Porsche this week welcomed the 911 Turbo S back into the sports car fold, but as the industry rapidly turns to electric cars to reduce tailpipe emissions, one has to wonder if the 911 as we know it has an expiration date.
Step 1 would be some sort of electrification for the sports car, but despite long-standing rumors and even comments from Porsche brass, a hybrid 911 is likely on the back burner.
"Overall, both a hybrid version and a fully electric model are technically conceivable," a Porsche spokesman told Roadshow in an emailed statement. "However, no plans have been made for either at this time. Additionally, the potential offered by combustion engines is by no means exhausted, as there is still further room for optimization in this area."
Saying there are "no plans" for even a hybrid model is a big departure from the most recent information available. Nevertheless, the 992 is future-proof.
"The current generation of Porsche 911 (992) has been developed to accommodate a plug-in hybrid module to meet potential future regulatory requirements or customer demand," the spokesman said. "We are monitoring battery development very closely so that we can achieve the performance expected of a Porsche with a potential hybrid 911 variant."
"However, this is not possible at the moment," he added.
This comes after Autocar reported Tuesday on comments Porsche sports cars director Frank-Steffen Walliser made. He told the publication a hybrid 911 is "difficult" to accomplish. He also suggested a purely electric 911 isn't a priority and said 2030 is the earliest date we could see such a machine.
A hybrid model was supposedly in the cards for the previous generation, but instead of cobbling things together, rumors insisted a 911 hybrid would show up with the new-generation car. Porsche CEO Oliver Blume even mentioned we'd likely see it arrive as the top performer of the portfolio just this past November. If we do get some sort of electrified 911, it sounds like it's still years away at the earliest.
It doesn't mean Porsche doesn't have more EVs on the way. We know a purely electric Porsche Macan is a go, and possibly electric successors to the 718 Boxster and Cayman. While EV fanatics await such models, Porsche's first electric car, the Taycan, has already started shipping out across the US.
Originally published March 3, 12:40 p.m. PT.
Update, 1:49 p.m. PT: Adds new information from Porsche.
Discuss: 'No plans' for Porsche 911 hybrid right now
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