Throwback Thursday: The Vonnen 911 Hybrid Prototype
Those pining for a hybrid Porsche 911 don't have to wait for Porsche to build one, after all.
Filling the Void
For years, we've heard rumblings of Porsche developing a hybrid and/or an all-electric version of its iconic 911 sports car. And yet, at least for now, neither of which seem to be particularly close to production. But for those pining for a glimpse of the future, a company named Vonnen is filling that void with a hybrid prototype 991.1-gen 911.
Photos Courtesy of Motor Trend.
Driving the Future
We were first introduced to the Vonnen 911 hybrid last fall. But now, the fine folks at Motor Trend have actually gotten a chance to drive the prototype. And needless to say, we were more than a little curious to hear about that experience.
Photos Courtesy of Motor Trend.
>>Join the conversation about Vonnen's Hybrid 911 right here in the RennList Forum!
Flawless Integration
Interestingly enough, MT didn't notice much of a difference in hybrid cycling during normal driving. "Unless you've just gotten out of a stock 911 with the same engine, you wouldn't necessarily notice the extra 150 peak horsepower and 150 peak lb-ft of torque theShadow Drive can deliver. It's that well integrated."
Photos Courtesy of Motor Trend.
>>Join the conversation about Vonnen's Hybrid 911 right here in the RennList Forum!
Stay Cool
That is until it's taken away. "When you run out of battery or reach the system's thermal limit, though, the loss of electric boost is unmistakable." Cooling, as is the case with anything battery-powered, is always the biggest challenge.
Photos Courtesy of Motor Trend.
>>Join the conversation about Vonnen's Hybrid 911 right here in the RennList Forum!
Smooth Operator
The hybrid system distributes that additional power across the power band, as MT found out. "No matter where you hit it, it's not like hitting the NOS button in a movie (Fast and Furious). There's no monster surge of acceleration. Shadow Drive ramps up the power quickly as you go deeper into the pedal, but it's always smooth as if the engine has found some extra power it forgot about."
Photos Courtesy of Motor Trend.
>>Join the conversation about Vonnen's Hybrid 911 right here in the RennList Forum!
Mild Regeneration
The same goes for recharging, a process that's nearly undetectable. "Under light throttle and braking, the motor applies a slight drag to the engine to generate power and recharge the battery. The regen under braking is intentionally mild so as not to upset the braking balance and destabilize the rear end."
Photos Courtesy of Motor Trend.
>>Join the conversation about Vonnen's Hybrid 911 right here in the RennList Forum!
Working Together
Amazingly enough, the whole system also plays quite nicely with Porsche's stock calibration. There's no tune required, in fact, to make all this extra kit work. Shadow Drive simply reads the CAN bus and reacts accordingly, never upsetting any of the stock computer systems.
Photos Courtesy of Motor Trend.
>>Join the conversation about Vonnen's Hybrid 911 right here in the RennList Forum!
Pay to Play
Thus, there's really no downside to Vonnen's hybrid system, save for the cost. Currently, that's around $75,000 on top of what you pay for your 911. But as with many things in life, as MT points out, you get what you pay for. "If you've got the cash, though, Shadow Drive delivers better than your typical aftermarket power-adder in every way."
Photos Courtesy of Motor Trend.
PCA took a moment to shine some light on the hybrid 911 earlier this year. Check out the video right here.
>>Join the conversation about Vonnen's Hybrid 911 right here in the RennList Forum!
For help keeping your car in a fine-tune, see the how-to section of RennList.com