Porsche has announced that it will be testing a hybrid 911 race car to see if the hybrids can be effective in endurance races. According to Autoweek, Porsche will probably announce soon that the 911 GT3 R Hybrid will compete in the 24 hours of Le Mans endurance race. If the technology proves successful on the racetrack, it maybe used in Porsche’s street cars.

The Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid will have a 480-hp engine powering the rear wheels and two electric motors attached to the front wheels, capable of providing an eight-second long boost of power. The electric motors will be powered by a flywheel that sits where the car’s passenger seat would normally be and will be charged by the 911 hybrid’s brakes.

Porsche believes that the extra fuel efficiency provided by the hybrid system in the 911 GT3 R Hybrid will be effective in endurance races like the 24 hours of Le Mans race. Fuel efficiency is a key factor in long races, and Audi made headlines a few years ago by winning the 24 hours of Le Mans race with diesel cars.

If Porsche is successful with the 911 GT3 R Hybrid, the hybrid technology may be used in a street 911. Racing is often used by car companies to develop new technology that is then used in street cars. One of the most famous examples of this is the Porsche 959 rally car. The lessons Porsche learned while developing and racing the 959 allowed the rear-engine 911 to remain competitive with more balanced mid-engine cars from Ferrari and Lamborghini.

Picture via Autoweek.