Porsche->ke1 has announced that the GT3 R Hybrid will make a return for the 2012 racing season. The vehicle made its first appearance in 2010 at the the Petit Le Mans 10-hour competition where it showed excellent performance.

The GT3 R Hybrid is known as the "rolling race laboratory," and while Porsche has not revealed any specifications on it just yet, we expect to see the same hybrid system as in the previous model: a 4.0 Liter flat six engine delivering 480 HP combined with two electric motors that each produce 100 HP. The new model will be five centimeters wider at the rear and will get almost an extra 15 centimeters on the front fenders.

"There is no way around the hybrid technology in motorsport," stressed Wolfgang Hatz, Board Member for Research and Development, on Saturday on the occasion of the end of year Porsche ‘Night of Champions’ celebrations. "With the 911 GT3->ke617 R Hybrid project, we have shown how you can test important future technologies on the race track and pave the way for motorsport success in the future. We will continue to determinedly blaze this trail and further develop the hybrid technology."

For 2012, the POrsche GT3 R Hybrid will race in competitions like the FIA World Endurance Championship, the American Le Mans Series, the Le Mans Series, the International GT Open, and the Le Mans 24 Hours.

2012 Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2012 Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid
  • Engine/Motor: flat six engine combined with an electric motor
  • Horsepower: 680 HP combined
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array

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