The Porsche 911 isn't just one of the most iconic sports cars of all time. It is the car that defines Porsche. But even as parent, the Volkswagen group, has embarked upon an ambitious goal going all-in on electric vehicles as a group - and with Porsche being the flag bearer of that vision with the success of the Taycan, the Stuttgart based outfit has said that there is no electric version of its flagship vehicle the 911. For one, because of the rear engine design, which can be complicated when talking about an EV because of the imbalance the weight of the batteries alone can cause.
However, Michael Mauer, who is the design chief at Porsche has said that this is not an impossible task and he already has a fair idea about what to do. This obviously also means that it is internally already working on an electric version of the 911. He even said that an EV gave him more freedom as a designer for the 911 as it would also mean going back to the drawing board.
The Porsche 911 is one of the most iconic vehicles of all time as it has a unique look and driving feel
"I'm part of the group that went from air-cooling to water-cooling, and now we have turbocharged engines," Mauer told Autocar. "Maybe an electric 911 is another story, but purely from a design standpoint, an electric 911 is even easier in the future," he added.
The 911 is unique because of the driving dynamics its offers thanks to its rear-engine design. The 911 is iconic for the way it handles and it is not one of those cars which are defined by their engine figures. That's where the conundrum around converting the 911 to an EV kick in, as the added weight of the batteries would result in something that may look and feel like a 911 but may spiritually be more like a Taycan which already is beating the Panamera in sales in the North American market.
