Photo: Porsche
After long and successful years of selling people the idea that your vehicles are special in a very large part because of their flat-six engines, Porsche now finds itself in a precarious situation.
The company has engaged in a bit of an electric revolution, and even though it doesn't have any battery-powered models yet and its sports models don't use hybrid powertrains right now, both these are about to change in the coming years.
The Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, with its 680 hp output serves as a very good ambassador for what can be achieved when electrification is added to the mix. But that mix still contains a 4.0-liter V8 engine, while full EV models will not only be devoid of the eight-cylinder engine roar, but any engine sound whatsoever.
The Rimac Concept_One electric hypercar has proven driving one of these vehicles can still be immensely fun, as has Tesla's track record on the drag strip, but Porsche is so closely identified with the 911 model and the unmissable sound of the six-cylinder boxer engine, that the German company needs to do everything it can to make sure it doesn't alienate its current fanbase.
Coming up with an excellent product in the Mission E would be a very good first step, and the first signs seem to suggest it will, but it would still be too blunt. It has to get people used to the idea first, which is why it has already started the process of explaining its hardcore fans why electric powertrains aren't Satan incarnated.
To this end, Porsche published a very long article on its media site that could be described as EV 101 for nay-sayers. We're actually very curious to know how the brand's core target receives it: do they continuously swear at Porsche while going over the many paragraphs? Do they sob? Do they trust the brand enough to give it a chance? If you're a die-hard Porsche fan, have a look over the test in the "Press Release" section and tell us how it made you feel. Just don't ask us to pay for the therapy sessions is it's that bad.
The Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, with its 680 hp output serves as a very good ambassador for what can be achieved when electrification is added to the mix. But that mix still contains a 4.0-liter V8 engine, while full EV models will not only be devoid of the eight-cylinder engine roar, but any engine sound whatsoever.
The Rimac Concept_One electric hypercar has proven driving one of these vehicles can still be immensely fun, as has Tesla's track record on the drag strip, but Porsche is so closely identified with the 911 model and the unmissable sound of the six-cylinder boxer engine, that the German company needs to do everything it can to make sure it doesn't alienate its current fanbase.
Coming up with an excellent product in the Mission E would be a very good first step, and the first signs seem to suggest it will, but it would still be too blunt. It has to get people used to the idea first, which is why it has already started the process of explaining its hardcore fans why electric powertrains aren't Satan incarnated.
To this end, Porsche published a very long article on its media site that could be described as EV 101 for nay-sayers. We're actually very curious to know how the brand's core target receives it: do they continuously swear at Porsche while going over the many paragraphs? Do they sob? Do they trust the brand enough to give it a chance? If you're a die-hard Porsche fan, have a look over the test in the "Press Release" section and tell us how it made you feel. Just don't ask us to pay for the therapy sessions is it's that bad.
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