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German magazine Sport Auto test the Porsche 918 Spyder: Acceleration 0 to 333 km/h.
The fastest ever road-going Porsche, with the weight-optimised 'Weissach' package fitted, accelerates from zero to 62 mph (100 km/h) in just 2.6 seconds, from zero to 124 mph (200 km/h) in 7.2 seconds, and passes the 186 mph (300 km/h) mark after 19.9 seconds.
Porsche are planning to expand their Cayenne SUV line-up with a uniquely styled coupé model. Design proposals for the new five-door liftback are described as already being at an advanced phase.
The Cayenne coupé will be positioned as a more sporting alternative to the regular Cayenne with a possible resemblanece to BMW's X6 coupe. It will receive a range of petrol and diesel engines, together with plug-in petrol-electric and diesel-electric hybrid powertrains.
It is one of up to seven new SUVs set to be developed on a new version of the VW Group’s MLB platform currently being engineered by Audi.
Source: Autocar
With the FIA having put the World Endurance Championship live TV coverage behind a pay-wall for 2014, we are indeed fortunate that enthusiastic Youtubers are willing to upload the entire 6 hours for those of us who prefer free TV.
There's no more popular saying in the world of motorsport than "racing improves the breed". Although in most cases, most racing series require strict rules on technology to keep races competitive and costs down, that's rarely the case.
The one place where automakers still push the limits of technology? The 24 Hours of Le Mans, which this year will feature three machines from Toyota, Audi and Porsche that offer radically different paths to cars of the future — hybrid, all-wheel-drive ones at that.
The favorite comes from Audi; they've won 12 times at Le Mans since 2000, and in one of the two races it didn't win the Audi machinery still won under the Bentley brand. The R18 e-tron quattro the company drove through the streets of western France earlier this week features the latest changes to the winning strategy, with a 4-liter, turbocharged V-6 diesel engine paired with a flywheel hybrid system for maximum fuel efficiency. That flywheel powers the front wheels, and a second system recaptures energy from the heat of the exhaust.
Toyota has been attempting to challenge Audi in endurance racing for a few years, making some progress and winning a couple of races, but never breaking through the German automaker's dominace. For this year's TS040 model, Toyota revised its entire system, adding a front-wheel-drive to the 3.7-liter V-8 supercapacitor powered hybrid from last year. In total, Toyota says the setup can generate nearly 1,000 hp, while using 25 percent less fuel than last year's vehicles as required by Le Mans rules for 2014.
The most interesting new model comes from Porsche, which hasn't raced in the top class at Le Mans for 16 years. The 919 Hybrid combines a battery pack and Formula 1-style hybrid energy system similar to what Porsche uses in the 918 supercar with a turbocharged V-4 engine — a configuration chosen to save weight and space. Porsche executives call the 919 the most complicated machine the company has ever built, and despite living under the same Volkswagen corporate roof as Audi, there's no apparent sharing between teams or slack in competition.
Porsche's new 919 Hybrid during testing for the World Endurance Championship at Circuit Paul Ricard in France. April 2014.
Porsche CEO Matthias Müller has confirmed the company is considering an electric vehicle.
Speaking to Auto Motor und Sport, Müller said "Yes, of course we think about it." The executive went on to say he isn't a fan of range-extended electric vehicles but he's open to pure electric models.
He believes the range needs to be at least 300 km (187 miles) to be practical with 400 km (250 miles) being the preferred option.
Source: Auto Motor und Sport
At the Geneva International Motor Show, the new Porsche 919 Hybrid is celebrating its world premiere for the top class of the 2014 World Endurance Championship (WEC). The hybrid prototype will enter all eight races of the WEC, whose season highlight will be the 24 hours of Le Mans.
Matthias Muller, Chairman of Porsche AG: "Crucial in the development of the Le Mans prototype were the newly created and revolutionary racing rules for this class as they relate to energy efficiency. In 2014, it will not be the fastest car that wins the World Endurance Championship series and the 24 hours of Le Mans, rather it will be the car that goes the furthest with a defined amount of energy. And it is precisely this challenge that carmakers must overcome. The 919 Hybrid is our fastest mobile research laboratory and the most complex race car that Porsche has ever built."
The high efficiency of the Porsche 919 Hybrid is the result of a balanced overall concept. From the combustion engine to the energy recovery systems, suspension and chassis, aerodynamics and driver ergonomics, the sum of the components form an incredibly efficient unit for maximum performance. The drive system is based on a 4-cylinder gasoline engine that is compact and lightweight. The 2.0 liter V-engine is a structural component of the chassis, and reaches a maximum engine speed of approximately 9,000 rpm. It features direct injection, a single turbocharger and thermodynamic recovery capabilities. The compact unit outputs around 500 hp.
Two different energy recovery systems harness energy to replenish the batteries and provide power. The first system is the innovative recovery of thermal energy by an electric generator powered by exhaust gases. The second hybrid system is a motor on the front axle utilizing brake recuperation to convert kinetic energy into electric energy. The electric energy is then stored in water-cooled lithium-ion battery packs and when the driver needs the stored power, the front motor drives the two front wheels through a differential during acceleration. This gives the Porsche 919 Hybrid a temporary all-wheel drive system, because the gasoline engine directs power to the rear wheels, just like the 918 Spyder.
A new Porsche team of over 200 employees was formed to develop and implement the development center in Weissach. Friedrich Enzinger, Head of LMP1: "Within two and one half years we built the infrastructure, assembled our team and put this highly complex race car on wheels. We have the greatest respect for the lead our competitors have in racing experience. Our objective in the first year is simple: to finish races and be competitive."
Romain Dumas (France), Neel Jani (Switzerland) and Marc Lieb (Germany) will share driving duties in the Porsche 919 Hybrid with number 14. Car number 20 will be driven by Timo Bernhard (Germany), Brendon Hartley (New Zealand) and Mark Webber (Australia).
Carlos Lago of Ignition tests the Porsche 918 Spyder in Spain.
Boasting an electric motor on the front axle and a parallel hybrid setup for the rear, this hypercar produces a combined 874 hp and 944 lb-ft of torque and aims to set a new precedent for performance and efficiency. To this end, it has dizzying amount of motorsports-derived technology -- its carbon fiber passenger tub, engine, and chassis are derived from the concepts that created the RS Spyder ALMS racecar -- but its European test cycle fuel economy results are comparable to the Toyota Yaris Hybrid's.
Porsche's all-new LeMans contender will feature a turbocharged V4 2.0-liter direct-injection gasoline engine.
The 919 Hybrid marks Porsche's comeback in the world of LMP1 racing and according to Autocar it has a turbocharged 16-valve 2.0-litre direct-injection V4 configuration already confirmed. It is believed Porsche opted for this configuration for packaging reasons to enable the best possible position for installing the hybrid drive system.
This petrol engine works with two energy recuperation systems called KERS and ERS which will store the energy in a battery pack until the driver presses a button to deploy it to the front wheels through an electric motor. It should be noted the V4 engine will power the rear wheels while the battery is of the lithium-ion type and has been provided by A123 Systems from United States.
Behind the wheel of the Porsche 919 Hybrid will be Mark Webber, Neel Jani, Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas, Marc Lieb and Brendon Hartley. The vehicle will receive its racing debut on April 20 when the 2014 WEC starts at Silverstone Six Hours.
In 2014 all three works hybrid teams - Audi, Toyota and Porsche - will run All-Wheel-Drive powertrains at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (14-15 June).
Source: autocar.co.uk
Despite rumours of faster, more-powerful and even 4 door version of the Bugatti Veyron, company boss Dr Wolfgang Schreiber has exclusively revealed to Top Gear none of the above will become reality.
With McLaren's P1, Porsche 918 and LaFerrari hypercars all sporting battery powered assistance, what's the brief for the next Veyron? Will the Veyron, like it's rivals utilise hybrid power in pursuit of ultimate speed?
"Maybe," smiles Dr Schreiber. "But it's too early to open the door and show you what we have planned".
We'll take that as a "Yes".
