Sources close to Porsche have told the publication Porsche is investing around €500 million (about $566M) at its main plant in Zuffenhausen. The factory needs to be retooled in order to get the all-electric Boxster and Cayman ready to hit the assembly line. Both will enter production in 2023 when another EV is scheduled to arrive – the Macan built in Leipzig without a combustion engine.

The electric sports car duo is allegedly based on the Premium Platform Electric that Porsche and Audi have been working on for several years. The company with the Four Rings will be the first to introduce a PPE-based production model as the Q6 E-Tron will be unveiled before the year’s end. Nothing is official at this point, but Automobilewoche claims the electric 718 models will be able to cover around 249 miles (400 kilometers) on a single charge. However, these are sports cars and therefore owners will want to push them hard. Consequently, that will have a negative impact on range.

The electric Boxster and Cayman will be built in the same factory where Porsche assembles the 911. The latter will be the company’s last car to lose the combustion engine. In the meantime, a hybrid variant is coming soon as a necessity to meet stricter emissions regulations. It’s said to become the most powerful 911 of all time, but it’ll also be the heaviest after adding a bulky battery pack.

Porsche won’t entirely switch to EVs this decade since an all-electric 911 is scheduled to arrive after 2030.

Source: Automobilewoche

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While it looks more of the same at a first glance, a closer inspection shows the prototype has split headlights. The low/high beam is positioned lower on the front bumper while those four-point LEDs mounted above serve as the daytime running lights. It will be a similar story with its sister model as the Audi Q6 E-Tron arriving first will also have separate lighting clusters at the front.

Getting back to the Macan EV at hand, it appears to be carrying most of the production body panels. It goes without saying the dual exhaust tips at the back are fake since there’s no combustion engine. Slimmer LED headlights are peeking through the camouflage and we believe the overhangs will be shorter compared to the gasoline-fueled crossover.

It would seem Porsche is going for a more coupe-inspired look by giving the electric Macan a sloping roofline that could eat in rear headroom and cargo capacity. However, riding on a bespoke EV platform should pay dividends in terms of packaging to free up more room inside the cabin. An active rear spoiler is planned, as is rear-wheel steering.

More advanced than the MEB platform, PPE will come along with fast-charging at up to 350 kilowatts and support for air suspension. The VW Group has previously announced EVs on this architecture will receive torque vectoring and the more expensive ones will add a front electric motor to enable all-wheel drive.

PPE will debut with the Audi Q6 E-Tron and Porsche Macan EV, but it’ll also be compatible with bigger SUVs as well as wagons and liftbacks.

Source: CarSpyMedia / YouTube

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He didn’t go into any specifics about the zero-emissions crossover, but there are reports it could switch to a different name. Doing so would avoid a potential confusion between the conventionally powered and purely electric versions. Porsche teased the next-gen models way back in May 2021, even though the world premiere is still far away.

It will be the first model from the Zuffenhausen brand to ride on the Premium Platform Electric, which Porsche has been developing for several years together with Audi. The latter will get its own electric crossover as the Q6 E-Tron is scheduled to debut by the end of this year. PPE is seen as a more sophisticated version of the VW Group’s MEB architecture by supporting more advanced technologies.

Specifically, PPE-based electric vehicles will come with rear-wheel steering and adaptive air suspension, not to mention torque vectoring and an 800-volt platform for fast-charging at up to 350 kW. More affordable models will stick to a rear-mounted electric motor while the more expensive ones will add a second motor at the front for extra power and AWD.

There’s no word about the size of the battery, but we do know even the base model will have more than the 227 miles of EPA-certified range offered by the Taycan 4S.

Porsche has set a clear goal for the Macan EV as it wants the electric crossover to be “the sportiest model in its segment.” To get there, prototypes will cover around three million kilometers in a variety of environments before production commences by the end of 2023.

Source: Motor1.com Italy

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How soon is “soon”? It’s unclear, but our money is on a world premiere happening before the end of 2022, possibly based on the facelifted 911. The electrified model won’t be a plug-in hybrid as owners will not have to recharge the battery. Instead, the “greener” rear-engined German machine will borrow tech from the hugely successful 919 Hybrid endurance race car.

Based on a report from Auto Motor und Sport, the Porsche 911 Hybrid will allegedly have a total output of 700 horsepower by combining the iconic flat-six engine with an electric motor. Should the figure turn out to be accurate, it will become the most powerful road-going 911 in history. The engineers are expected to install the battery pack behind the seats and in front of the combustion engine. Regenerative braking will reroute energy that would otherwise be lost during braking back into the battery.

Needless to say, the Porsche 911 Hybrid will be heavier than the pure gasoline model and AMS says it will add a worrying 220 pounds (100 kilograms). The electric motor is said to come from the company’s upcoming LMDh prototype where the Bosch-developed unit rated at 67 hp (50 kW) draws its juice from a battery provided by Williams Advanced Engineering.

As if that horsepower figure wasn’t impressive enough, torque will reportedly climb all the way up to 1,000 Newton-meters (738 pound-feet). That should translate into extraordinary performance off the line, but the added bulk could hamper the 911’s well-known sharp handling.

Source: Motor1.com Italy

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The revised infotainment should be easier to navigate through thanks to new colored icons and other improvements made by Porsche after listening to complaints made by owners. For the first time, native integration of Spotify is added and offers access to 70+ million songs as well as about 3.2 million podcasts. You also get the new Go to Radio option, which will search for similar music based on what it’s currently playing.

PCM 6.0 benefits from an upgraded Voice Pilot voice assistant system making it easier for the user to access the car’s functions, such as checking out the owner’s manual, music streaming, and news. In the case of the Taycan, changes have been made to the Charging Planner to improve the calculation of charging sessions by changing the algorithm.

Porsche says the charging stations offering a higher power are now prioritized more than before so that you’ll spend more time driving and less time charging the battery. Another update implemented to the Charging Planner involves the time needed to start and end the charging process when it’s doing the math for the total driving time.

Interestingly, the Porsche Taycan with PCM 6.0 features a zoom function for charging stations by showing all the available chargers around you, regardless of whether they’re being used or not. Zoom out and you’ll only see the fast-charging stations. You can even sort the charging points based on their maximum output thanks to a newly added filter.

Source: Porsche

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Naturally, the Taycan Turbo S is wearing a special Formula E livery along with roof lights and “22” logos to denote the number of drivers competing this year. The competition is entering its eighth season and Porsche will take its Safety Car all over the world during the 16 rounds planned for 2022:

Changes to the car have been inside where the speedy EV was fitted with racing bucket seats featuring six-point seatbelts. In addition, there is a roll cage in the back, along with the wire harnesses necessary to control the extra lights on the outside, including those mounted in the front bumper. The purpose-built Taycan Turbo S comes along with a communication system and a fire extinguisher in case something goes wrong.

As a refresher, the range-topping Taycan has dual electric motors and all-wheel drive as standard. It packs up to 751 horsepower and runs to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 2.8 seconds en route to 162 mph (260 km/h). It’s not the fastest EV (excluding hypercars) in the world since the Tesla Model S Plaid can now do 175 mph while the Lucid Air Dream Edition maxes out at 168 mph (270 km/h).

Source: Porsche

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However, Automobilwoche reports that won’t be the case anymore as Porsche has agreed to pay €100 million (about $114M at current exchange rates) to compensate VW Commercial Vehicles for the change of plans. Doing so will give the sports car manufacturer the freedom to produce the range-topping EV in-house by assembling the vehicle at its Leipzig factory.

Interestingly, Automotive News Europe’s sister publication goes on to say the mysterious model is programmed to enter production in 2026. If the report turns out to be accurate, it means Porsche is pushing forward the model’s launch by about a year as the initial schedule was to kick off the assembly of the car in Hannover from 2027.

Codenamed K1, the crown jewel of Porsche’s range will not only switch production location but also the underpinnings. Instead of riding on the Artemis architecture developed by Audi, it’s going to be based on the Premium Platform Electric co-developed by the two brands. PPE will premiere later in 2022 with the Q6 E-Tron and the mechanically twinned next-generation Macan due to be sold strictly as an EV.

It’s unclear how many vehicles will be assembled annually, but per the original agreement, VW Commercial Vehicles was tasked to make 25,000 units each year. The company’s commercial side will be putting the substantial compensation to good use by adding a different vehicle to fill that gap following Porsche’s decision to relocate production to Leipzig.

As a final note, Bertina Murkovic, the Hannover plant’s works council chairwoman, has already expressed her “disappointment” about Porsche’s change of heart in a statement published in December 2021 on the Porsche Holding’s newsroom website. You can read it at the source link below.

Source: Automobilwoche (subscription required), Porsche Holding Newsroom

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Ahead of its 2023 motorsport debut, the Le Mans Daytona hybrid race car is being previewed in official teaser images showing a fully camouflaged vehicle. The electrified beast boasts a wide LED rear light bar to mirror Porsche’s recent road-going production vehicles, with extra lights mounted onto the endplates of the massive rear wing.

Even though we only get to see the rear half of the vehicle, there are plenty of additional details worth pointing out. The gigantic rear diffuser made from carbon fiber is one of them, along with the roof scoop, a central fin flanked by dual exhaust tips, and the 18-inch center-lock black wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport tires.

The ventilated rear fenders are quite interesting, while the central driver compartment typical is what you would expect from a modern race car set to take part in WEC’s flagship competition. Overall, we are getting the impression Porsche’s new LMDh will have a more cohesive exterior appearance than the old 919, which gave the impression it was all about form follows function, and nothing else.

Porsche has announced the hybrid machine fielded by Porsche Penske Motorsport will be driven by Dane Cameron and Felipe Nasr, with multiple test sessions planned to take place throughout the course of next year. The new LMDh-spec hypercar will boast a hybrid powertrain with a combined output of 670 hp (500 kW). Per regulations, there are no limits to the displacement of the internal combustion engine, but the maximum power will be capped at that figure.

As for the electric motor, it must have a maximum output of 67 hp (50 kilowatts) channeled to the rear axle. It’s being developed by Bosch, with the battery pack coming from Williams and the transmission from Xtrac. The whole setup is engineered to last for 14,000 miles (22,000 kilometers) before having to be rebuilt, while the software will be locked to prevent teams from making changes. Manufacturers get to pick from four chassis specialists: Dallara, Ligier, Multimatic, and ORECA. In Porsche’s case, it has decided to go with Multimac.

The LMDh cars will be up to 5100 millimeters (200.8 inches) long, 2000 mm (78.7 in) wide, and with a wheelbase that mustn’t exceed 3150 mm (124 in). All prototypes will weigh a minimum of 1,030 kilograms (2,270 pounds). The designs will vary more compared to LMP1 race cars since the teams will have more freedom to tweak the bodywork for greater brand recognition and thus bridge a connection with the road-going vehicles.

Source: Porsche

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The video game is scheduled to come out on March 4, 2022, on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, with gamers being able to hop behind the virtual wheel of the Porsche Vision Gran Turismo created specifically for the new title from Polyphony Digital. It’s a low-slung electric sports car featuring a minimalist design, clearly more streamlined than the Mission R.

Technical specifications are shrouded in mystery at this point, but we do know it has been conceived with active aerodynamic elements and has a large canopy instead of traditional side doors. For extra torsional rigidity, the seats are bolted onto the monocoque. Porsche’s familiar four-point LED headlights have been made even sleeker for the Vision Gran Turismo and we won’t be too surprised if they’ll be adapted for a production model.

The cabin continues the exterior theme and comes with carbon fiber accents and a yoke-like steering wheel with more buttons and knobs than we can count by incorporating most of the controls like in a race car. Instead of a regular instrument cluster – either digital or analog – the virtual race car boasts a curved hologram display. Elsewhere, only vegan materials have been used to highlight Porsche’s focus on sustainability.

Overall, the Vision Gran Turismo is a purist’s delight for the inevitable electric racing era as the exciting world of motorsport will sooner or later have to abandon fossil fuels. It’s too soon to say whether Porsche is also previewing a future hypercar, which the Zuffenhausen has previously mentioned won’t arrive before 2025 at the earliest.

Source: Porsche

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In an interview with Top Gear magazine, Andreas Preuninger said “the future of the mid-engine platform might have a lot to do with electricity.” Since the larger 911 is rear-engined, it’s pretty obvious the head honcho of the GT cars was referring to the 718 models. He went on to say the recently unveiled GT4 RS represents the “high time to have a big party on the platform of the 718 with an atmospheric, normally aspirated engine with 9,000 rpm.”

Reading between the lines, the hardcore Cayman GT4 RS represents an epilogue for the conventionally powered engine. To which extent the next-generation model will be electrified remains to be seen, but we wouldn’t necessarily exclude a purely electric drivetrain. After all, the Mission R concept shown earlier this year at IAA Munich came without a combustion engine.

In fact, Porsche representatives have already expressed their desire to get “elements of this [Mission R] in future production cars,” adding they will do their best to “find a way to realize a car such as this.” The concept will morph into an electric race car in 2025 for a dedicated racing series, and the middle of the decade could be when the Boxster and Cayman will lose their gasoline engines.

Around the same time, Porsche is expected to come out with a hybrid version of the 911 featuring a rumored 700 horsepower and a whopping 738 pound-feet 1,000 Newton-meters of torque. An all-electric derivative is planned, but it won’t arrive before 2030 at the earliest.

Source: Top Gear

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