With the rest of the industry already turning their attention towards developing more means of improving fuel efficiency, it appears that German automaker Porsche is ready to join the fold as far as the direction of their next generation engines for the 911 are concerned.

The word comes from Porsche 911 Powertrain Project Manager, Thomas Krickelberg, who laid out the company’s plans to develop a new range of turbocharged engines that could be in the offering for most of the 911 range. According to Krickelberg, Porsche is looking at two options for their engines: one that reduces displacement on turbocharged engines and another that involves improving their naturally aspirated engines through reduced friction and improved combustion.

“We haven’t made a decision yet,” Krickelberg said. “We have to make a decision very soon [by the end of] this year.”

While both options are still on the table, the most likely result from these discussions will be smaller capacity engines, which could even drop all the way to the legendary 2.7-liter capacity that was used in the 911 of the 70’s and 80’s. In the end, the decision on what kind of engines the next generation Porsche will most likely depend on upcoming regulations, both in Europe and in the US.

For his part, Krickelberg would rather see naturally aspirated engines on future Porsches as they are regarded as the best of the lot to drive for purists of the German brand.

Whatever decision Porsche ends up making with regards to its future engines, a lot of considerations still have to be made. And while the company does put tradition in high regard, they have, in past occasions, veered away from it in favor of producing a better product overall.

Whether the company does go down that route again with their new engines still remains to be seen. One thing we do know is that Porsche needs to cover all their bases before making any decisions on the matter.