Porsche recently put the brand new Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid through its paces at the Dubai Autodrome as well as Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi. It set new lap records for hybrid luxury saloons at both the tracks. The initiative is part of a bigger project to benchmark the new hybrid Porsche at many of the world's leading racetracks.
Driven by the skilled Porsche Testing and Development driver Lars Kern, the Panamera lapped the Dubai Autodrome in 2:19:15, setting a new lap record for a hybrid luxury saloon at the same. The car went on to dispatch Yas Marina in 2:31:79 earning Porsche another lap record. Interestingly, Yas Marina features on the Formula 1 world circus while both the tracks host Porsche's very own GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East.
With the new records set at these tracks, Stuttgart currently has a total of six records at different racetracks under the Panamera Turbo S. The hybrid luxury saloon has also blazed new timings at Bahrain International Circuit (1:59:96) and Losail International Circuit, Qatar (2:18:96). Going south, a new lap time has also been posted at Kyalami, South Africa at 1:59:08. Across the Arabian Sea, Porsche entered the Buddh International Circuit in India and earned themselves another lap record at 2:12:56.
So what do ze Germans put in their cars that can make even the heavier ones go fast like tiny hatchbacks? The answer lies in the hybrid technology. The Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid is not just another piggyback-battery exercise. The hybrid system running in tandem with the petrol engine borrows its tech heavily from the 919 Hybrid that can be seen ripping around the track at the Le Mans endurance race. Clearly, Porsche is delivering on its promise of applying motorsports technology to road-legal cars. The car in question is primarily propelled by a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 paired to an electric motor. the hybrid Panamera crosses 100 kph in 3.4 seconds from standstill and tops out at an impressive 310 kph.
The kind of performance that the Porsche Panamera hybrid brings to the table hints at two things. Firstly, the sophistication that hybrid powertrains now boast of in motorsports. Secondly, manufacturers are actively researching and developing ways to trickle down that technology to road cars. Bodes really well for the hybrid/electric car of the future, doesn't it?
