Porsche 911 Hybrid Development Completed, Debuts May 28
Talk of the Porsche 911 Hybrid dates back several years, but the debut of an electrified version of the iconic 911 sports car is just weeks away.
Prototypes of various 911 Hybrid grades have been spotted being tested over the past 12 months, and Porsche released photos of some of the tests on Monday and said development is complete.
The automaker also confirmed the May 28 debut of at least one 911 hybrid grade, likely part of the 911 Carrera family. The photo shows what appears to be a prototype 911 Carrera or Carrera S, available in standard versions and an aero kit package that includes a fixed wing.
The 911 Turbo is also likely to be electrified at some point, judging from the previously shown prototypes.
Porsche did not reveal details of the hybrid system, but said it is being developed with an emphasis on performance. Racing driver Jörg Bergmeister lapped the Nürburgring in Germany in 7:16.934 in one of the 911 Hybrid prototypes.
Porsche CEO Oliver Blume had previously said that the 911 Hybrid will be similar to the former 919 Hybrid LMP1 racing car and not a plug-in hybrid like the 918 Spyder hypercar or Porsche's existing hybrid cars. In other words, the hybrid system will likely be used only to support the gas engine and to recover energy during braking, and will not provide substantial electric range.
The introduction of the 911 Hybrid will coincide with a mid-cycle refresh of the current 992-generation 911. Early prototypes indicate that the 911 update will feature styling changes, as well as a fully digital instrument cluster similar to those Porsche has already introduced on other models.
The first members of the updated 911 series are expected to arrive in the U.S. as 2025 models.