Two senior Porsche executives have told Motoring the next generation 911 will get a hybrid variant.

Scheduled to come out in 2018, the new 911 (codenamed 992) will have to meet stricter regulations in terms of fuel consumption and CO2 emissions so Porsche must find a way to make its iconic sportscar more frugal. According to the company's motorsport boss Dr Frank-Stefan Walliser, the Carrera 4 will be the first to receive the hybrid treatment by adopting an electrically-driven front axle while the rear wheels will be powered by the combustion engine.

Walliser says a normally aspirated engine is the more recommended solution because it's lighter than a turbocharged motor and the electric motors take care of the low-end torque.

Porsche's research and development boss Dr Wolfgang Hatz also confirmed a hybrid 911 is a go and he prefers to use a naturally aspirated engine rather than a turbocharged mill. Even though the car will end up with a higher weight compared to a conventional-powered version, the added bulk will be offset by a higher total output.

Hatz went on to specify 911 buyers will "absolutely" accept the idea of a 911 plug-in hybrid because he believes the technology "can also be fun" aside from just boosting fuel economy and reducing emissions.

Until then, Porsche will introduce a mid-cycle update (991.5) for the current generation Porsche 911 this fall at the Frankfurt Motor Show which will come with a series of downsized turbocharged gasoline engines.