Porsche Takes Aim Directly At The Tesla Model S

2015 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS (Credit: Porsche)

Deep in the secretive Porsche R&D department the German automaker is working on a unicorn-slayer called the Porsche 717. Like just about every other high-end car company, Porsche is creating an all-electric luxury sedan that will rival the Tesla Model S, a darling from the United States. This is according to a recent report from Car Magazine.

According to the report, the 717 (which may or may not get a different name once it is ready for production) will ride on the same platform as the Panamera MK2 and the new Bentley Continental. It will have four doors and four seats, plus a look and feel that draws heavily from the popular 911. Lest anyone think it will be an electric version of the ugly-duckling Panamera, Car Magazine claims it will have a smaller footprint than Porsche’s current sedan.

Going all-electric shouldn’t be too much of a stretch for Porsche. It already makes two plug-in hybrid electric models, one from the Cayenne model lineup and the other from the Panamera line. Even though production has wrapped up, it’s worth noting that the 918 is also a plug-in hybrid that can make just about any other vehicle look like a drooling turtle.

The report goes on to describe the battery for the Porsche 717, which will be topologic instead of like the “skateboard” design Tesla uses. That means the rumored 108 battery pouches will be arranged in a configuration looking more like a mountain range. It will be German-engineered, so if that sounds weird it probably is and likely will work amazing well. Also, the battery will be recharged through induction

Rounding out the report on the 717 is that all version of the electric car will have all-wheel drive and four-wheel torque vectoring, plus four-wheel steering. The vehicle will be propelled forward by two electric motors, one for each axle. Supposedly, the 717 will be able to drive over 300 miles on a single charge and will come with a peak output of as much as 600 horsepower. The reported target launch date is sometime in 2019.