Like all the other car manufacturers, Porsche too is working day and night on new hybrid powertrains for future models. But Porsche being a sportscar maker they are also developing hybrid race cars! Here’s the first example which is based on a GT3 R race car, and will make its world debut at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show.

Porsche says this system is specifically developed for racing and consists of two electric motor each developing 60Kw power on the front axle and a 480 hp four-liter flat-six gasoline engine at the rear. The car also features an electrical flywheel power generator instead of regular batteries for powering the electric motors, which is located inside the car where the passenger seat would normally go.

The flywheel generator itself is an electric motor with its rotor spinning at speeds of up to 40,000 rpm, storing energy mechanically as rotation energy. The flywheel generator is charged whenever the driver applies the brakes, with the two electric motors reversing their function on the front axle and acting themselves as generators. Then, whenever necessary, that is when accelerating out of a bend or when overtaking, the driver is able to call up extra energy from the charged flywheel generator, the flywheel being slowed down electromagnetically in the generator mode and thus supplying up to 120 kW to the two electric motors at the front from its kinetic energy. This additional power is available to the driver after each charge process for approximately 6 – 8 seconds.

So as you have noticed, this hybrid system is actually there to give the car more power and is not necessarily an eco thing!But Porsche says it also helps to save fuel on slow paces. To see what this hybrid race car is really made of, we should wait for this year’s Nurburgring 24 Hours race where the car will be put through its paces.