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Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid (2010)

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In 2010, Porsche returned to the visionary “Mixte” drive concept. The sports car manufacturer once again used the race track as a test laboratory and, after more than 20,000 victories, opened a new chapter in the extraordinarily successful motorsports history of the Porsche 911 with the 911 GT3 R Hybrid.

The hybrid system developed specifically for use in the 911 GT3 R test vehicle differed significantly from traditional concepts at that time. A front-axle drive with two electric motors that each provided 60 kW (82 hp) supplemented the 480 hp and 4.0 litre six-cylinder flat engine in the rear. In the Evo version introduced in 2011, each of the two permanently activated synchronous motors contributed 75 kW (102 hp). In braking phases the electric units reversed their function and worked as generators. As a result, they regained kinetic energy that otherwise would have been dispersed as waste heat. So, for the first time in motor racing it can be said: Whoever brakes, wins.

The recuperated energy drove a mechanical flywheel energy storage system in the form of another electric motor which – together with other hybrid components – was located in a carbon-fibre safety cell in the passenger space. The system was designed and manufactured by Williams Hybrid Power according to Porsche’s specifications, and achieved rotation speeds of 40,000 rpm. If the driver called up the energy saved there, for example for additional acceleration thrust or overtaking manoeuvres, the flywheel was electromagnetically decelerated in generator mode. As a result, the two electric motors on the front axle initially received enough current to provide additional power of 120 kW (163 hp), and 150 kW (204 hp) from 2011, for up to eight seconds. As a result, the 911 GT3 R Hybrid was temporarily transformed into an all-wheel drive vehicle.

Depending on the racing situation, Porsche could use the hybrid drive to improve either performance or consumption. This made it possible for strategists to choose between a lower tank weight or more laps between two pit stops. Although a victory by the 911 GT3 R Hybrid at the 24-hour race on the Nürburgring was not the primary goal, the innovative technology champion almost succeeded in doing this at its premiere in 2010. The orange-white 911 GT3 R Hybrid retired after 22 hours and 15 minutes with a mechanical defect in the combustion engine. At this time, it had been defending its lead for eight hours, proving that the hybrid technology developed by Porsche is extremely competitive on the race track and represents a significant advantage in the sense of “Porsche Intelligent Performance”. In the same year, the 911 GT3 R Hybrid completed the endurance races in Road Atlanta (USA) and Zhuhai (China) without any problems. During the 24 Hours of Nürburgring in 2011, the hybrid racing car experienced interim problems in its mechanical drive, but was then able to catch up and cross the finish line in 28th place.