Porsche 911 GT3, 911 GT 3 RS, and Boxster Spyder buyers will have the option of a lithium ion starter battery from next year.

The battery pack has the improvement of weighing just 6kg – 10kg less than average lead battery. It is as long and wide as a standard battery, but 7cm lower. The battery is delivered as a separate unit together with the car, and owners can switch between the two set-ups because the lithium ion unit will only work between 0 and 32 degrees centigrade.

Porsche states the lithium ion battery has many benefits over a standard lead unit, including allowing a significantly greater number of charging and discharging cycles, plus self-discharging less and having a longer service life.