This '60s Porsche racer hides a fully electric powertrain
When life gives you Le Mans, make electric juice? That seems to be what three Austrian brothers are thinking, as they have recreated a classic shape Porsche 910 in electric form, through a collaboration with a German maker of replica Porsches.
The original 910 received some screen time in Steve McQueen's epic 1971 film Le Mans, along with other swoopy racing Porsches of the era, such as the 908 and 917. The two-liter boxer-engined car reached sixth in the 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans in the hands of Rolf Stommelen and Jochen Neerpasch. Only 35 examples of the 910 were ever built by Porsche, five decades ago, and since Porsche ceased making any more, the German company EVEX started building replicas of the model in the '70s. That effort was short-lived as they only built four, but EVEX seems to have held onto the moulds.
This is where the Austrian firm Kreisel Electric steps in. The company, founded by three brothers, develops electric powertrains for automotive use, and sometimes they create a high-profile project – such as an electric-powered Mercedes-Benz G-Class for Arnold Schwarzenegger. This time, they have joined forces with EVEX to turn the 910 replica into an electric supercar.
With a 53kWh lithium ion battery pack, the 2017 version of the 910 dubbed 910e produces a whopping 490 horsepower and 568 pound feet of instantaneous electric torque. While the original roar of the 200-250-horsepower 1967 car is difficult to beat, the electric reboot is fairly quick, as it reaches 62 mph in 2.5 seconds. The Le Mans car reached the top speed of 165 mph, while the 2017 edition bests it with a 186-mph top speed.
However, the original car was also immensely light, as it only weighed 1323 pounds or 600 kilograms; the 217-mile range battery pack in the 910e alone weighs 2425 lbs, or nearly double the weight of the entire 1967 car – so handling-wise it is likely to be an entirely different beast. Kreisel Electric hasn't yet disclosed whether the 910e will be produced in larger numbers, but the price tag is a hefty 1 million euros. There is a two-speed automated transmission, which Kreisel also offers as a standalone product for other implementations. In other words, the 910e is a retro-inspired showcase for Kreisel's know-how. The company says that along with being suitable for rapid charging, the battery tech in the car is bi-directional, meaning that it can be used to power a house.
For someone who wants their thrills closer to the original, there's also a cheaper edition of the Evex 910 replica on offer, with a regular, 3.2-liter boxer engine producing 300 non-electric horsepower. This version only weighs around 1700 lbs and only costs half a million euros. Both cars are on display at the Techno Classica show in Essen, Germany.
The original 910 received some screen time in Steve McQueen's epic 1971 film Le Mans, along with other swoopy racing Porsches of the era, such as the 908 and 917. The two-liter boxer-engined car reached sixth in the 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans in the hands of Rolf Stommelen and Jochen Neerpasch. Only 35 examples of the 910 were ever built by Porsche, five decades ago, and since Porsche ceased making any more, the German company EVEX started building replicas of the model in the '70s. That effort was short-lived as they only built four, but EVEX seems to have held onto the moulds.
This is where the Austrian firm Kreisel Electric steps in. The company, founded by three brothers, develops electric powertrains for automotive use, and sometimes they create a high-profile project – such as an electric-powered Mercedes-Benz G-Class for Arnold Schwarzenegger. This time, they have joined forces with EVEX to turn the 910 replica into an electric supercar.
With a 53kWh lithium ion battery pack, the 2017 version of the 910 dubbed 910e produces a whopping 490 horsepower and 568 pound feet of instantaneous electric torque. While the original roar of the 200-250-horsepower 1967 car is difficult to beat, the electric reboot is fairly quick, as it reaches 62 mph in 2.5 seconds. The Le Mans car reached the top speed of 165 mph, while the 2017 edition bests it with a 186-mph top speed.
However, the original car was also immensely light, as it only weighed 1323 pounds or 600 kilograms; the 217-mile range battery pack in the 910e alone weighs 2425 lbs, or nearly double the weight of the entire 1967 car – so handling-wise it is likely to be an entirely different beast. Kreisel Electric hasn't yet disclosed whether the 910e will be produced in larger numbers, but the price tag is a hefty 1 million euros. There is a two-speed automated transmission, which Kreisel also offers as a standalone product for other implementations. In other words, the 910e is a retro-inspired showcase for Kreisel's know-how. The company says that along with being suitable for rapid charging, the battery tech in the car is bi-directional, meaning that it can be used to power a house.
For someone who wants their thrills closer to the original, there's also a cheaper edition of the Evex 910 replica on offer, with a regular, 3.2-liter boxer engine producing 300 non-electric horsepower. This version only weighs around 1700 lbs and only costs half a million euros. Both cars are on display at the Techno Classica show in Essen, Germany.
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