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Porsche’s Most Iconic Car Won’t Ever Lose This Key Feature, CEO Pledges

Fans can put away the axes and pitchforks.

Rear view of a gray Porsche 911 Carrera with illuminated rear light strip and visible license plate on concrete ground.Porsche
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By Chris Chin

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If you were petrified about the Porsche 911 potentially losing its signature soul, you can breathe easy. CEO Michael Leiters provided sports car fans with some peace of mind, reaffirming that “there will never be a fully electric 911.”

Leiters recently spoke to the media at Porsche’s Annual General Meeting, where he doubled down on his pledge to keep the 911’s internal combustion engine for the foreseeable future. Such news comes as a major relief, as many were skeptical of Porsche’s electrification strategy, even after the brand backtracked on its initial plans.

Long live the flat-six

Dark gray Porsche 911 Carrera driving on a concrete road with a sloped wall in the background.
Don’t worry, the flat-six ain’t going anywhere for the 911.
Porsche

It was just a short time ago when Porsche stirred the automotive pot by announcing its trajectory towards an all-electric future. That plan significantly backfired, with plenty of P-car fans busting out the axes and pitchforks in protest.

It also cast a huge cloud of doubt over the brand’s future, because internal combustion engines and the experiences they provide are hallmarks of any Porsche experience. This is especially true with its most iconic model, the 911.

Gray Porsche sports car parked in front of a yellow and orange industrial wall with circular vents.
A Porsche 911 isn’t complete without the signature soundtrack from its iconic, rear-mounted boxer-six internal combustion engine.
Porsche

Since the 911’s birth in 1963, one of its signatures has always been its rear-mounted gas-powered boxer-six. The 911’s engine is extraordinarily unique and one of the very few of its kind (Subaru was the only other automaker to make a flat-six).

It also gives the 911 its distinctive exhaust note. Taking that away from the 911’s experience is like removing the beach from a Caribbean vacation. What’s the point?

High-performance automotive engine with turbocharger and exhaust system on a light gray surface.
Porsche recently introduced its first-ever production gas-electric variant of its iconic flat-six in the latest 911 Carrera GTS T-Hybrid.
Porsche

With Porsche’s internal combustion future at stake, many were ready to turn their back on the brand. Now, everyone can rest easy.

The hybrid drive system is not seen as a bridging technology. For the 911, the specially developed performance hybrid powertrain is a fundamental building block, a sort of elixir of life for the future. Because there will be never be a fully electric 911. We stand by that.

Michael Leiters, Porsche AG CEO

Porsche’s new “Strategy 2035”

Dark gray Porsche sports car with transparent body showing internal electric components and wiring.
Porsche’s innovative T-Hybrid system eliminated all outboard auxiliary attachments.
Porsche

In addition to pledging to keep the 911’s iconic gas-powered propulsion unit around, Leiter did say that electrification is not completely off the table. As such, the engine will evolve and further incorporate gas-electric hybridization.

The latest effort is the 911 Carrera GTS, which features Porsche’s first-ever T-Hybrid system. The automaker plans to further expand and innovate its T-Hybrid as both the system and the current and future generations of 911 evolve.

Ultimately, the 911 will be Porsche’s only model without an all-electric variant.

Dark gray Porsche 911 GTS with transparent body showing internal electric and mechanical components and orange wiring.
Engineers integrated the electric motor into the 911’s PDK dual-clutch automatic, which receives juice from a 400-volt-based charge system.
Porsche

On top of backtracking on its all-electric strategy, Porsche instead adopted a similar “multi-energy” approach as other automakers. It’s one where the automaker offers internal combustion-powered, hybrid and all-electric models.

The idea is to provide customers with choices, rather than forcing them into a specific powertrain type. So far, we’re seeing this adaptation with the next-gen Macan and Cayenne SUVs, as well as the 718 Boxster and Spyder.

About the Author: Chris Chin is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, trucks and anything else with four wheels. He has over a decade of experience writing news and reviews but considers himself an enthusiast first, with a passion for classics and European cars. His daily driver is a 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL with nearly 250,000 miles (87,000 are his).

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