It is not exactly a secret that Porsche has been thinking about a plug-in hybrid version of the 911 for some time. But they have only just started tackling the issue with production in mind and, well, they have run into some issues. Building a Porsche 911 Hybrid is apparently not as easy as it first seemed.

So basing the Porsche 911 Hybrid on the current 991 series is completely out of the question. The technical issues the project brings about require a whole new platform. That means we have to wait for the next generation 911 to arrive before even thinking about the hybrid version, and that happens around 2020. Realistically, the hybrid should come a couple of years after that.

The engineers are reportedly having major problems with finding a place in the tightly packaged,   rear-engined sports car to place the battery pack necessary for the plug-in system. Even if they did find room for it, the mass of the batteries will nullify their efforts in reducing the weight of the next-gen 911, which is another effort in reducing CO2 emissions and fuel consumption. They could remedy that by excessive use of carbon fiber, but then that would increase the cost of production and thus the price of the car.

But sooner or later we are going to see a Porsche 911 Hybrid due to the ever-tightening emissions regulations. The question is, will the hybrid version be a true 911? Will it feel like a 911?

Via Autocar