918 RSR signals race intent

Porsche's return to the Detroit motor show after four years goes off with a green bang
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The much-anticipated unveiling of Porsche's Detroit motor show surprise revealed a follow-up on the 918 Spyder hybrid concept displayed at last year's Geneva show.

This time the mid-engine two-seater was presented in race-going guise and with the same hybrid technology as-used by the 911 GT3 Hybrid study.

The GT3 "race lab" car performed so well in competition last year, including a round of the Nürburgring Long Distance Championship that Porsche naturally figured it was worthwhile to add the flywheel-based system to the 918.

Conveniently the reveal serves as homage to the number 22 Le Mans 917 race car from the early 70s. Better still, a return to the Circuit de Sarthe is inevitable, say Porsche people.

Porsche AG board member for research and development Wolfgang Durheimer told the Carsales Network that a member representing the ACO spoke to him at Detroit, soon after the car's unveiling with regard to the brand making another long-distance campaign at Le Mans.

Durheimer will take over the Bentley and Bugatti interests among the Volkswagen Group as of February, however motorsport is also part of his portfolio.

"We definitely want to be at Le Mans. It's the jewel in the crown of any racing effort."

And if Porsche returns to Le Mans it will be as a factory effort, says Durheimer.

"We are in discussion with the different rulemakers around the world to find a hybrid [race] category.

"We told everybody that the GT3 Hybrid was not a one-shot exercise... We think racing in the future needs to be brought a step forward and that there are a lot of opportunities to have very efficient, high performance race cars."

Potential homologation to race has not yet been determined, as Porsche wanted the 918 RSR to make its worldwide debut in Detroit. Speculation before the show suggested a race version of the 918 was likely, however.

The 918 RSR uses a direct injection V8, fitted mid-ship, and two electric motors; one at each wheel to contribute another 150kW to the V8's 420kW output (at 10,300rpm) and provide a torque vectoring function offering variable distribution to the front wheels.

In what would be the passenger seat lies a large accumulator used to store energy generated under braking. The driver can access the energy for a power boost of 8 seconds for extra performance for overtaking and out of corners.

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