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Porsche 911 hybrid could get green light after all

The prospect of producing a hybrid version of the Porsche 911 has been on and off the table more times than we'd care to count. But before the year is up, the German automaker will make up its mind whether or not it will put the idea in motion. Porsche currently offers more plug-in hybrids than any other automaker. And according to Porsche CEO Matthias Muller in speaking with Automotive News, the opportunity exists to expand the powertrain technology to every model in the company's lineup, including the 911. The sports car would likely be the next in line for hybridization, said Muller, giving Porsche a direct competitor to the BMW i8. It wouldn't be the first time Zuffenhausen would slot a hybrid powertrain into the iconic rear-engined coupe, having previously raced the 911 GT3 R Hybrid (pictured above), but it would be the first road-going version available to customers. "That is a technique which we at Porsche are very familiar with," Muller told AN, "so we can suppose that we could have plug-ins all over the model range, not only to save fuel but also to boost the performance of these cars." Currently the E-Hybrid versions of the Cayenne and Panamera which Porsche offers account for roughly 15 and 11 percent of their respective model lines' sales in the US, while the 918 Spyder, of course, is offered only as a hybrid. If the 911 hybrid gets the green light, that would leave only the Macan, Boxster and Cayman without the option of electric assist. Related Video:

Watch Porsche's 918 Spyder break a sweat while hot weather testing

With five months left until the 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder enters production, Porsche engineers are still putting the hybrid sports coupe through a battery of last-minute tests. To give us new reasons to ogle over the car - as if we needed any more - Porsche has released a short video showing the 918 Spyder undergoing shakedown tests in the hot Nevada desert. And you can't drive through Nevada without visiting Vegas, too, right?
Although there's really nothing new to see in this video, it's still fun to watch as Porsche approaches one million test miles logged on this exciting new high-performance model. One interesting part (at around the 0:37 mark) shows the car taking off under electric power and then transitioning to engine power, which results in a mix of whirs and growls as the 918 Spyder switches from a 127-horsepower electric vehicle to an 887-hp hybrid supercar. Scroll down to watch - and hear - Porsche's latest creation in motion.

Porsche spotted testing next 911 GT3 in its natural habitat

Want a Porsche 911 GT3? Well too bad, because they're all sold out – and from what we hear, they have been for a while. But don't worry, there'll be another one coming soon. And here's our first look at it. Based on the updated 991, the new GT3 may be one of the few variations on the theme that won't be going turbocharged. It may, however, get a three-pedal manual transmission – possibly the six-speed from the 911 R as opposed to the seven from the Carrera. That is, at least, if the tinkerers in Weissach perk up their ears and listen to what their most enthusiastic customers have been saying. Because while the dual-clutch PDK may be faster, the GT3 has traditionally been as much about the driving experience as it has about outright pace. As it's mostly wearing the bodywork of the outgoing GT3, there's unfortunately little to be seen from this prototype spotted testing at the Nurburgring in one of the first (mostly) thawed test sessions of the season. But you can expect the new model to blend elements from the old GT3 with the revisions made to the new 911. And with it, expect a bit more power and a bit more performance from the latest iteration of a driving enthusiasts' favorite. We're told to expect the new 911 GT3 to hit dealers some time next year. There may or may not be a GT3 RS to follow, but from what we've seen, there ought to be an even faster GT2 RS entering the mix before long as well.