Porsche’s 911 GT3 R Hybrid Version 2.0

Last year in the Nürburgring 24 Hour race, Porsche's 911 GT3 R Hybrid held the lead for more than eight hours before problems unrelated to the hybrid system saw it relegated through the field. The organizer of the event thought the performance potential of the vehicle was so auspicious that for this year it crippled the rear-mounted petrol engine's performance to just 448 bhp. So Porsche built a completely new vehicle to the same design around the new regulations, lowered the weight, upped the electrical drive to the front wheels to 200 bhp and set out to run the same lap times. Not only did it achieve the same lap times, it delivered even better fuel consumption, and four hours after the start of this year's race, it hit the lead once more ...

It's not surprising that the car cruised into the lead at this year's race around the "green hell", given the additional front wheel torque to haul the car out of corners and a quartet of Porsche works drivers - Joerg Bergmeister (Germany), Richard Lietz (Austria), Marco Holzer (Germany) and Patrick Long (USA) - but once again fate played a role and although the hybrid system functioned perfectly, unrelated problems crippled the challenge.

Porsche taking orders for the plug-in-hybrid 918 Spyder

First shown as a concept at the Geneva Motor Show 2010, Porsche's highly innovative and deliciously proportioned Hybrid 918 Spyder is now available for order. Powered by a 500 hp V8 assisted by two electric motors, no more than 918 units of the new two-seater supercar will be made with production slated to begin in September 2013. The asking price: US$845,000.

The 918 Spyder;'s plug-in hybrid system is made up of a mid-mounted, 4.0 liter, 500 hp V8 engine based on the Porsche RS Spyder racing engine combined with two electric motors – one on each axle – which add another 218 hp to the package.

Despite this wealth of horsepower, Porsche estimates that the 918 Spyder will consume just 3.0 L/100 km based on the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC).

World's first hybrid goes on show - 111Years later....

We're a little non-plussed on Porsche's announcement of a reconstructed Semper Vivus, which it is claiming was presented at the Paris Show of 1900. There's a video of the construction of the vehicle, but it is at odds with previous Porsche historic information on the Lohner Porsche and the normally fastidious Porsche press department hasn't issued any details of the Semper Vivus


The Semper Vivus was a series electric hybrid with its two engines charging the batteries and Porsche electric hub motors delivering the power. More details as they come to hand, though an excellent photo gallery in the meantime.

Before we get to the full write-up, there's also an announcement by Porsche that the "Semper Vivus was the first dual-power vehicle in the history of mankind – for starters we're aware of the sail-and-steam-powered armored warship HMS Warrior, circa 1860. Surely there are others?