Tag: Hybrid

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BMW Green Machines

600hp+ BMW M8 hybrid sports car rumour emerges

BMW M8 dash graphic

Yesterday we posted a BMW promo clip that may have given us a sneak peak at their upcoming front-wheel drive 0 Series platform. Well, also included was this seemingly innocent dash graphic, clearly labelled with an M8 model designation. So what the hell is an M8?

The battery recharge graphic and EfficientDynamics text give an indication that it could be a production version of last year’s Vision EfficientDynamics concept car. Further speculation has appeared this morning suggesting possible engine specs too.

Whereas the concept model had a diesel hybrid the M8 could be powered by a more conventional petrol-electric combination. The donor engine is said to come from the E60 M5. So, that’s 507 horsepower to start with thanks very much. Added to that would be a pair of electric motors, one at each axle; 80hp to the front and 60hp to the rear. Apparently, the front motor can boost power to 11hp for small bursts.

In all-electric mode the M8 would have a modest range of 50km. On the plus side recharging back to full power takes a relatively short two and a half hours.

Performance for the M8 is said to be blistering, with a sub four second 0-100km/h time anticipated. Fuel consumption should be under 4l/100km, as well.

All we need to see now are some new renderings and spy shots. Supposedly renderings from BMW are imminent and a market release for the M8 could take place in 2013.

[Source: World Car Fans]

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Green Machines Porsche

If Porsche builds it, they will buy it

Porsche 918 Spyder

The wonderful looking Porsche 918 Spyder which debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in March is one step closer to reality according to a report published by Bloomberg.

Speaking last week at Auto China in Beijing, Wolfgang Duerheimer, Porsche development boss, said, “I’m confident that we will soon reach the threshold of 1,000. We need 1,000 seriously interested people to make a sound business case.”

Porsche say they already have 900 expressions of interest so I guess this one is done and dusted. Lock in the 918 Spyder for series production and look for it a Porsche dealer near you in the next year or so.

All that’s left to be answered is how green is a car that offers up a maximum of 730bhp, but only has a full zero emissions range of 25km? To be fair, the hybrid powered 918 can achieve a fuel consumption rating of 3l/100km when tested against latest Euro standards. And CO2 emissions from the same test are as low as 70g/km. Yeah, go on, I’d have one too.

Although, perhaps a bigger question remains; will a variation of the 918’s 3.4 litre V8 ever find its way into a 911 chassis? Nah, that’d never happen, would it?

[Source: Bloomberg.com]

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Porsche

Nico Hülkenberg makes Nürburgring debut in Porsche Hybrid

Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid & Nico Hulkenberg

Williams F1 driver Nico Hülkenberg has driven the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid around the Nürburgring Nordschleife ahead of the third round in the VLN championship.

It was the first time “The Hulk” had driven around the Ring in a tin top racecar and speaking after his drive he said, “This circuit is unique—you can’t compare it to any other track in the world. This is certainly not the last time I’ll drive here. Surprisingly, in the slow corners, the 911 is not far off a Formula 1 car. The mechanical grip is impressive.”

Hülkenberg’s opportunity came about due to Williams Hybrid Power supplying the electromechanical flywheel system used in the GT3 R Hybrid. The unit provides energy recovery, storage and distribution found in the car.

More pics, video and Porsche press release after the jump.

[Thanks to Obi for the tip]

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Motorsports Porsche

Hey this Hybrid thing might just work

Porsche 911 GT3R Hybrid

Earlier this year when news broke about the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid there were a few sceptics around suggesting the car would be a triumph of marketing over substance. That may yet prove to be the case, but, for now, Porsche’s working Hybrid experiment is showing good early signs.

In a four hour endurance race at the Nürburgring on the weekend the GT3 R Hybrid finished third, behind the current Nürburgring 24 hour champions from Manthey Racing and an Audi R8 LMS. That’s some good company for a car like this to be keeping in its first season of racing.

The secret to the Hydbrid’s good showing was its ability to stay out on track longer. Most cars pitted three times during the race, the Hybrid just twice.

Works driver Joerg Bergmeister said, “The hybrid system clearly helped us to save fuel. Moreover, it’s a great feeling to have those extra 120 kW from the electric motors when you accelerate out of the corners.”

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Motor Shows Volkswagen

Geneva: Volkswagen wants to dominate hybrid market

Volkswagen Golf Hybrid due in 2013

Volkswagen have announced at the Geneva Motor Show that they want in on the hybrid vehicle market. And they want in in a big way. In 2013 Volkswagen will launch hybrid models of the volume-selling Golf and Jetta models. A move VW expects will lead them to “dominate the hybrid and electric vehicle market”.

Indeed, Volkswagen’s Chairman, Professor Martin Winterkorn, has stated, “The goal is to become the market leader in E-mobility by the year 2018.

“We will take the hybrid out of its niche status with our high-volume models. In the future, the heart of the brand will also beat with electricity.”

The move to mass market penetration will begin next year when Volkswagen releases an evaulation fleet of 500 Golf hybrids. Volkswagen also expects electric drive technology to filter across all of its group brands.

Of course, Volkswagen have already dipped their tow into the hybrid market with the new Touareg. Audi, too, has it’s e-tron lineup. And the Porsche 918 Spyder is the undisputed star of the Geneva Motor Show so far.

More after the break.

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Green Machines Porsche

VIDEO: Porsche hybrid drive promo

Porsche Hybrid promo

Following today’s earlier news about the 918 Spyder plug-in hybrid comes this 12 minute promo on Porsche’s hybrid technologies. Shown below, in two parts, the videos give a great introduction to the way Porsche is utilising a number of different theories to add hybrid systems to their cars via their Porsche Intelligent Performance initiative.

Also shown in the clip is the 911 GT3 R Hybrid and the Cayenne S Hybrid. Not sure about anyone else, but I am already counting down the days until the GT3 R Hybrid makes its race debut at the Nürburgring 24 hour race. Oh, there’s 74 sleeps to go, by the way.

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Motor Shows Porsche

Geneva: Porsche 918 Spyder with hybrid drive

Porsche 918 Spyder

Just a couple of months after Porsche CEO Michael Macht declared they didn’t want hybrid technology in their sportscars comes this superb looking 918 Spyder concept model. Announced at the Geneva Motor Show, the 918 Spyder features a race-inspired 500hp V8 and is supplemented by 230hp of electric power.

The 918  joins the GT3 R Hybrid announced last month. Add in the Cayenne S Hybrid and you now have three Porsche model lines featuring hybrid technology.

Back to the 918 Spyder, though, and, well it is clearly the most stunning of the trio. All that power is said to propel the car to 100km/h in around 3.2 seconds. Proving further that hybrid doesn’t mean slow and steady wins the race, the 918 can (supposedly) lap the Nürburgring Nordschleife in under 7 minutes 30 seconds. Faster than a Carrera GT, no less.

When you’re not exploiting all that power, Porsche reckon you can return a fuel consumption figure of 3l/100km with CO2 emissions of just 70g/km.

Pretty tidy numbers all round for a mid-engined two-seater with a very tasty 3.4-litre V8 from the RS Spyder racecar.

Check the pics and press release after the jump.

UPDATE 3 March: Two new “next spark” promo videos featuring the Porsche 918 Spyder have been added below.

UPDATE 29 July: Porsche have confirmed the 918 will go into limited series production.

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