Porsche will reveal its first-ever 911 hybrid on May 28, which it assures is a "performance focused drive" above all else. It combines a six-cylinder petrol engine with a front-mounted electric motor.
The company has released some preliminary information and images (or check out the development-drive video above), but for now is keeping most of the technical on the down-low.
It has tested the new model on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. In the hands of former racer and Porsche ambassador Jörg Bergmeister, it recorded a 7:16.934 lap on standard tyres with the optional aero kit (including a fixed wing), which the company says is "8.7 seconds faster than the corresponding version of the predecessor model". Although it doesn't actually state which version it's referring to.
“The new 911 has become considerably faster on the track,” says Bergmeister. “We have more grip, significantly more power, and the spontaneous response of the performance hybrid is a great advantage.”
“For the first time in our icon’s 61-year history, we are installing a hybrid drive system in a roadgoing 911. This innovative performance hybrid makes the 911 even more dynamic,” says Frank Moser, vice president of Model Line 911 and 718.
“We left nothing to chance during development and tested the new 911 under all sorts of conditions all over the world. From the freezing cold to scorching heat, as was the case during the final stages of testing in Dubai.
"Whether at a high drivetrain load in the demanding conditions of mountain passes or in the stop-and-go traffic of an urban environment, the new 911 has mastered even the most difficult challenges with aplomb. All in all, our engineers and test drivers clocked up more than five million kilometres of development driving."
The hybrid model will be part of a major refresh for the 911, on sale in Europe before the end of the year.
