km : Automotive News

We love how Porsche seems to be late to a new technology, but then dives into the old history books and pulls out a fact or two to show that actually, the company was quite far ahead. This was the case with dual-clutch transmissions, which most people will credit to Volkswagen and Audi, with the TT and GTI. No no--Porsche raced with a similar transmission for a few years in the '80s. The same is true of hybrids, which most will equate with Toyotas. But actually, Ferdinand Porsche created the world's first hybrid exactly 110 years ago, the Lohner Porsche Semper Vivus.

Of course, it wasn't exactly a quick evolution from Semper Vivus to this new 911 GT3 R Hybrid, but we'll give Porsche some credit for being a century ahead of the rest, even if the company is also a touch behind the current hybrid curve. But man, is this new hybrid odd.

The GT3 R doesn't have batteries. Instead, it has a flywheel generator mounted on the passenger side of the cabin. It is, itself, an electric motor that spins at speeds up to 40,000 rpm, storing energy mechanically as rotating energy. It is charged whenever the brakes are applied, with the two electric motors at the front wheels working as generators. The flywheel generator then works as a sort of nitrous boost, as it can be used while overtaking or exiting a corner to deliver an added boost of acceleration for 6-8 seconds.



In essence, this hybrid works by simply saving all the energy that would otherwise be wasted as heat during braking. The two motors drive the front wheels, while a 480-hp flat six drives the rears, just like any other 911. The new system not only provides added power, but should also save a bit of fuel, allowing racers to stay out longer between fuel stops. Or opt for a smaller fuel tank, saving a bit of weight.

After the 911 GT3 R Hybrid debuts in Geneva, it will be sent off to be tested on endurance runs at the Nurburgring. More interestingly, it will compete in the annual 24 hours race at that same track. Porsche doesn't expect it to win that race, but the engineers behind the car do hope it will be a learning experience that will help speed the process of transitioning this experiment into a series production vehicle. But if it does win that race, that'd be pretty good for not only Porsche, but hybrids everywhere.

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