Clearly aimed at closed course performance, Porsche’s new 918 RSR combines the automaker’s 911 GT3 R Hybrid powertrain with a top-up version of the more svelte 918 Spyder to create a mid-engined high-zoot machine.
Porsche says that the 918 RSR will prove its worth as a “racing laboratory,” so while its innovations aren’t set to appear on any production car yet, their arrival is imminent. The 918 RSR builds on Porsche’s tradition as a builder of long-distance race car by following in the footsteps of the automaker’s 908 long-tail coupe and 917 short-tail coupe. Its number 22 badging recalls Dr. Helmut Marko and Gijs van Lennep’s successful bid at winning the 1971 Le Mans 24 Hour race in a 917. That victory – 3,315 miles at an average of 138.13 mph – was not topped until 2010.
Swathed in a unique “liquid metal chrome blue” with orange touches, the 918 RSR features an especially light and stiff carbon fiber-reinforced plastic monocoque design. It features a 563-horsepower V8 that delivers peak power at a race car-like 10,300 rpm. Two electric motors on the front wheels contribute 75kW each, driving power up to a total of 767 horsepower.
The two electric motors tucked away inside the front wheels are capable of varying torque from side to side to improve steering response and agility. The mid-mounted V8 sends its power to the wheels through a six-speed constant-mesh transmission operated by a pair of steering column-mounted paddle levers.
Inside, its interior is designed to evoke “gentleman racers” of the past, with a sparse design accented by leather touches. A flywheel accumulator – which stores power during braking and rotates at up to 36,000 rpm – is mounted where a passenger seat would go. Porsche says that the flywheel accumulator adds power for eight seconds with of speed bursts, much like in the 911 GT3 R Hybrid.
Don’t look for the 918 RSR to make production quite like the concept car presented at the 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, but this high-performance race car will probably take to the track in the near future. Its hybrid powertrain will also likely make its way into production cars – albeit tuned to a rather less-manic state.
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