All-Electric Boxster E RWD and AWD Prototypes

Back in February, Porsche announced the development of three pure-electric prototypes based on the Boxster roadster, but aside from a single photo and the fact that the electric motors could produce up to 180kW/241HP, the Stuttgart-based automaker did not release any other details on the cars.

After the demonstration of the Boxster E at last week’s Michelin Challenge Bibendum in Berlin, the company decided to share more information on the test cars that are being used as part of the government-funded “Model Region Electro-Mobility Stuttgart” large-scale trial to study the everyday practicality of all-electric vehicles. Of the three Boxster E prototypes, two are rear-wheel drive and one is all-wheel drive.

Propulsion for the four-wheel drive model is provided by two independent electric motors that act on the front and rear axles, producing a combined output of 180 kW / 241HP and a maximum total torque of 540 Nm / 398 lb-ft at approximately 12,000 rpm.

The rear drive unit includes the motor and transmission, together with the power electronics and is located where the manual gearbox and exhaust system are accommodated in the conventional Boxster, while the front electric motor takes up the space freed up by the gasoline model’s 64-liter fuel tank. An electric unit synchronizes the two electric motors and controls the drive torque distribution to the front and rear axle.

Porsche says the AWD Boxster E can complete the 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint in 5.5 seconds and reach a limited top speed of 200 km/h (124 mph)

The two rear-wheel drive models of Porsche’s prototype simply discard the electric motor located on the front axle and make do with the rear unit that delivers 90 kW / 121HP and 270 Nm / 199 lb-ft of torque. The RWD Boxster E can dash from a standing start to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 9.8 seconds, and has a top speed of 150 km/h (93 mph).

All Boxster E prototypes are equipped with a 29 kWh lithium-iron-phosphate based battery, which takes up the space of the combustion engine and offers a driving range of around 107 kilometers / 107 miles. The battery weighs in at 341kg / 752 pounds with the Boxster E tipping the scales at 1,600 kg / 3,527 pounds. The battery can be fully recharged through a conventional socket in approximately 9 hours; however, the charging time can be reduced with a rapid charging function.

According to Porsche, despite the electronic components, there’s enough space left for a luggage in the front storage compartment while the rear luggage area of the Boxster E remains unchanged.

In addition, both the rear- and four-wheel drive Boxster Es are equipped with an Active Sound Design system to provide drivers with acoustic feedback as well as to alert pedestrians and other road users of the car.

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2012 Porsche Boxster

Boxster roadsters simply stating that the cars are equipped with two-electric motors that deliver up to 180kW or 241

Porsche Quietly Rolls Out Pure-Electric Boxster E Prototypes

In a German-language only press release and without much fanfare, Porsche announced the introduction of a trio of electric-powered Boxster E prototypes. Over the next few months, these pure-electric test vehicles will be trialed in and around the city of Stuttgart to provide feedback on the feasibility and usability of the concept in everyday use.

Porsche is keeping mum on most of the details surrounding the three prototype Boxster roadsters simply stating that the cars are equipped with two-electric motors that deliver up to 180kW or 241-horsepower, and are fed through a 29-kWh battery package.

Source: Porsche via Worldcarfans

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Ahem... Porsche Boxster S Turned into Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster Replica

We can sorta, kinda, try to understand the reasoning behind the transformation of a Pontiac Fiero into a supercar replica, but what happens when someone decides to use a Porsche Boxster S as a base to create a... Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster? We'll agree that a 2000 Boxster S is light-years better than any MR2 or Fiero, but who in their right mind would actually turn a Porsche into a replica of any sorts? And talking about 'sanity' -or rather its absence- the asking price for this Italianized Porsche is $45,000. More photos after the jump.
Link: Greenwoodautos , Via: VWvortex

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Porsche is Reducing Fuel Consumption with every New Model it Introduces

No manufacturer, not even performance orientated Porsche, can ignore the "green wave" that has hit the automotive industry. With hybrids and EVs becoming increasingly popular, it's clear that sports cars have to step it up a notch.

It doesn't really matter to pencil-pushing government officials that, in the real world, high performance vehicles aren't driven as much, so, in the overall scheme of things, they actually pollute a lot less than your suburban folk's Prius. They just want to see numbers.

So, Porsche is going greener with each new model it is launching, the Cayenne being the vanguard of this effort. The Germans achieved significant fuel savings in the New European Driving Cycle (or NEDC), ranging from 13 to 23% for all available model series in comparison with their predecessors. This means all Porsches using naturally aspirated engines consume 0.5 to 0.6 less liters of fuel per 100 km.

The Stuttgart firm's engineers achieved this by switching over to direct fuel injection and adopting newer transmissions like the PDK dual-clutch auto and the Tiptronic S eight-speed automatic. Other measures taken to make Porsche as green as ever are massive weight savings (i.e. 185 kg/408 lbs for the new Cayenne Turbo) - and we'll be seeing more of that in future models.

The 911 Carrera with PDK consumes only 9.8 lt/100 km (24 US mpg), while the Boxster S and the Cayman S do with 9.4 liters per 100km (25 US mpg).

The Cayenne is even more frugal, with the Cayenne S Hybrid really shining on this task. Good for a total output of 380 hp (283 kW), Porsche's hybrid is almost as powerful as the previous generation Cayenne S (385 hp/287 kW), yet it returns a combined 8.2 lt/100 km (28.7 US mpg) representing a 40% gain in fuel economy with CO2 emissions of 200 g/km. Wealthy tree-huggers rejoice.

By Csaba Daradics

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