Porsche hybrids could be here sooner than expected
More news is emerging out of Germany about upcoming hybrids from Porsche. It has already been revealed that both the Cayenne and the Panamera sedan will be getting hybrid variants. It now looks like we might see a hybrid VW Touareg as soon as 2008 with a 50hp electric motor mated up to a 3.6L 280 V-6 engine. That powertrain would be migrated into the Cayenne in 2009 and may appear in the Panamera at its launch the same year. Unlike Lexus, it looks like Porsche is actually trying to create a more efficient version with the hybrids by using a smaller engine rather than mating the hybrid to their biggest gas engines. Of course this is all relative, since this thing will still be far from green.
Related:
- Is the new Porsche 911 GT2 high performance and high MPG?
- Porsche hybrids coming soon and maybe diesels too
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Karkus 4:13PM (7/23/2007)
Well, those SUV VWs and Porsches may not be efficient, but at least they're going in the right direction. Cheers to the increasing use of CO2 emissions regulations and taxes (instead of regulating based on engine size or l/km). And some day, we might see a an even more efficicent diesel hybrid.
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ferrarimanf355 10:21AM (7/24/2007)
I thought a Porsche SUV was bizarre, but a Porsche hybrid? That's a sign of the apocolypse...
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MikeW 2:28AM (7/25/2007)
Since Porsche likes to start in 2nd gear (legacy trait). Hopefully they will adopt the ZF 8 speed automatic as soon as feasible. Because that 2nd gear is shorter.
and the ZF 8 speed auto has a shorter first gear, that is would be possible to eliminate the low range gear. The buyer demographic wouldn't really miss it. The Audi Q7 doesn't have it (not that the diesel V12 needs any help)
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