Porsche has been developing its first-ever hybrid-engine 911 sports car, which will be launched later this month. For anyone still doubting whether a part-battery 911 can still be a ‘true’ 911, maybe the lap times will convince…
Faster than before
In fact, Porsche claims that during development and testing, the prototype hybrid 911 set a lap time around the famous and infamous Nurburgring Nordschleife race track that was a full 8.7secs faster than its non-hybrid predecessor. While lap-times aren’t everything, it certainly means that this is no sluggish hybrid.
5m kilometres of testing
“For the first time in our icon’s 61-year history, we are installing a hybrid drive system in a road-going 911. This innovative performance hybrid makes the 911 even more dynamic,” says Frank Moser, Porsche’s man in charge of the 911 and 718 model developments. “We left nothing to chance during development and tested the new 911 under all sorts of conditions all over the world. From the freezing cold to scorching heat, as was the case during the final stages of testing in Dubai. Whether at a high drivetrain load in the demanding conditions of mountain passes or in the stop-and-go traffic of an urban environment, the new 911 has mastered even the most difficult challenges with aplomb. All in all, our engineers and test drivers clocked up more than five million kilometres of development driving.”
Standard tyres and aero kit
Porsche ambassador and former Daytona 24hrs winner Jorg Bergmeister performed the hot lap around the' Ring' ring. The new hybrid 911 was fitted with standard road tyres, an optional aero body kit and a fixed rear wing, which has been available for the 911 from the options list for some time now. In Bergmeister’s steady hands, the hybrid 911 set a lap time of 7:16.934.
“The new 911 has become considerably faster on the track,” says Bergmeister. “We have more grip, significantly more power, and the spontaneous response of the performance hybrid is a great advantage.”
We don’t know the full technical details of the 911 hybrid yet, but all will be revealed on the 28th of May when Porsche shows off its new part-battery sports car in full.
