The Green Optimistic

By on February 11th, 2008

Porsche announced that it will build the fourth edition of its “Panamera Gran Tourismo”, a 1 billion dollars project set to be launched in 2009. At first, there will be launched a non-hybrid version of the car, following an undisclosed term of waiting for the hybrid one. As you can see in the image, the future Panamera model will have a second clutch, connecting and releasing the electric engine, the gasoline engine, and the main classic transmission. The clutch will be driven by a spindle actuator, most probably computer-controlled. You will have the possibility to drive the car in all sorts of modes: all electric, combined, or normal “sporting” Porsche-styled.

The car will be a 4-door sedan. I wonder if they could implement a function that allows the driver to access the all-electric driving mode as a secondary clutch. It’s well known that electric motors have maximum torque at low rpm, so the fast Porsche could be a “speedy Gonzales” if boosted by the electric engine, and continued by the gasoline one.

Whadda ya say?