Porsche is on a fast track to ditch the guttural flat six for whisper-quiet electron power. Prodded by tightening emissions regulations globally, the Stuttgart sports car maker is remaking its lineup for the electric era.
Porsche aims for more than 80 percent of its new-vehicle sales globally to be fully electric by 2030.
"We are pushing ahead with our electric offensive: By the middle of the decade, we want to offer our 718 midengine sports car exclusively in all-electric form," Porsche CEO Oliver Blume said this summer.
Porsche is also expanding its lineup with a new flagship crossover. Porsche aims to copy the success of its Taycan electric sedan, which was an unexpected success for the automaker. The Taycan now outsells the 911 sports car.
"We are targeting the higher-margin segments in particular and aim to tap into new sales opportunities," Blume said.
Electric large crossover: Porsche is expanding its lineup for the first time since the Macan launched in 2014. Blume described the plus-size three-row EV as "a very sporty interpretation of an SUV."
The range-topping model positioned above the Cayenne is code-named K1 and could arrive in the U.S. as early as 2026.
Porsche execs showed U.S. dealers a vehicle rendering last year.
One retailer described it as a "new style of vehicle that is part sedan, part crossover" with a "rakish" profile.
"It's very un-Porsche-like," said another dealer. "It has a flat rear design; it's not anything like the Macan and Cayenne."
Porsche said the new model will incorporate technology from the Mission R presented last year at the Munich auto show. In addition to a new high-performance battery, the Mission R also had a 920-volt electrical system to reduce charging times. The K1 will also include the direct oil-cooled electric motor found in the Mission R.
Taycan: Porsche's first EV should receive a nip and tuck next year that will tweak the bodywork. This year, it received a software update that boosted driving range and charging speed.
Since debuting in late 2019, the nameplate has ballooned to 10 variants, including two sporty variants — the Taycan GTS sedan and Taycan GTS Sport Turismo. Porsche began deliveries of the Taycan Cross Turismo last summer.
Cayenne: The track-focused, coupe-like variant of the midsize crossover arrived in U.S. stores in early 2022. The Cayenne Turbo GT model is powered by a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 that delivers 631 hp.
Over the summer, Porsche padded the Cayenne lineup with an upscale Platinum Edition. The 2022 Platinum model — also available in a sportier coupe version and as a plug-in hybrid — features details in a satin platinum finish, including air intakes, the rear Porsche logo and 21-inch RS Spyder Design wheels.
The Cayenne should receive a freshen in the third quarter of 2023, including new headlight and taillight designs and updates to the bumpers. A redesign will arrive in 2026.
The crossover could be the fifth Porsche nameplate to receive an all-electric powertrain as early as 2025.
Macan: Software supplier-related issues have delayed the hotly anticipated electric version of Porsche's bestselling U.S. model by about a year. U.S. deliveries should now begin in 2024.
The Macan EV will feature split headlights, with four horizontal LED strips on top, with additional lighting in the lower fascia, similar to the Taycan.
The lower fascia will also feature active grille slats that open to become the primary air intake zone. In the rear, an active spoiler is visible at the base of the window.
The Macan EV will slot on Volkswagen Group's Premium Platform Electric platform, with 800- volt technology. Analysts expect single-motor, rear-wheel-drive and dual-motor and all-wheel-drive variants with 350-kilowatt charging.
According to dealers, the electric Macan could feature hands-free driving technology and a camera-based driver-monitoring system.
The gasoline-powered Macan was freshened this year.
Panamera: The four-door sedan could go electric in the decade's second half, timed with the arrival of the next-generation Taycan electric vehicle.
According to an Autocar report, the new EV will feature a sporty version of Volkswagen Group's Scalable Systems Platform, which features a low cabin floor and rear footwells similar to the Taycan.
Porsche will offer the Panamera EV with a single- or dual-motor drivetrain. It will also receive a next-generation 800-volt battery with a more energy-efficient cell technology and a higher-silicon-content anode than that used by Porsche today, Autocar said, citing unnamed sources.
Porsche could sell the zero-emission Panamera alongside the current-generation model, which will receive a freshen as early as the second half of 2023. The current Panamera's life cycle could be extended, allowing Porsche to maintain a choice of powertrains while EV adoption grows.
911: A redesigned seventh-generation 911 GT3 rumbled into U.S. stores this year with a 4.0-liter, six-cylinder GT boxer engine that pumps out 503 hp.
A redesigned 911 GTS with a tuned-up Carrera S engine and a lower, stiffer suspension followed. By year end, expect a limited-production version of the "ducktail" 911. Porsche will build 1,250 of the 911 Sport Classic, which pays homage to the 1970s-era 911 Carrera RS 2.7
The first half of next year should see a redesign of the top-of-the-line 911 GT3 RS that features a 4.0-liter, six-cylinder boxer engine with 518 hp.
The track-focused car receives aerodynamic upgrades, including a large carbon wing that delivers greater downforce.
The 911 gets a freshen in late 2023, which could also bring electrification. A hybrid version should arrive in 2024, inspired by the 918 Spyder and 911 GT3 R hybrid race car technology.
Porsche is planning a high-riding Safari version of the 911, a modern riff on the rally cars of the 1970s.
This model could arrive in mid-2023.
718 Cayman: Porsche dialed up the performance for an all-new 718 Cayman this summer. At the heart of the GT4 RS beats the naturally aspirated engine of the 911 GT3, with 493 hp. The powerplant delivers 493 hp — an additional 79 hp over the 718 Cayman GT4.
Porsche should reveal a battery-powered version mid-decade.
718 Boxster: Porsche will turn the midengine sports car into an exclusively electric model in 2025.
The front-end design of the EV is similar to that of the Taycan electric fastback. According to dealers shown the convertible, the rear borrows the full-width taillight design from the Taycan.
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