Following December's announcement from Porsche that its Mission E concept car will go into production by the end of the decade, speculation has mounted that there could be further electrification across the company's range, most notably for the iconic 911 sports car.
Now the car-makers have given us our clearest hint yet.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
He stressed that development was still early doors and a lot of packaging issues were in need of solutions, but the proposed plug-in electric drivetrain could be ready in time for the next generation 911, which will launch in late 2018, according to Autocar.
The car will still be performance-orientated though. The Hybrid 911 will continue to be mated to a six-cylinder engine like the rest of the 911 range, said Mossle, adding that Porsche will be spearheading the Volkswagen Group's electrification effort, paying particular attention to performance.
Porsche has previous here. The 918 hypercar used a hybrid powertrain to develop 875bhp, with US magazine Road and Track saying its success "should provide ample knowledge in creating a high-performance hybrid drivetrain for the 911".
The 911 may not stop at a hybrid version, though. Speaking to Top Gear, Mossle hinted it might even go full electric – the four-door Mission E leaves space in the range for an electric sports car.
"You can imagine a Mission E with two-doors," he said.
As for the name: "Whether it’s called a 911 or not is another discussion."
Car magazine has touted the name 717 in the past, although they believe this will be the title of the production version of the four-door Mission E.
-
Israel starts Gaza assault, approves West Bank planSpeed Read Israel forces pushed into the outskirts of Gaza City and Netanyahu's government gave approval for a settlement to cut the occupied Palestinian territory in two
-
Conservatism is rising. Just look at the music.In the spotlight The radio reflects American culture
-
Brooklyn vs. the Beckhams: trouble in paradiseIn the Spotlight Scion of the Beckham clan and billionaire heiress wife Nicola Peltz staged an elaborate vow renewal – and none of his family were on the guest list
-
Sport on TV guide: Christmas 2022 and New Year listingsSpeed Read Enjoy a feast of sporting action with football, darts, rugby union, racing, NFL and NBA
-
House of the Dragon: what to expect from the Game of Thrones prequelSpeed Read Ten-part series, set 200 years before GoT, will show the incestuous decline of Targaryen
-
One in 20 young Americans identify as trans or non-binarySpeed Read New research suggests that 44% of US adults know someone who is transgender
-
The Turner Prize 2022: a ‘vintage’ shortlist?Speed Read All four artists look towards ‘growth, revival and reinvention’ in their work
-
What’s on TV this Christmas? The best holiday televisionSpeed Read From films and documentaries to musicals for all the family
-
Coco vision: up close to Chanel opticalsSpeed Read Parisian luxury house adds opticals to digital offering
-
Abba returns: how the Swedish supergroup and their ‘Abba-tars’ are taking a chance on a reunionSpeed Read From next May, digital avatars of the foursome will be performing concerts in east London
-
‘Turning down her smut setting’: how Nigella Lawson is cleaning up her recipesSpeed Read Last week, the TV cook announced she was axing the word ‘slut’ from her recipe for Slut Red Raspberries in Chardonnay Jelly
