RE: Porsche LMP1 confirms 4-cyl hybrid

RE: Porsche LMP1 confirms 4-cyl hybrid

Wednesday 11th December 2013

Porsche LMP1 confirms 4-cyl hybrid

And the technology will transfer to road cars...



A four-cylinder Porsche. Not since the 968 has such a car been produced by Stuttgart, so the announcement of another is Quite Big News.

Rather different overalls from the RBR set!
Rather different overalls from the RBR set!
Especially when it's a racing car. That's correct, the 2014 LMP1 car, the car with which Porsche will make its Le Mans return, is to be a four-cylinder hybrid. Crikey.

On the day that Mark Webber completed his first laps at Portimao, a significant development in itself, Porsche revealed a few powertrain details about its WEC racer. Will the guy ever be number one? There are no details yet of capacities or outputs, but Porsche is promising 'a very efficient, high-performance hybrid drive'. It will use direct injection and a pair of energy recuperation systems, the energy stored in the battery until accessed by the driver.

Almost dropped in as a final aside, Porsche also confirmed "the development of such a highly-efficient driver will have positive influences on production development at Porsche." Clumsily put yes, but there can be little doubt a four-cylinder roadgoing Porsche is on the way; will the Macan be first?

Coming to an OPC near you soon. Kind of
Coming to an OPC near you soon. Kind of
Webber described his first Porsche LMP test as "an intense experience" with thanks offered to Red Bull for relinquishing him before his contract is officially up. Webber officially becomes a Porsche employee on 1st January. Bet he can't wait!

Porsche R&D chief Wolfgang Hatz added, "Up to this point, the entire team have performed impressively. We are finding new approaches in the development, implementation and application of leading edge efficiency technologies. This also leads to further improvements of the entire hybrid technology in our production cars. Ultimately, our customers will benefit the most." A four-cylinder hybrid Porsche SUV then; who wants one?

[Source: Autocar]

Author
Discussion

Hoppelemine

Original Poster:

267 posts

170 months

Wednesday 11th December 2013
quotequote all
I wonder that will sound like at full throttle???

lestiq

705 posts

168 months

Wednesday 11th December 2013
quotequote all
Hopefully not what I think it will sound like. dull.

hdrflow

854 posts

137 months

Wednesday 11th December 2013
quotequote all
WEC is rapidly becoming (or already was to some extent) the most exciting racing series out there. A serious showcase and testbed for new tech. Good to see.

VladD

7,853 posts

264 months

Wednesday 11th December 2013
quotequote all
That looks like camouflage on the car, but it's actually a magic eye picture. If you stare at it for long enough the words "fk you Seb" appear.

Tib

458 posts

178 months

Wednesday 11th December 2013
quotequote all
4 cylinder Boxster... ew.

VladD

7,853 posts

264 months

Wednesday 11th December 2013
quotequote all
Tib said:
4 cylinder Boxster... ew.
I always thought the Impreza made a decent noise, so I can't see why a Boxster/911 with a turbo 4 pot shouldn't.

RobGT81

5,227 posts

185 months

Wednesday 11th December 2013
quotequote all
Tib said:
4 cylinder Boxster... ew.
inline

kambites

67,461 posts

220 months

Wednesday 11th December 2013
quotequote all
RobGT81 said:
Tib said:
4 cylinder Boxster... ew.
inline
No reason that you shouldn't make an inline four sound like an Impreza, if you wanted to. It's just a matter of exhaust header lengths.

RobGT81

5,227 posts

185 months

Wednesday 11th December 2013
quotequote all
kambites said:
No reason that you shouldn't make an inline four sound like an Impreza, if you wanted to. It's just a matter of exhaust header lengths.
They should call it the Inster.

Anyway, looking forward to Silverstone when the new cars are unleashed

zeppelin101

724 posts

191 months

Wednesday 11th December 2013
quotequote all
Tib said:
4 cylinder Boxster... ew.
Inevitable, unfortunately.

Base-spec 911s will be 4 cylinders within the next 5-8 years I would think.

LotusOmega375D

7,580 posts

152 months

Wednesday 11th December 2013
quotequote all
I've got an unofficial snap of this car in its race livery:







delays

786 posts

214 months

Wednesday 11th December 2013
quotequote all
Well, the 968 and 944 were great cars, so it's no bad thing.

I imagine the 911 will stay flat six. If Ferrari, Rolls, Bentley et al can justify the production of V12s and W12s, I think a Boxer six will have no problems, especially when it's so integrated into the very core DNA of the 911.

Krikkit

26,500 posts

180 months

Wednesday 11th December 2013
quotequote all
I wonder if this engine has come, at least in part, of the still-born F1 engine project, back when the regs said I4 rather than V6?

Either way, the current LMP1 regs are certainly spicing up the technical side. V6 TDI Hybrid, V8 Hybrid and now I4 hybrid. Excellent. biggrin

MikeGoodwin

153 posts

177 months

Wednesday 11th December 2013
quotequote all
I hope its like that Jag with the 1600cc F1 engine in it. 4 banger that revs to 10,000rpm or something?

Acquah

527 posts

171 months

Wednesday 11th December 2013
quotequote all
LotusOmega375D said:
I've got an unofficial snap of this car in its race livery:






This is actually funny.

RobGT81

5,227 posts

185 months

Wednesday 11th December 2013
quotequote all
Krikkit said:
I wonder if this engine has come, at least in part, of the still-born F1 engine project, back when the regs said I4 rather than V6?

Either way, the current LMP1 regs are certainly spicing up the technical side. V6 TDI Hybrid, V8 Hybrid and now I4 hybrid. Excellent. biggrin
V8 non Hybrid too!

Ali2202

3,815 posts

203 months

Wednesday 11th December 2013
quotequote all
That's a right munter innit? hehe

Sampaio

377 posts

137 months

Wednesday 11th December 2013
quotequote all
Tib said:
4 cylinder Boxster... ew.
It's the Boxster, not the 911, it wouldn't be too bad if they made an entry-level 4 cylinder to steal some sales from the Z4/SLK/TT. But I think it'll take them some more years to do that. The 4-cylinder Macan will come first.

xRIEx

8,180 posts

147 months

Wednesday 11th December 2013
quotequote all
Krikkit said:
I wonder if this engine has come, at least in part, of the still-born F1 engine project, back when the regs said I4 rather than V6?

Either way, the current LMP1 regs are certainly spicing up the technical side. V6 TDI Hybrid, V8 Hybrid and now I4 hybrid. Excellent. biggrin
And of course the Deltawing had (has - is it still racing?) a 1.6 turbo I4. From the Juke hehe

RobGT81

5,227 posts

185 months

Wednesday 11th December 2013
quotequote all
xRIEx said:
And of course the Deltawing had (has - is it still racing?) a 1.6 turbo I4. From the Juke hehe
Its locked behind a court case with the Nissan ZEOD hybrid thing.