'The 911 will never be electric': here's how Porsche plans on turning itself around

The Story

For decades one of the world's most profitable carmakers, now it's on the backfoot.

For decades one of the world's most profitable carmakers, now it's on the backfoot. Published: 13 Oct 2026 External link to Top Gear Magazine Subscription – 3 months for £6Skip 1 photos in the image carousel and continue readingTurn on Javascript to see all the available pictures.When it launched the Taycan, Porsche expected that by 2030 eight out of 10 cars it sold worldwide would be electric or at a pinch PHEV.

Plus it’ll launch a mid-engined supercar, previewed by a concept called Mission S. This won’t be a limited-edition car like the 918, nor an EV like the stillborn Mission X concept. It’s a full production supercar, the first Porsche designed under the leadership of Tobias Sühlmann, who has been design chief since February.

Porsche’s CEO Michael Leiters says that by 2030 two-thirds of the cars Porsche sells will still have an engine. By last year it was painfully clear its buyers weren’t that interested in Porsche’s EVs. In America they wanted petrol. In China demand for most Porsches – which had been a third of the company’s total output – collapsed as people switched to new expensive local brands. Porsche found itself without the petrol Macans many buyers wanted.

Because that car died in summer 2026, building a replacement is now top priority, to sell alongside the electric Macan. It’ll be done in a hurry, but R&D chief Michael Steiner tells Top Gear that in any case all projects will be done faster because that cuts cost, and digital tools now let Porsche avoid the need to make hundreds of prototypes.

This ICE Macan will share its platform with the current Audi Q5, just as the original Macan did with the original Q5. Don’t expect it to look or feel like an Audi clone though. Porsche has a fine record of making its cars very different from related Audis. Steiner tells us it will have V6 and four-cylinder engines, with a PHEV option. Launch is 2028.

In a similar vein as the electric and ICE Macans, Porsche has now decided on an indefinite life for the ICE Cayenne to complement the very different EV version. That’ll help keep the company above water in the US.

Porsche’s shift upmarket is reflected in its plan to launch a large top-of-the-range SUV by 2030. It’s an addition not a replacement for anything, above the Cayenne. This too will be powered by petrol and PHEV drive. Expect the kitchen sink of luxury and tech. Its main target is rich buyers in the US. But it will be built in Germany, like all Porsches, says Leiters.

But EVs will remain: the Taycan is selling at about half the rate it did when launched, but it’ll stay on sale, as will the electric Macan and Cayenne. Conspicuously, the electric Boxster and Cayman, with no petrol equivalents, are finally going on sale next year, after a long delay caused by a swap in battery cell supplier. The battery pack is behind the seats, where the engine was in the old car, so the weight distribution isn’t much altered and you sit lower than with an underfloor battery.

It will get the same E-Gear faked sound and gearshift system that works really well in the Taycan, so Top Gear is open to the possibility this could be a properly lovable electric sports car. Leiters talks the talk: “I was very, very sceptical. And then I drove it. It’s a fantastic car.”.

Leiters is confident he can pull new levers with the Porsche brand to pull in more profit. Decades of rock-solid engineering and racing presence mean it can swerve upmarket with the new supercar and big SUV. Yet it’s not just exclusive but inclusive; everyone’s welcome at Porsche gatherings.

This wide brand stretch means it plans on launching more limited-run editions, especially of the 911. That includes more high-end GT and Manthey Racing versions, as well as ‘heritage’ special editions. These sell for much higher prices than the regular 911 Carrera. The old 911 GT2 RS Clubsport 25, for example, was a 30-off edition at more than £500,000 per car.

Why It Matters

It’ll be done in a hurry, but R&D chief Michael Steiner tells Top Gear that in any case all projects will be done faster because that cuts cost, and digital tools now let Porsche avoid the need to make hundreds of prototypes.

CarMotion Daily’s Take

He adds emphatically: “I can assure you the 911 will never be electric.”. Watch this space over the coming weeks. Electric momentum is uneven across the industry, and moves like this reshape how buyers compare EV lineups. Range, charging speed, and price still dominate EV shopping — every new entry forces competitors to either match or reposition. Watch for EPA range certifications and DC fast-charge benchmarks once independent tests land. Pricing tiers, software updates, and any regional trim adjustments will tell us how serious the launch intent is.