Porsche planning new high-performance Panamera hybrid

Porsche is planning an even quicker Panamera hybrid. Porsche is planning an even quicker Panamera hybrid.

Porsche is planning a high-performance version of its Panamera hybrid. Just hours after the company unveiled its new plug-in Panamera at the Paris show, research and development chief Michael Steiner confirmed engineers were already working on a more powerful hybrid variant.

A V8 is an option, given the just released six-cylinder car clocks under 5.0 seconds for the 0-100km/h sprint.

"This Panamera 4 E-hybrid is a pretty sporty hybrid compared to the last version, with much more performance, much more agility and also more range, but there will be something that is clearly performance-wise ahead of this," Steiner says.

The plug-in Panamera's outputs are 340kW/700Nm while the twin-turbo V8 develops 404kW/770Nm, leaving space for a V8 hybrid.

There's also room from a price point of view — the new plug-in V6 has had a huge price cut to start at $242,600, against $376,900 for the twin-turbo V8.

A "sports turismo" wagon will join the performance hybrid, Steiner says.

Fans hoping for a high-performance hybrid version of the 911 will have longer to wait, as Porsche's priority is the all-electric Mission E, its Tesla Model S-fighter.

It is testing components for the Mission E in existing __cars and aims to develop an entirely new, fully electric platform to give scope to spin more body shapes from the Mission E.

The Panamera platform has the genes where you could do an attractive coupe.

"There is no reason why this only has to be a one-style body platform. Technically our platforms are designed (to do more)," Steiner says.

He also appeared to put the brakes on a two-door version of the Panamera to rival Ferrari's GTC4 Lusso.

"For sure there would be a market for a car like that. This business is as much about the proportions, about the look and the Panamera platform has the genes where you could do an attractive coupe," he says.

However, other projects were also attractive — as he says, "spend your dollar or your euro only once" — and the focus would be on petrol, hybrid and electric drivetrains.

Porsche won't invest in diesel engine research and development but will continue to borrow diesels from VW, even in the wake of Dieselgate.

"The development of diesels was not done by Porsche and will not be done by Porsche," he says. "Diesel is to Porsche more a me-too technology."

Are you excited for a hybrid Panamera or would you like to see a hybrid 911 sooner? Tell us what you think in the comments below.