Hybrid Porsche racer makes its Nurburgring debut

Hybrids are all a bit dull, known for being quiet, and generally quite slow, right? At least that is the view held by many people, and to a large extent you can see why.

But the huge exception to these beliefs is the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid – a racing car that uses a huge flywheel to power a generator that gives extra power to the driver when he needs it – and it has now been seen out in action for the first time at the Nurburgring.

The new 911 was driven by Williams' Formula One driver Nico Hulkenberg, presumably as the F1 team provided the hybrid technology that sits in the GT3's passenger seat. It won't have been short on pace, as a 473bhp 4.0-litre engine provides the rest of the power needed for it to be competitive on track.