The new 911 GT3 R endurance racer from Porsche is being treated at as a 'racing laboratory' by the German firm, with a new hybrid version due to be unveiled next month.
Two electric motors are used to power the front wheels, each with 80bhp, in addition to the 4.0-litre, 480bhp flat-six that drives the rear wheels. The electric motors are supplied with power from a generator attached to the engine's flywheel that spins at up to 40,000rpm. This is stored as kinetic energy that is then used when the driver needs an extra boost of acceleration or traction from the front wheels.
The front wheels can also help generate electricity by recouping energy when the 911 GT3 R is braking. On a full charge, there are six to eight seconds of hybrid power available to the driver.
Porsche says that using hybrid power in the GT3 R endurance racer makes perfect sense as it helps fuel economy. This means the 911 can travel further between fuel stops. Using the hybrid power also means the 911's fuel tank can be smaller, which saves weight.
After its
Geneva show debut, the 911 GT3 R hybrid will spend most of its time testing at the Nürburgring ahead of its first race at the same circuit. The racer's inaugural event will be a gruelling 24-hour endurance race.
Information and experience gathered from the 911 GT3 R hybrid racer will be used by Porsche to provide knowledge for the firm's road-going hybrid cars. Porsche will unveil its Cayenne Hybrid, the company's first hybrid road car, at the same time as the 911 GT3 R at the
Geneva motor show in May.
Alisdair Suttie - 11 Feb 2010