Porsche previews next supercar

As with the 918 Spyder, unveiled at last year’s Geneva Motor Show, the racing 918 RSR makes use of a reworked V8 petrol engine from the company’s RS Spyder racing machine. Although Porsche isn’t specific about the engine size, we can safely assume that the size will be the same, or bigger, than the RS Spyder’s 3,4 litre V8 engine.

This V8 engine now develops 414 kW at 10 300 r/min but as a hybrid there are an additional two electric motors which each contributes 75 kW, leading to a total output of 564 kW. This 150 kW of "electric" power is generated by a flywheel that is situated on the passenger side of the car and which spins to up to 36 000 r/min!

Additional energy that is gained through the car’s brake energy regeneration system can be used as a power boost at the press of a button at the driver’s discretion. This system is a development of what is used in the GT3 R Hybrid, a 911 based racing car which led the Nürburgring 24 hour race in 2010 for a couple of hours.

According to Porsche the system used in the 918 RSR will be able to supply additional power for up to eight seconds when fully charged. Also keep in mind that as a hybrid racer it allows a team to be able to save fuel during racing which in turn will cut down on time lost to pit stops, or at least the time spent at a pit stop.

Compared with the 918 Spyder the 918 RSR has gained several aerodynamic improvements. Low on the nose are winglets, the roof is now fixed while a huge wing at the rear is added for more downforce. The interior is more focused around the driver while the doors now upon upwards.

To help keep weight down, the RSR’s monocoque chassis is made from carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP), as are the front and rear lids.

Porsche’s racing history is well known with one of its most notable racers being the 917 which won the 24 hour Le Mans race in 1970. These 917s, especially in the short-tail design, influenced the current designers to create some of the exterior lines of the 918 RSR. Also notice the visible fan wheel positioned above the engine, a mechanical feature that was also implemented on several Porsche racing cars of the past.

Porsche has confirmed that the 918 RSR, which the company calls a “racing laboratory,” will now be used on an experimental level. Expect to see the 918 RSR on international racing circuits later this year while many features of the Geneva show car and the RSR can be expected on the future production 918 supercar.