Porsche 911 Hybrid: with a little help from Rimac

According to Frank Moser, product manager at Porsche for both the 718 and 911 models, the Stuttgart-based sports carmaker will add electrified versions to the 911 when the current generation is facelifted in 2025. This is a pivotal moment, as the most iconic Porsche has stuck to the thrill of true combustion engines so far.

Eventually, there will be an all-electric 911. However, as Porsche awaits lighter and smaller battery packs, that won’t happen before the decade’s end. Bridging toward that inevitable change is a range of hybridized models, with introduction starting in 2026, one year after the 992.2 hits the showroom. Moser acknowledged the news at the company’s Rennsport Reunion at the Nürburgring.

Strategic shift

The facelifted 992.2 generation will be more than just a cosmetic upgrade; it aims to represent a strategic evolution of the 911, integrating subtle design refinements with profound mechanical advancements. At the heart of this evolution is the introduction of a hybrid powertrain option co-developed with Rimac, the Croatian start-up of electric hypercars and owner of Bugatti, in which Porsche holds a 45% stake.

Next to mildly electrifying the combustion engines by adding a 48-volt starter generator, there will also be full hybrid versions – no plug-ins – presumably baptized T-HEV. Though Porsche keeps its secrecy about the exact specs, it’s clear it will be a performance hybrid rather than a Toyota Prius version of the 911.

Controlling the weight penalty

According to the American magazine Car and Driver, the system will feature a small 2.0 kWh battery, assisted by an e-motor between 80 and 90 hp, and a 400-volt electric system. It will be mated to a 3.0-liter flat-six for a total output of roughly 475 hp. The more muscular derivation will surpass 520 hp.

Electrifying the 911 inevitably means discontinuing the manual gearbox for those versions. The electric add-on shouldn’t weigh more than 30 kilograms, safeguarding the lightness philosophy behind the 911’s sportiness. Expectations are that the electrified versions will arrive later in the facelift rollout.