The next Porsche 911 will be a plug-in hybrid

Porsche is already working on the next generation of the beloved 911.

It's still four to five years away, according to Car and Driver, but among some of the notable changes in the pipeline, one that caught our attention is this: the new 911 may be available as a plug-in hybrid.

The folks at Car and Driver cite sources familiar with the details who say the hybrid would "draw from technologies developed for other Porsche models."

The hybrid version of the 911 would be among the turbocharged 6-cylinder engines that would power the majority of units rolling off German assembly lines.

High-end automakers have been diving deep into alternative fuel technologies for a few years now. Ferrari, McLaren, Koenigsegg and Porsche all produce their own electric/gas-powered supercars, each pushing between about 900 and 1,000 horsepower.

Porsche also sells plug-in hybrid variations of its slightly more modest Panamera sedan and the brawny Cayenne SUV, each producing a combined 416 horsepower from their gas and electric powerplants.

As exciting as these advances are, Tesla still holds the crown for being the only automaker mass-producing a super-fast electric car that requires no gas at all, the Model S P85D.