next-gen vehicles.
Now, given that solid-state batteries, which will arrive towards the end of the decade, will come with a greatly diminished weight drawback, we can understand why Porsche aims use such technology for the 911.
Nevertheless, the carmaker has also been investing in synthetic fuels—they call them e Fuels over in Zuffenhausen—over the past few years. The aim here is to keep the iconic flat-six of the Neunelfer alive for as long as the emission regulations will allow it. Hopefully, the automaker will have its internal combustion way alongside the to-be-dominant battery efforts, as it plans to have 80% of its sales covered by electric models by 2030.
