Porsche May Reveal a 570-HP Panamera E-Hybrid in Geneva
Porsche’s plug-in hybrid sport sedan is about to get a whole lot sportier, according to a new report.
The Porsche Panamera 4 e-Hybrid, unveiled last fall, is no slouch by most objective measures. By combining the might of a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 and an electric motor, this all-wheel-drive sedan generates a total output of 462 horsepower—more than any current Panamera short of the V8-powered Turbo.
But as the 918 Spyder proved, the carmaker sees hybrid technology as a key part of its future performance cars. So it's not all that surprising to hear that Porsche will reportedly reveal a sportier Panamera e-Hybrid at the Geneva Motor Show next month.
That's the word from the usually-reliable sources at Autocar, who claim the more potent plug-in Porsche Panamera will pack more than 500 horsepower. It's unclear exactly how much power the new e-Hybrid variant will make or what combination of powerplants it will use to do so, but as Autocar pointed out, simply using the 2.9-liter V6 in the same state of tune found in the Panamera 4S would push the e-Hybrid's total output to around 570 horses. (“That would work,” Panamera sales and marketing director Stefan Utsch reportedly said with Germanic aloofness when Autocar asked if that was the plan.)
That number would make the newest Panamera hybrid the most powerful model in the carmaker's sedan lineup. It would still likely be slower than the Panamera Turbo, however, as that model weighs in around a quarter-ton lighter than the e-Hybrid. But with a reported top speed north of 180 miles per hour, it seems safe to say few people would consider it slow...especially for a car that plugs into a wall socket.
