Porsche has announced a series of revisions to its 911 GT3 R Hybrid racer ahead of the car's debut at the Nürburgring 24 hour race in June.
The new racer – or version 2.0 as it is known - features a revised and lighter hybrid system, giving the GT3 R a weight reduction of 50kg, down to 1300kg, compared with its predecessor.
Read Autocar's first drive of the 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 R hybrid and watch our video
Powering the GT3 R hybrid is a 464bhp 4.0-litre flat-six engine, which sends its drive to the rear wheels, plus two 197bhp electric motors, which drive the front wheels. This represents an electric motor power increase of 40bhp. The electric motors can be called-up to boost the flat-six’s power by almost 200bhp in short bursts, useful when overtaking.
See pics of the revised Porsche 911 GT3 R
New styling features include a sleeker, more aerodynamic body, thanks to changes to the hybrid system meaning that the previous-gen’s louvers in the wings are no longer necessary. Inside, most of the controls have been relocated to the steering wheel for greater ease of use.
Hartmut Kristen, head of Porsche motorsport, said: "The emphasis of our work was on improving efficiency. That means we want to keep the lap times consistent with 2010 but use less energy, hence less fuel. In this way, we support future developments of road-going, sporting hybrid vehicles."
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