Thursday 19th May 2011

KERS System Rumoured For Next 911

New 991-gen Porsche 911 could get a kinetic boost as standard

---

None of these is the new 911...

The new '991' Porsche 911 will have a KERS system as standard across the range, according to whispers on the internet.

The system (which, for those who don't already know gathers energy from braking via a dedicated flywheel system in order to offload it for an extra boost of power when the driver wants it - such as when overtaking) should give the Porsche a little extra oomph to add to the expected 350hp from the downsized 3.4-litre flat six - and should ensure that it bests the current Carrera's 4.7sec 0-60mph benchmark.

But how do we know the 991 will have KERS? Well, apparently (so say the folks at US car blog Autoblog, who broke the story) the key is the extra four inches in the wheelbase, which is just the right length to fit in a KERS flywheel between engine and gearbox.

Of course, this might not be true - there's no official info about the next-gen 911 out and about as yet - but it's certainly going to prove to be a talking point. Could a KERS-equipped 911 prove as controversial as the move to water cooling was back in the 90s? Only time, we suppose, will tell...

 

[ccr32]

What system did they have in the hybrid 911 they ran at Le Mans last year?

Edited for grammar badness

[k-ink]

This is the thin end of the wedge. Won't be long before the 911 is 100% electric.

[chunkymonkey71]

Re: the picture.

I'll have the one in the middle please!

[anonymous-user]

k-ink said:

This is the thin end of the wedge. Won't be long before the 911 is 100% electric.

Do you mean the whole 911 range because if this happens I'll eat a T-Rex.

[George H]

I can only see this as a good thing, more power, more MPG, what isn't to like?

I'm not defending all hybrids, only the 911

[Luca Brasi]

ccr32 said:

What system did they have in the hybrid 911 they ran at Le Mans last year?

Edited for grammar badness

Has a KERS system stored in a flywheel rather than a battery powering 2 electric engines with 80hp each + 480hp from the 4-litre RSR-engine.

[Jonathan Legard]

k-ink said:

This is the thin end of the wedge. Won't be long before the 911 is 100% electric.

I bet Leonardo di Caprio can't wait.

[simoid]

George H said:

I can only see this as a good thing, more power, more MPG, what isn't to like?

I'm not defending all hybrids, only the 911

Weight/handling, cost, something else to go wrong, environmental effects of making the thing...

[LuS1fer]

I understand this is PH but it would help if you explained WTF KERS is for those of us who neither know nor care.

[FourWheelDrift]

Will they get a drag reduction system rear wing as well, which can only deployed if you get within 1 sec of a Ferrari and only activated between 2 white lines 1/2 mile apart drawn across the road?

[ellisd82]

LuS1fer said:

I understand this is PH but it would help if you explained WTF KERS is for those of us who neither know nor care.

Kinetic Energy Recovery System = KERS. Generates energy when brakeing. The amount of energy being wasted is amazing. Heat energy, kinetic energy etc. Save energy and use it again.

[ccr32]

Luca Brasi said:

Has a KERS system stored in a flywheel rather than a battery powering 2 electric engines with 80hp each + 480hp from the 4-litre RSR-engine.

This is what I was thinking of before:

http://www.williamshybridpower.com/news/36-press-r...

[oilit]

[quote]
I understand this is PH but it would help if you explained WTF KERS is for those of us who neither know nor care. wink
[/quote]

take a look at:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09knBT2gqqU

or search williams and kers on google - they will most probably be the supplier if Porch do this.

[Snoggledog]

Anyone got a "KERS kicked in yo" image to post up?

[Police State]

Can we have that great pic as the next Wallpaper please? Super High Res...

[Strider]

KERS isn't only flywheel systems. It's just become associated with flywheel systems because the F1 teams using that technology called them KERS. Any type of hybrid offers KERS capability and the term is particularly used to described mild hybrids.

Flywheels come in two flavours: mechanically-driven and electrically-driven. Electrical, like the Williams technoloy, is easier in many respects, but requires additional state changes, ie from motion to electical and back, which is inefficient. The FHSPV programme, of which Jaguar, Torotrak and Prodrive are part, is testing a mechanically-driven flywheel(using Flybrid wheel technology) with good results.

[CliveM]

So it could be a mechanical flywheel or something that's just another version of a battery to store the energy (capacitors?)?

[slipstream 1985]

CRASH REAR ENDED, person 1, what the hell did you jump on the brakes for the roads straight and nothing ran out infront of you!

person 2 (new porsche driver) well i was about to overtake the guy infront but i had to charge my kers up!

[Greenwich Ross]

slipstream 1985 said:

CRASH REAR ENDED, person 1, what the hell did you jump on the brakes for the roads straight and nothing ran out infront of you!

person 2 (new porsche driver) well i was about to overtake the guy infront but i had to charge my kers up!

[thinfourth2]

I've no problem with KERS but if they fit any of this hybrid st then they are gay