Porsche hints electric 911 could happen

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.

Speaking to Auto Express at the Detroit Motor Show, engineering boss Erhard Mossle said Porsche is "discussing plug-in solutions for the 911".

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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.