Porsche to Borrow Hybrid Technology From Volkswagen

Luxury need not come at environmental cost (depending upon your view of the environmental friendliness of hybrids, of course), what with Porsche reportedly borrowing technology from Volkswagen in order to develop hybrid versions of its sporty Cayenne SUV and Panamera four-door coupe.

Porsche has been licking its chops as it considers the possibilities inherent in its beefed-up partnership with Germany's largest automaker, and hybrid technology is just one of the many options on the table. Partnering with such a large force also means access to a large development team -- something Porsche couldn't afford as a small automaker with its sole focus on high-performance vehicles. Now, Porsche can offer the best of both worlds -- hybrid engines tuned for as much performance as feasibly possible.

The Panamera and Cayenne are the cars Porsche says it will offer as full hybrids, meaning that the vehicles can travel up to speeds of 20-25 miles per hour without kicking on the gasoline engine.

For the cynics, it may be of interest for us to mention that offering up hybrid vehicles would also have the benefit of lowering Porsche's emissions average, keeping it in the ballgame as governmental agencies throughout the world aren't exactly legislating in Porsche's favor.