Porsche to Add High-Output Panamera Hybrid

Porsche AG is developing a more potent plug-in hybrid version of its Panamera sedan that will be sold alongside the second-generation Panamera 4 E-Hybrid currently being launched in global markets.

The high-performance hybrid will team a turbocharged V-8 engine with an electric motor and Porsche’s 8-speed dual-clutch transmission, reports Motoring. The Australian enthusiast magazine, which doesn’t cite its sources, says the same layout could be used in Porsche’s Cayenne and Macan crossover/SUVs.

Porsche officials confirmed plans for the second model, which previously was reported by Motor Trend, at a launch event for the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid last week in Cape Town, South Africa. No timeframe or details about the performance hybrid were provided.

The plug-in Panamera 4 E-Hybrid (pictured) pairs a twin-turbo 2.9-liter V-6 with an electric motor for a combined output of 462 hp and 515 lb-ft of torque. It replaces the first-generation S E-Hybrid that was launched in 2011 and featured a supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 with a 34-kW electric motor and a nickel-metal-hydride battery.

A V-8 hybrid could significantly increase the output of the conventionally powered Panamera Turbo. That vehicle’s twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 makes 540 hp and 570 lb-ft of torque.

“Hybrid is the performance kit of the future,” Panamera sales and marketing director Stefan Utsch tells Motoring. When asked about a V-8 hybrid, he said the carmaker was looking at various options. But Utsch noted that it’s easier to increase a hybrid's power by changing the engine than adding a more powerful electric motor and battery pack.

The new Panamera hybrid could be unveiled as early as March at the Geneva auto show as part of the new Panamera wagon that’s due to bow there, Motoring suggests.