Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Porsche approves development of third-generation 911 GT3 R Hybrid]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/21/porsche-approves-development-of-third-generation-911-gt3-r-hybri/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/21/porsche-approves-development-of-third-generation-911-gt3-r-hybri/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/21/porsche-approves-development-of-third-generation-911-gt3-r-hybri/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,



Porsche has announced that it will continue development on its innovative 911 GT3 R Hybrid, delivering a new third-generation model in 2012 in an effort "...to gain extra practical experience under racing conditions and make the hybrid drive even more efficient."

The rolling race laboratory, as the automaker prefers to call it, ran the 2011 season in second-generation trim. That version used a 470 horsepower gasoline-powered 4.0-liter flat-six to drive the rear wheels and 202 horsepower worth of electric motors to drive the front wheels - with electricity generated by a 36,000 rpm flywheel mounted on the passenger side of the cabin. With a curb weight of just 2,866 pounds and total system power of 672 horsepower, the all-wheel-drive Porsche GT3 R Hybrid 2.0 accelerated to 60 mph in about 2.5 seconds.

We drove Porsche's 911 GT3 R Hybrid 2.0 at the famed Estoril race circuit outside of Lisbon, Portugal, just last month. Despite the second-generation model being the answer to all of our enthusiast prayers, we assume Porsche will reduce the overall weight of the system, increase the duration of the boost and reduce the deafening noise level in the cabin. There's always room for improvement.

While we don't expect the 911 GT3 R Hybrid 3.0 to be there, Porsche's factory-supported teams kick off the 2012 season in 911 GT3 Cup cars at the Rolex 24 at Daytona in late January.

Continue reading Porsche approves development of third-generation 911 GT3 R Hybrid

Porsche approves development of third-generation 911 GT3 R Hybrid originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Dec 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>911flywheelgt3 hybridgt3 r hybridhybrid gt3porscheporsche 911 gt3porsche 911 gt3 hybridporsche 911 gt3 r hybrid 3.0porsche hybridWed, 21 Dec 2011 11:30:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20132054/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2011/12/21/porsche-approves-development-of-third-generation-911-gt3-r-hybri/20132054/article-detail.xml 20132054 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/12/16-porsche-911-628_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/12/16-porsche-911-628.jpg <![CDATA[Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid 2.0]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/11/15/porsche-911-gt3-r-hybrid-2-0-first-drive-review/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/11/15/porsche-911-gt3-r-hybrid-2-0-first-drive-review/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/11/15/porsche-911-gt3-r-hybrid-2-0-first-drive-review/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

A Flywheel-Equipped Race Car Leaves Us Whirring for More



Spinning at 36,000 revolutions per minute just two feet from my right thigh, a 31-pound flywheel is screaming like a five-horsepower Shop-Vac with the filter removed. The sound pierces the composite shell of my racing helmet and drills through my form-fitted foam earplugs before painfully slamming into my eardrums.

Yet despite the aching annoyance, I welcome and embrace the high-pitched drone. It means, in the simplest terms, that the monster inside this ballistic carbon fiber cocoon is not only awake, but completely energized.

With a stab of the throttle, the kinetic energy in the spinning flywheel is automatically exchanged for electricity - the charged ions power two strong electric motors on the front axle. Instantaneously bestowed with 200 torque-laden horsepower, the sticky Michelin slicks claw at the pavement with a vengeance. I clench the wheel as the carbon-fiber bodied race car lunges forward with more accelerative force than an F-16 fighter jet at takeoff power.

Welcome to the driver's seat of the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid 2.0.

Continue reading Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid 2.0

Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid 2.0 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Nov 2011 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>+porsche+gt3+r+hybrid+911911+gt3+r+hybrid911gt3rhybridestoril race circuitfeaturedfirst driveFirstDrivegt3 hybrid race cargt3 r hybridgt3 r hybrid 2.0hybrid 2.0hybrid 911hybrid porscheporscheporsche 911 gt3 hybridporsche 911 gt3 r hybrid 2.0porsche gt3 r hybridporsche gt3 r hybrid 2.0porsche hybrid 2.0porsche hybrid race carporsche+911+gt3+r+hybridporsche+911+hybridporsche+gte+r+hybridporsche+hybridporsche911gt3rhybridporsche911hybridporschegterhybridporschehybridTue, 15 Nov 2011 11:57:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20106240/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2011/11/15/porsche-911-gt3-r-hybrid-2-0-first-drive-review/20106240/article-detail.xml 20106240 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/11/06-porsche-911-gt3-hybrid-fd-opt_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/11/06-porsche-911-gt3-hybrid-fd-opt.jpg <![CDATA[2011 24 hours of Nürburgring: Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid 2.0 punished with restriction]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/06/25/2011-24-hours-of-nurburgring-porsche-911-gt3-r-hybrid-2-0-punis/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/06/25/2011-24-hours-of-nurburgring-porsche-911-gt3-r-hybrid-2-0-punis/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/06/25/2011-24-hours-of-nurburgring-porsche-911-gt3-r-hybrid-2-0-punis/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

911 GT3 Hybrid
Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid - Click above for high-res image gallery

After leading the 2011 24 Hours of Nürburgring race for eight hours last year, the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid was forced to retire after its combustion engine's valve spring failed less than two hours before the race's conclusion. This year, the team returned with a revised hybrid system that weighs about 20 percent less and delivers about 40 more horsepower. It proved very competitive, as the GT3 R Hybrid 2.0 won the VLN race at this circuit just three weeks ago.

As a result, and with just over a week before the famed 24-hour Nürburgring event, organizers chose to slap an air intake restrictor on the combustion engine, knocking it down to 448 horsepower (last year's engine was rated 480). Calculated over one lap, the 911 GT3 R Hybrid 2.0 now delivers a lower system output than last year's vehicle with a combustion engine, says Porsche.

The team and drivers are understandably frustrated with this last-minute ruling. Not only does it reduce top speed on the straights, but it forces to drivers to push the the hybrid powertrain much harder just to stay competitive. With the handicap, the GT3 R Hybrid qualified 18th. "This further reduction in performance by the organizers is incomprehensible to us," says Porsche Head of Motorsport, Hartmut Kristen. "There are no data from the two test races as part of the 2011 Nürburgring Long Distance Championship that would provide the basis for such a grading."

The 39th edition of the Nürburgring 24 hour race starts on Saturday June at 4:00 PM CET (10:00 AM EDT).

Continue reading 2011 24 hours of Nürburgring: Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid 2.0 punished with restriction

2011 24 hours of Nürburgring: Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid 2.0 punished with restriction originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 25 Jun 2011 08:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Facebook Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid - Click above for high-res image gallery

To commemorate its social media milestone of surpassing one million fans on Facebook (its fan page is currently at 1,502,860 members), Porsche has created this special edition of the 911 GT3 R Hybrid complete with the signatures of over 27,000 Porsche fans. The car makes its North American debut this week at the New York Auto Show before it goes on display inside the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart.

Porsche's hybrid racer packs 480 horsepower from its 4.0-liter flat-six engine and is matched with two 80-hp electric motors. The German automaker recently tested the hybrid system's capability during the 2010 24 Hours of Nürburgring, and Porsche firmly believes that hybrid performance cars like this foreshadow the future of racing.


Gallery: Facebook Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid: New York 2011


Photos copyright (C)2011 Drew Phillips / AOL

New York 2011: Facebook Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid is easy to Like originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autocar gets the Porsche GT3 R Hybrid on track - Click above to watch video after the jump

Autocar's Steve Sutcliffe and Top Gear magazine spent a day lapping the Porsche GT3 R Hybrid down straights and over the kerbs, and they both caught the action in moving images. Sutcliffe gives running commentary on what it's like to drive, notably explaining how he has to make sure not to add that extra 160-horsepower electric boost coming out of corners.

Of course, if you prefer your videos strong and silent, then the Top Gear vid is for you - nothing but the sound of the racer doing its thing. Grab your popcorn and follow the jump.


Gallery: Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid at 2010 Nürburgring 24 Hours


[Sources: Autocar, Top Gear]

Continue reading Video: Autocar and Top Gear test out the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid

Video: Autocar and Top Gear test out the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Jul 2010 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>autocargt3 r hybridGt3RHybridPorsche 911 GT3 R HybridPorsche911Gt3RHybridSteve SutcliffeSteveSutcliffetop gearTopGearFri, 09 Jul 2010 12:59:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19545959/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/07/09/video-autocar-and-top-gear-test-out-the-porsche-911-gt3-r-hybri/19545959/article-detail.xml 19545959 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/07/porschegt3rhyrbidtrack_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/07/porschegt3rhyrbidtrack.jpg <![CDATA[Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid competes first shakedown at the 'Ring [w/video]]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/26/porsche-911-gt3-r-hybrid-competes-first-shakedown-at-the-ring/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/26/porsche-911-gt3-r-hybrid-competes-first-shakedown-at-the-ring/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/26/porsche-911-gt3-r-hybrid-competes-first-shakedown-at-the-ring/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Nico Hülkenberg drives the Porsche GT3 R Hybrid - Click above to watch video after the jump

Nico Hülkenberg introduced the Porsche GT3 R Hybrid to a few of his friends past week, one named "baptism," the other named "fire." The Williams Formula 1 pilot got behind the wheel of the orange-and-white racer to get it ready for the Nülkenberg 24-hour race next month. How did that pairing come together? Nico's employer, Williams, makes the flywheel generator used on the race car.

Have a look at the high-res gallery below for some frozen moments, or follow the jump for the press release and excellent scenes of the GT3 R Hybrid jostling over the 'Ring's mid-corner bumps.


Gallery: Nico Hülkenberg and the Porsche GT3 R Hybrid


[Sources: Porsche, YouTube]

Continue reading Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid competes first shakedown at the 'Ring [w/video]

Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid competes first shakedown at the 'Ring [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Porsche GT3 R Hybrid on-track - Click above to watch video

Turns out that pics of the Porsche GT3 R Hybrid among all those snowbanks aren't completely make-believe. The dual-powered racer takes its next turn in a promo video racing among those snow-powdered kerbs and a little CGI, but there's no denying it's a pretty mover. Follow the jump for the vid, and stay tuned for more comprehensive views of it from the Geneva Motor Show.

[Source: Porsche]

Continue reading Video: Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid takes to the track

Video: Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid takes to the track originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 14 Feb 2010 13:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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