Porsche to add turbo, hybrid power to future 911 variants

In an interview with Porsche’s Dr. Erhard Mossle, Australian outlet Motoring has confirmed rumours many had feared and/or applauded would come true: the next update to the Porsche 911—next year, dubbed 991, Series II—will bring an all-turbo engine lineup, and the subsequent full redesign (scheduled for around 2020) into the 992 will include a hybrid variant.

The forthcoming 911 non-turbo’s (as opposed to the 911 Turbo) turbo motor will use a 2.7L engine, and while it will match the displacement of that in the base Cayman and Boxster, this one will be all-new and should make more than 400 horsepower, just about matching the output of the 3.8L used in current 911 S variants.

Turbos are in vogue now for the technology’s ability to bump a small-displacement engine’s output to match that of a larger motor, while (in theory) preserving small-motor fuel economy. We like turbos, and we suspect most buyers won’t be put off by turbocharging in a 911 that’s *not* a 911 Turbo, but we can’t wait for the purist backlash that inevitably follows any announcement that Porsche is planning to do something—anything—differently than it has in the past.

The reality is that all automakers are being forced to meet stricter vehicle emissions targets, and smaller engines and hybridization are, currently, relatively straightforward ways to do that. That said, we do wonder how much impact a hybrid 911 will have on Porsche’s overall fleet emissions, beyond proving that a hybrid can be fast—which Porsche has already done with the awesome 918; the Cayenne and Panamera (and, eventually, Macan) are much better vehicles to target with electrification due to their mass-market appeal. But, Porsche will do what it will do, and we will wait to see where a 911 Hybrid fits into the storied manufacturer’s lineup.