The day before, photographer Ali Cusick and I travelled up to Preston in a Powerkitted 997 Carrera S to meet with Alex Livesey, whose brother Paul had built him a rather special 964. We stayed with Alex and his family and the next morning Alex opened his garage door to reveal not only the 964 but also a banana yellow Lamborghini Diablo, which was ridiculously wide and low. It was also ridiculously loud, as I found out on starting the engine. It seems Paul had sneakily removed the cats from the 660bhp V12 engine. Fantastic!

However, today was about the 964, which develops a paltry 550bhp. Ali had earmarked a location in Lake District, which Alex and Paul were familiar with, so off we went. Ali set the sat-nav and I glanced down: “99 miles? I thought it was just down the road!” Oh well, it was off up the M6.

Eventually, we reached the spot and it was truly stunning, as the photo here shows (it also shows the engine is rather special, too).

Ali was jumping around like a kid in a sweetshop, muttering about light, sky and exposures, and all was rosy. Then he asked Alex to move the car around for the next shot. It wouldn’t start. Oh.

Paul, who knows the car inside out, poked around, scratched his head, swore, and said the fuel pump wasn’t working. Did we have any tools? The 997 revealed a plastic box with a screwdriver and a spanner in, so that was a start. We jacked up the car with the 964’s flimsy scissor jack and shoved a couple of Lake District boulders under for good measure. “There’s no power to the pump. It’s the f’ing immobiliser. I told you we should have trashed that,” he muttered to Alex.

With no tools, it seemed the only solution was to call the AA. But there was no phone signal in this remote valley. So Alex and I jumped in the 997 and drove up to a slate quarry, where we used their landline (how quaint). The breakdown guy said he’d be there within the hour, so we returned to the others, to be greeted by the roar of the 964. It was running!

A couple in a Discovery very kindly pulled over and offered the use of some tools and a length of wire, which Paul used to run power to the pump. Thanks guys!

And no thanks to the old bloke in (an admittedly lovely) Triumph GT6 who, instead of offering to help, drove past with his thumb up and a smug grin.

Car running and photos taken, all that remained was to get some action shots. As you can see from the video, the 964 didn’t disappoint. As to how you get 550bhp out of 964, you’ll have to wait to read about the car in Total 911.

Thanks also to Alex and Paul for their help with the feature.

Lambo video courtesy of Ali Cusick.

Dear Jim,
Imagine our surprise to discover our former employee, now the head of Mini, has challenged us to a head-to-head race. As you surely know, Porsche has a long history of racing success, with more than 28,000 wins over the last 60 years. In our early days, we pitted ourselves against the giants, so we’ve been in your shoes. 
But as you also know, Porsche doesn’t race for fame, stunts or publicity. We race to challenge ourselves; we race to push sports car technology; we race to translate every win on the track to our cars on the road. If you need a reminder of our intent, please take a look at this short video:
While your challenge seems like a fun and lighthearted campaign, we’ll stick to racing the way we have over the decades. We welcome you at Sebring, Le Mans, Daytona or any other sanctioned race where there is more at stake than T-shirts and valet parking spaces. We also invite you to any of the thousands of tracks around the world where Porsche owners compete each weekend. 
Good luck with your race at Road Atlanta on June 21; we hope you enjoy the day. 
Sincerely, 
Detlev Von Platen President and CEO, Porsche Cars North America

Click here to view the embedded video.

Michael Macht, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, presented the Porsche 918 Spyder concept car at its world debut  in Geneva. This mid-engined two-seater combines the performance of a super-sports car with the CO2 emissions of a small compact, an innovative plug-in hybrid concept reducing emissions to just 70 grams CO2 per kilometre and fuel consumption to 3.0 litres/100 kilometres (94 mpg imp). Within this concept Porsche combines a V8 power unit delivering more than 500 hp and three electric motors with overall output of 160 kW.
In its design and interior architecture, the Porsche 918 Spyder combines classic elements with appropriate solutions for the future. Starting on Tuesday, March 2nd, at 8:15 am (CET), the Porsche 918 Spyder will also be presented at the Porsche Stand in Hall 6 of the Palexpo Building during the Geneva Motor Show.

The Porsche 918 Spyder concept combines high-tech racing features with electric-mobility to offer a fascinating range of qualities. Faster than a Porsche Carrera GT, it offers the performance of a super sports car with acceleration from a standstill to 60 mph in under 3.2 seconds, top speed of 198, and a lap time on the Nordschleife of Nürburgring in less than 7:30 minutes. At the same time, planned emission levels of just 70 grams of CO2 per kilometer on fuel consumption of approximately 78 mpg U.S., is off the charts, and better by far than today’s ultra-compact city cars and hybrids.

Innovative Powertrain Combines Race-Bred V8 Engine with Electric Drive

This open two-seater is powered by a high-revving V8 developing more than 500 horsepower and a maximum engine speed of 9,200 rpm – as well as electric motors on the front and rear axle with overall mechanical output of 218 horsepower (160 kW).

The V8 combustion engine is the next step in the evolution of the highly successful 3.4-liter power unit already featured in the RS Spyder racing car and positioned mid-ship, in front of the rear axle, giving the car excellent balance and the right set-up for supreme performance on the race track.

Power is transmitted to the wheels by a seven-speed Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) transmission that feeds the power of the electric drive system to the rear axle. The front-wheel electric drive powers the wheels through a fixed transmission ratio.

The energy reservoir is a fluid-cooled lithium-ion battery positioned behind the passenger cell. The big advantage of a plug-in hybrid is that the battery can be charged on the regular electrical network. A further point is that the car’s kinetic energy is converted into electrical energy fed into the battery when applying the brakes, thus providing additional energy for fast and dynamic acceleration.

Four Distinct Driving Modes

A button on the steering wheel allows the driver to choose among four different running modes: The E-Drive mode is for running the car under electric power alone, with a range of up to 25 km or 16 miles. In the Hybrid mode, the 918 Spyder uses both the electric motors and the combustion engine as a function of driving conditions and requirements, offering a range from particularly fuel-efficient all the way to extra-powerful.

The Sport Hybrid mode uses both drive systems, but with the focus on performance. Most of the drive power goes to the rear wheels, with Torque Vectoring serving to additionally improve the car’s driving dynamics.

In the Race Hybrid mode the drive systems are focused on pure performance with the highest standard of driving dynamics on the track, running at the limit to their power and dynamic output. With the battery sufficiently charged, a push-to-pass button feeds in additional electrical power (E-Boost), when overtaking or for even better performance.

With the hybrid drive system offering this wide range of individual modes and applications, the 918 Spyder is able either to achieve lap times comparable to those of a thoroughbred racing car, or the extremely low emissions and high fuel economy figures of a plug-in hybrid.

Advanced body structure and design offer more than just good looks

Like the drivetrain, the lightweight body structure of the Porsche 918 Spyder also bears out the car’s DNA carried over directly from motorsport: The modular structure with its monocoque bodyshell made of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFP) and liberal use of magnesium and aluminum not only reduce weight to below 1,490 kg, or 3,285 lb, but also ensure supreme driving precision thanks to a high level of torsional stiffness.

Reminiscent of highly successful, legendary racing cars such as the Porsche 917 and the current Porsche RS Spyder, the 918 Spyder, with its design concept so typical of Porsche arouses powerful emotions. The combination of racing car dimensions, clearly structured design with perfectly balanced surfaces, and innovative details throughout, creates an ideal synthesis of form and function – following Porsche’s design DNA.

The smooth balance of tradition and progress gives the car a powerful stance on the road. Variable aerodynamics, typical of Porsche, ensures both visionary and traditional highlights especially around the rear spoiler. The striking rear hoods extending out of the headrests, in turn, not only fulfill an aerodynamic function on the 918 Spyder, but also accommodate retractable air intakes with a ram air function.

High-tech Interior Provides Glimpse into the Future

The driver and passenger are not only embedded in contoured sports bucket seats but also form part of the cockpit, which provides a synthesis of efficient functionality and ergonomic high-tech operation. Additionally, the cockpit offers a glimpse at the potential interior architecture of future Porsche super sports cars. The three free-standing circular dials for road speed (left), engine speed (middle) and energy management (right) would appear to come directly from a racing car in the ‘60s, bearing out that unique philosophy of driver orientation so characteristic of Porsche.

The center console rises up towards the front in the 918 Spyder and houses a touch screen for intuitive control of the car’s functions, serving to reduce the number of visible controls and maintain the principle of direct operation.

The control units relevant to the driver are mainly concentrated on the three-spoke multifunction sports steering wheel, while the variable driving modes are supplemented by a switch enabling the driver to call up various drive programs and serving as the push-to-pass button for E-boosting. Instrument illumination, finally, varies from green for the consumption-oriented running modes to red for the performance-oriented driving programs.

The Porsche 918 Spyder concept also comes with further innovative functions such as the Range Manager. After being activated in the Center Display, the Range Manager uses the map in the navigation system to present the remaining range the car is able to cover, naturally allowing the driver to influence that range through the appropriate choice of power and performance. In cities with environmental alert areas the Range Manager also states whether the driver is able to reach a certain destination on electric power alone.

Applying this information and using further info on the availability and location of special energy filling stations, the driver is then able to choose his personal style of driving as well as the right battery charge and filling strategy.

Offering a unique combination of extremely low fuel consumption, supreme performance and long electric range, the Porsche 918 Spyder concept represents an essential milestone in Porsche’s strategy on the way to genuine electric-mobility.

996 rallying