The first-ever 911 hybrid has undergone extensive testing on the road and track. Picture: Supplied / Porsche.
By: Double Apex
The 911 is the quintessential sportscar. For over six decades it has been an object of desire and the benchmark for countless other models. But even the most static recipe in motoring has to change to keep with the times.
In just a few weeks the first-ever Porsche 911 hybrid road car will debut. The date for this event is set for May 28.
A new era in the 911’s history begins in a few weeks as the recognisable shape gets a hybrid drive. This is the first time a 911 road car will have a hybrid powertrain. Porsche, being Porsche, has left nothing up to chance. The newest derivatives have undergone extensive testing ahead of going on sale.
Frank Moser, vice president model line 911 and 718, said: “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.”
Of course, Porsche would use this new technology to make its iconic sportscar even quicker. Over the course of performance testing, Porsche brand ambassador Jörg Bergmeister completed a lap of the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 7 min 16,934 minutes. This represents an 8.7 seconds quicker lap time than the corresponding version of the predecessor model.
The test car was equipped with standard road tyres, plus the aero kit with a fixed rear wing that has been available as an option for several model generations now, and which provides increased downforce at high speeds.
No powertrain info has been released, but the Porsche hotshoe did make the following comment: “The new 911 has become considerably faster on the track. We have more grip, significantly more power, and the spontaneous response of the performance hybrid is a great advantage.”
Watch the new hybrids in action in the video below:
* This article originally appeared on Double Apex and is used with their permission.