RE: 919 Hybrid drives through London!
Tuesday 27th September 2016
Hopefully it looked as bizarre to other road users as it did from the pavement. Even with knowledge of what was going to happen it looked completely absurd. This morning, with a little bit of help from Her Majesty's Metropolitan Police, Mark Webber drove a Porsche 919 through central London. A Le Mans-winning sports prototype mingling with the early commuters on a Tuesday morning; it really was as audacious and fantastic as that sounds.
The pictures should give you some idea of what an incredible sight it was, the 919 seemingly about as high as most car's door handles and what felt like 10 times louder. With the sun attempting to rise and Big Ben in the background from our viewpoint, it made for quite some spectacle. An early alarm call hasn't been this worth it since Le Mans!
Now this wouldn't be a modern Porsche without a multitude of driving modes; this Panamera brings new hybrid options in addition to the usual Sport and Sport Plus. The car starts out in E-Power, running on pure electric, but there is also the choice of Hybrid Auto (for the most efficient balance of power sources), E-Hold (which will maintain the current level of charge for if the journey ends in a low-emission zone) and E-Charge (where the engine is used to charge the battery).
919 Hybrid drives through London!
It's certainly one way to get people excited about a new Panamera Hybrid...
But this wasn't simply a 'because we could' exercise from Porsche. Shadowing the 919 - not that anyone seemed to notice - was the new Panamera 4 Hybrid, the logic of course being that the lessons taken from the track can be incorporated into the latest roadgoing hybrid.
Tenuous though the link will always seem, the latest petrol-electric Panamera does produce some compelling numbers. The twin-turbo 2.9-litre V6 is supplemented by a 136hp electric motor for a total of 462hp, plus 516lb ft also. Porsche claims 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds, 171mph and 56g/km. Interestingly the pure electric range is 31 miles (50km) at a speed of up to 86mph (140kph). The combined power output is available at all times too, as opposed to previous Panamera Hybrids where the throttle had to be depressed 80 per cent.
If you're using a plug to charge the battery, Porsche claims a full replenishment will take 5.8 hours via a 230v, 10A connection. With an optional - you knew that word was coming eventually, right? - onboard charger and a 230v, 32A connection, that time drops to 3.6 hours.
All not as exciting as seeing a Le Mans car on the capital's streets, granted. But then you're rather more likely to see a Panamera around London again than a 919! The Hybrid is available to order now, priced at £79,715.
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Discussion
That looks phenomenal, I wonder what it would take to make it properly road legal?
I'm guessing road tyres, some number plates, all the relevant lighting such as indicators, dipped beam etc, then perhaps the removal of some of the sharper aero protrusions (for pedestrian safety).
Then for practical purposes you'd want to raise the ride height a bit, which would reduce the efficiency of the downforce but not an issue on streets, and soften the springs which again would make for unstable aero. Maybe some gearing tweaks to usable power at slower speeds.
I think it'd also need some mods to the cooling, since I guess like an F1 car it has no fans to keep it cool at low speeds or stationary, and a starter motor would be helpful too (if it doesn't already have one, not sure).
I'm guessing road tyres, some number plates, all the relevant lighting such as indicators, dipped beam etc, then perhaps the removal of some of the sharper aero protrusions (for pedestrian safety).
Then for practical purposes you'd want to raise the ride height a bit, which would reduce the efficiency of the downforce but not an issue on streets, and soften the springs which again would make for unstable aero. Maybe some gearing tweaks to usable power at slower speeds.
I think it'd also need some mods to the cooling, since I guess like an F1 car it has no fans to keep it cool at low speeds or stationary, and a starter motor would be helpful too (if it doesn't already have one, not sure).
Edited by garyjpaterson on Tuesday 27th September 11:16
garyjpaterson said:
That looks phenomenal, I wonder what it would take to make it properly road legal?
I'm guessing road tyres, some number plates, all the relevant lighting such as indicators, dipped beam etc, then perhaps the removal of some of the sharper aero protrusions (for pedestrian safety).
Then for practical purposes you'd want to raise the ride height a bit, which would reduce the efficiency of the downforce but not an issue on streets, and soften the springs which again would make for unstable aero. Maybe some gearing tweaks to usable power at slower speeds.
I think it'd also need some mods to the cooling, since I guess like an F1 car it has no fans to keep it cool at low speeds or stationary, and a starter motor would be helpful too (if it doesn't already have one, not sure).
but hey at least it has A/CI'm guessing road tyres, some number plates, all the relevant lighting such as indicators, dipped beam etc, then perhaps the removal of some of the sharper aero protrusions (for pedestrian safety).
Then for practical purposes you'd want to raise the ride height a bit, which would reduce the efficiency of the downforce but not an issue on streets, and soften the springs which again would make for unstable aero. Maybe some gearing tweaks to usable power at slower speeds.
I think it'd also need some mods to the cooling, since I guess like an F1 car it has no fans to keep it cool at low speeds or stationary, and a starter motor would be helpful too (if it doesn't already have one, not sure).
Edited by garyjpaterson on Tuesday 27th September 11:16
garyjpaterson said:
I think it'd also need some mods to the cooling, since I guess like an F1 car it has no fans to keep it cool at low speeds or stationary, and a starter motor would be helpful too (if it doesn't already have one, not sure).
Le Mans and Sportscar racers do have their own starter motors .
Iva Barchetta said:
garyjpaterson said:
I think it'd also need some mods to the cooling, since I guess like an F1 car it has no fans to keep it cool at low speeds or stationary, and a starter motor would be helpful too (if it doesn't already have one, not sure).
Le Mans and Sportscar racers do have their own starter motors .RemarkLima said:
Surely the hybrid part of the setup can act as the starter motor right?
Could do, I know the Ferrari power units of the hybrid era are supposed to work like that, though in practice I think it more often than not doesn't. Was just a few races ago when one Renault F1 boys managed to get it started out on track with the MGU-K.garyjpaterson said:
RemarkLima said:
Surely the hybrid part of the setup can act as the starter motor right?
Could do, I know the Ferrari power units of the hybrid era are supposed to work like that, though in practice I think it more often than not doesn't. Was just a few races ago when one Renault F1 boys managed to get it started out on track with the MGU-K.However, starter or not, getting a car, designed and geared for rolling starts and endurance, away from even the slightest hill start is no mean feat.
Fetchez la vache said:
Evilex said:
Why use the Panamera as the base model?
Surely the Macan and Cayenne are the big sellers outside of the sports car segment.
It seems like they've put their best E-tech into the vehicle that people are least likely to buy!
Well, after the 918, that is...
China?Surely the Macan and Cayenne are the big sellers outside of the sports car segment.
It seems like they've put their best E-tech into the vehicle that people are least likely to buy!
Well, after the 918, that is...
Wouldn't Beijing have been better?
Rich_W said:
Hairymonster said:
I like the Panamera. I would never buy a Cayenne or a Macan - SUV rubbish.
Porsche's best seller is the Cayenne. Followed by the Macan.They sell more Cayenne's than the sports car range COMBINED!
The only thing about the Panamera/s appearance I can`t quite get on with is the windscreen to bonnet junction, which in just in my opinion, is a bit too abrupt, giving the car a slightly bent in the middle appearance when viewed from the side, (like it has just landed from a high jump, and got a bit bent in the process) Possibly sweeping the rear bonnet line a little higher where it meets the base of the screen would in my view improve the side profile, (but this may not do the aerodynamics much good?) The new rear end is much finer, and better looking than the model it replaces though, and the folding spoiler is quite impressive to watch in action too.
Rich_W said:
Hairymonster said:
I like the Panamera. I would never buy a Cayenne or a Macan - SUV rubbish.
Porsche's best seller is the Cayenne. Followed by the Macan.They sell more Cayenne's than the sports car range COMBINED!
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