Porsche 911 GT3R... HYBRID?!!!!!!!?

Before I head home for the night, working graveyards is sooo much fun. I'd like to spot light one of Porsche's new ideas. The 911 GT3R HYBRID. That's right folks Hybrid. Porsche has taken their beloved 911 frame and taken this "Green" attitude to the heart of the race track. Leave it to Porsche to make a high powered Hybrid and put it to it's first test in nothing less than the famous Nurburgring 24-hour race! Out of 200 cars, this was the only Hybrid.

This is truly an amazing machine. Utilizing a rear-mounted, 480-hp 4.0-liter flat-six in conjunction with two electric motors that drive the front wheels. Sitting in the space normally reserved for the passenger seat sits a flywheel, which harnesses kinetic energy under braking and can spin upwards of 40,000 rpm. Once enough energy is stored, the system lets loose up 160 horsepower to the front wheels in six to eight second bursts that are controlled by a steering wheel-mounted button. Much like the normal Hybrid on the roads of America this energy is created though break power. Just think.. Flying around the track and while breaking for each cornor you are gaining more raw energy to power through the up coming straight away.

 

Above, a diagram showing the workings of major components in this amazing machine. You can see that the general idea is close to what a road going hybrid uses today. Exept for the flywheel sitting in the passenger side seat, I wonder, could it be louder than my Ex nagging at me from the passenger seat? 

Porsche has set no release date for a road going version but has tested this car extensively so far. There are many videos on youtube and you can tell they are proud of the direction they are going with this. Race dates have been set the U.S. competing at Road Atlanta on Oct. 2 Since the GT regulations have no laws for Hybrid technology, Porsche will not be competing for points but using this as a rolling laboratory so to speak as they are still working on their Hybrid drive trains . This will sure mark for an intersting event in the Petit Le Mans series.

Rumors say, 2012 will mark a factory capacity return to Le Mans with a race car that uses technology similar to that in the 911 GT3 R Hybrid. Porsche, your new Porsche Intelligent Performance as raised the mark in not only the racing world but for cars all around. I salute you.

If you'd like to see the Nurburgring 24-hour video, here it is!