Those eagerly waiting to see the hybrid drivetrain technology from Porsche’s astounding limited-edition 918 hypercar trickle down into the standard 911 are going to have to wait for a while. It?s highly unlikely that Porsche will put battery-boosted hybrid power into its classic 911 sports car until sometime in its next generation. While the company acknowledges that a future hybridized 911 is all but a certainty, the project has slipped down the priority list at Porsche, leaving the venerated sports-car badge yet again delaying the inevitable.
The German sports and premium brand has talked publicly about hybrid boosting for its 911, with lithium-ion battery-electric power chiming in to help its all-new range of turbocharged flat-six engines. But Porsche?s R&D chief, Michael Steiner, dampened expectations of a 911 hybrid during the Paris Auto Show, telling C/D that such a car has no approved model development program?at least during the current generation. ?A 911 hybrid" It?s possible, yes. It?s possible to have 918-derived technology in a 911. It?s possible with today?s technology in a 911,? he said. ?However there is no decision to do this on short notice; but we have this constantly on our radar.”
Steiner admitted that Porsche?s obsession with developing the Mission E as an organ donor for its zero-emissions stablemates and successors has left Weissach without enough engineering resources to create a 911 hybrid version in parallel.
?It looks...