Porsche is slowly soldiering forward toward a time when the entire lineup features some sort of electrification. That includes a new generation of all-electric 718 variants and a hybrid 911. Now, new quotes from a couple of executives at Porsche shed more light on these important sports cars.
During Rennsport Reunion 7, Michael Steiner, a Porsche board member told Motortrend that “The 911 will be, definitely, if at all, the last [Porsche] that will be electrified.” To be clear, he’s talking about fully electric but we’ll get to that shortly. For now, Steiner says that the big problem with an all-electric 911 is weight.
Speaking at the same event he said “The 911 should not get too heavy. So this is the reason we look more for performance-oriented solutions, and we have other cars for people who would like more electrification. We don’t see the need to just convert our icon into an electric car that has disadvantages.”
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“Now we are working on the next generation [992.2], which [arrives] about the middle of the decade,” said Frank Moser, Porsche’s vice president for the 911 and 718 model lines. “We have developed the hybrid, a performance hybrid of the 911, and that’s about in the middle of the decade—the next generation of the 992.”
Previous reports suggesting that the 911 hybrid would come online around the middle of the decade appear to be correct then. We fully expect the first of its kind to follow the same strategy that Chevrolet has with the Corvette, namely, that it’ll go into a high-performance trim first.
When asked for specifics, Moser said “Maybe two years.” What is certain is that within two years the new all-electric 718 variants will arrive. Both are slated for sale as 2025 model-year units. The big question on everybody’s mind though is what exactly they’ll sound like.
The latest four-cylinder 718 models were bashed pretty heavily for their soundtrack so we can only imagine what people will say about electric versions. According to Moser, the team is deep into the development stage regarding the sound of these new sports cars.
“We have good guys, they know how to develop a good soundtrack,” he said. “You know from the Taycan, what is a typical electric Porsche sound? We never had one before. [Everyone] knows the sound from a flat-six, and therefore it’s difficult.
“From my opinion, driving an EV, you hear nothing—and that’s great. So you remember you are sitting in a Boxster, electrified, and you hear nothing. You have a totally dynamic car that is agile, you hear nothing. I think that’s really good.” Interestingly, Moser also said that “the sound is not the No. 1 goal.”
That’s a fair statement but it leaves us wondering just how true to the 718 lineage this new generation will truly be. What are your thoughts on the next generation of electrified Porsche sports cars? Sound off down below.
