Porsche began taking orders for the 918 Spyder plug-in hybrid drive super sports car in March 2011, even as production development proceeded; first customer cars begin arriving in the United States near the end of 2013. (Earlier post.)

In addition, Hatz underscored the expansion of electrification in hybrid models and the optimization of the conventional combustion engine will play a major role in future drive system developments.

With the Panamera and the Cayenne, Porsche has already successfully launched two hybrid models on the market. The sales figures for the Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid for 2011 are more than twice as high as the figures of all our competitors combined in this market segment.

—Wolfgang Hatz

Porsche is developing more solutions to get even greater efficiency and performance from the synergy effects of combustion engine and electric motor, Hatz said. Furthermore, he added, the potential of conventional combustion engines is far from being exhausted.

That's why, for Porsche, the combustion engine will continue to play a vital role for the drive system of sports cars in the foreseeable future.

—Wolfgang Hatz