911Gt3RHybrid
Latest
Inhabitat's Week in Green: hydrogen fuel cell-powered laptop, hybrid buses and bioluminescent bacteria
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. The newswires were buzzing with alternative energy developments this week as Inhabitat reported that Apple filed a patent for a hydrogen fuel cell-powered laptop that can last an entire week without needing a recharge. We also celebrated the warm winter holidays with a look at the world's first solar-powered menorah, GE unveiled an awesome set of 3D-printed Christmas tree ornaments, and we brought you a first look at the dazzling LED-studded 2012 Times Square new year's eve ball. We also showcased several amazing examples of paper technology as Sony flipped the switch on a paper-powered battery and Joon & Jung unveiled an alarm clock with a cute paper shell. Eco transportation was a hot topic as well this week as Porsche unveiled plans to develop the third generation of its flywheel-boosted 911 GT3 R hybrid and the UK's new hybrid double-decker busses hit the streets of London. We also showcased plans for a greenery-filled AirTrain that harnesses Nasa-patented air purifying technology and we brought you Foster + Partner's plans for a striking new high-speed rail station in Galicia, Spain. In other news, this week we saw Waterstudio launch plans for a floating Sea Tree skyscraper that provides habitat for flora & fauna, a scientist has harnessed bioluminescent bacteria to combat pollution in a fragile Florida ecosystem, and researchers developed a new breed of self-fixing electronics that use liquid metal capsules to heal themselves. Finally, we brought you several hot developments in wearable tech - a set of 3D printed eyeglasses, a site that uses your webcam to measure your clothing size, and the world's first pair of over-ear headphones made with sustainable materials.
Porsche gives 911 GT3 R hybrid more power, less weight -- swears it wasn't fat or anything
There are two ways to make a car go faster, add power or subtract weight, and Porsche has done a little bit of both to its new 911 GT3 R hybrid racer in preparation for this year's Nürburgring 24-hour race. Porsche took last year's version, put it on a 50kg diet, and bumped the output of each of the car's two KERS-powered front-wheel electric motors by 21hp (giving drivers 202 'lectric horses and 480 of the ICE variety for a pavement-melting 682hp total). The boys from Stuttgart hope the Jenny Craig routine will improve performance, fuel economy, and the car's chances of winning the endurance event in June. The hybrid-drive technology -- originally sourced from Williams' F1 cars -- made an appearance in the firm's 918 RSR hybrid and is largely unchanged from the 2010 model. Unfortunately, this is a racing-only situation, what with the KERS flywheel riding shotgun, but we're sure one of the hundreds of other technologically-inclined 911 variants will sate your need for speed.
