We thought that Porsche’s main star at this year’s Geneva Motor Show will be a hybrid sportscar of the Panamera hybrid. But turns out it is a 111-year-old hybrid called the Semper Vivus!
Well, not exactly that, but a recreation of the world’s first functional full hybrid car. The Semper Vivus which means always alive dates back to 1900 and is a creation of Ferdinand Porsche, founding father of the present-day Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart who had invented the basics of the hybrid vehicle.
They spent four years at Porsche Museum recreating this magnificent vehicle so it can once again, after 111 years on, drive into the limelight at the Geneva Motor Show 2011 followed by future appearances as part of the Porsche Museum collection in Stuttgart.
2011 is the year of hybrid cars for Porsche. At Geneva they will also show the 918 RSR concept race car that makes its European debut, and the aforementioned Panamera Hybrid. They also showcase a contemporary parallel full hybrid model. In the wake of the success of the Cayenne S Hybrid it signals a new chapter in the Stuttgart company’s ‘Porsche Intelligent Performance’ philosophy.
Other cars on display at Porsche’s booth include the 330 hp (243 kW) Cayman R in Europe for the first time, alongside the the 911 Black Edition, limited to 1,911 units, based on the 345 hp (254 kW) 911 Carrera, and the Boxster S Black Edition, limited to 987 units worldwide.
