One of the highlights of this year’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan has to be the Porsche 918 RSR Hybrid. And, while a 6:30 AM press breakfast and official launch party was a bit too early for me, I snapped off a few shots of what Porsche is calling a “Racing Laboratory With Even Higher-Performance Hybrid Drive” when there was a bit of elbow room later in the day.

This machine is pure automotive porn. Just look at it. Oh yeah, and it’s green as is eco porn too. Fancy that! The full press release is after the jump. But, don’t forget to check out our newest photo gallery below.

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Press release after the jump…

World premiere in Detroit: mid-engine coupé as a technology test bed

Detroit, Michigan — Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, is continuing to extend its performance and high efficiency competence via intensive development work in the field of hybrid technology. With the Porsche 918 RSR, the manufacturer of sporty premium vehicles is presenting a high-end synthesis of 2010′s successful hybrid concepts. The two-seater mid-engine coupé 918 RSR clearly reveals what happens when the technology fitted in the 911 GT3 R hybrid and the design of the 918 Spyder are transferred to a modern, innovative super sports car.

With its highly-efficient flywheel accumulator, the 911 GT3 R hybrid racing car proved to be an attention magnet during competition racing on the Nuerburgring Nordschleife circuit, during the American Le Mans Series races (ALMS) in Road Atlanta/USA and the ILMC run in China’s Zhuhai. It demonstrated its massive performance potential under realistic motor racing conditions against top competitors. The 911 GT3 R Hybrid, referred to internally as the “Race Lab” actually surpassed the high expectations of Porsche Motorsport. Competitiveness, high reliability and exemplary fuel efficiency combined with top performance under-scored the Porsche technicians’ basic idea of generating additional power in an intelligent manner. The 911 GT3 R Hybrid obtains its additional power from its own vehicle dynamics when braking. Porsche is now transplanting this technology into the mid-engine coupé 918 RSR, the motor sports version of the 918 Spyder concept car.

From the tradition established by classic Porsche long-distance race cars such as the 908 long-tail coupé (1969) and the 917 short-tail coupé (1971), the Porsche designers created a link to the postmodernism of the “form follows function” philosophy. In the 918 RSR, the lines’ elegant flow is dominated by muscular wheel arches, dynamic air intakes and a pulpit-like cockpit. A visible fan wheel between the ram air intake tubes and a rear spoiler with RS Spyder dimensions additionally emphasize the racing laboratory function. The new “liquid metal chrome blue” color which has been created underscores the sculptured curves of the forms, whilst the typical Porsche hybrid orange color on brake calipers and the body’s longitudinal stripes lends remarkable touches.

Motor racing technology also dominates within the particularly light, torsionally stiff carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) monocoque. The V8 engine is a further development of the direct injection engine from the successful RS Spyder race car and now offers an output of precisely 563 hp at 10,300 rpm in the 918 RSR. The electric motors on the two front wheels each contribute 75 kW, i.e. a total of 150 kW, to the peak drive power of exactly 767 hp. This additional power, which is generated during braking, is stored in an optimized flywheel accumulator.

In the 918 RSR, the two electric motors offer a torque vectoring function with variable torque distribution to the front axle. This additionally increases agility and improves steering response. Mounted upstream of the rear axle, the mid-engine is integrated with a racing transmission also based on the RS Spyder race car. This further developed six-speed constant-mesh transmission with longitudinally mounted shafts and straight-toothed spur gears is operated using two shift paddles behind the racing steering wheel.

The vehicle’s functional equipment underscores its puristic motor racing character. Whether it be the characteristic doors which open obliquely upwards, the air intake in the roof bet ¬ween the wing doors, the quick-action locks on the front and rear CFRP lids, the two roof-mounted aerials for pit radio and telemetry, the RS Spyder-like small, lateral front flics or the air splitters beneath the front lip or no-profile racing slicks on 19″ wheels with central locking, the vehicle can be clearly recognized as an experimental racing laboratory.

In contrast to the 918 Spyder concept car, unadorned racing atmosphere predominates in the interior of the 918 RSR. The figure-hugging bucket seat’s brown leather covering cites the history of the gentleman driver; the gear flashes on the racing steering wheel and a recuperation display on the steering column in front of the display screen supply the pilot with information. Instead of the futuristic, ergonomically avant-garde centre console with touch-sensitive user interface from the 918 Spyder concept car, the 918 RSR’s cockpit is split by a minimalistic console with rocker switches. Instead of a second seat, the flywheel accumulator is positioned to the right of the console.

This flywheel accumulator is an electric motor whose rotor rotates at up to 36,000 rpm to store rotation energy. Charging occurs when the two electric motors on the front axle reverse their function during braking processes and operate as generators. At the push of a button, the pilot is able to call up the energy stored in the charged flywheel accumulator and use it during acceleration or overtaking maneuvers. The flywheel is braked electromagnetically in this case in order to additionally supply up to 2 x 75 kW, i.e. a total of 150 kW, from its kinetic energy to the two electric motors on the front axle.

This additional power is available for around eight seconds when the system is fully charged. In the successful 911 GT3 R Hybrid, this additional power can also be used as a consumption aid depending on the racing situation, e.g. to delay pit stops or reduce the fuel tank volume and therefore the weight of the vehicle.

With the new 918 RSR racing laboratory, Porsche is now elevating this motor racing hybrid concept to an experimental level. In the 918 RSR, “Porsche Intelligent Performance” equates to research into methods for further sustainable efficiency improvement under the intensified conditions of the race track, lap times, pit stops and reliability – a metier in which Porsche has been demonstrating its success for over 60 years.

Finally, the starting number, 22, pays homage to the anniversary of a further triumph. Back in the days when overall victories in Le Mans were not yet an entirely routine matter within the Porsche racing department, the pilots Dr. Helmut Marko and Gijs van Lennep were the first to cross the finishing line in 1971′s 24-hour classic. The distance record set by their Porsche 917 short-tail coupé – 5335.313 kilometers (3315.21 miles) at an average speed of 222.304 km/h (138.13 mph) – did not remain unbeaten for an eternity, but for exactly 39 years until 2010. At the time, the 917 in the Martini colors was also an experiment and far ahead of its time: a magnesium space frame set new standards in Porsche’s lightweight construction domain.

In Toronto recently, I got to check out a pre-production version of the new McLaren supercar, the MP4-12C. But, before they officially pulled the wraps off one during the press luncheon, I’d been drooling over the 12C’s impressive carbon MonoCell chassis (seen above) that underpins the mid-engine, rear-wheel drive, two-seat supercar.

The obsessive engineers made the body from a mixture of lightweight aluminum and low density carbon composites, shaving weight everywhere conceivably possible. The floor structure of the passenger compartment weighs just 176 pounds (80 kg) and is a fully-enclosed, under-panel design incorporating both a front splitter and rear diffuser.

An open rear grille, deck venting and side-mounted air intakes take care of airflow to and from the M838T V-8 behind the passenger cell. And, like every other component of this car, the all-aluminum twin-turbo DOHC compact V-8 is pure McLaren. It features dry sump lubrication and makes 592 hp at 7,000 revs and 443 lb.-ft. of twist at 6,500 rpm and is said to propel the 2,866-pound bullet from zero-to-60 mph in less than four seconds.

A seven-speed seamless shift dual-clutch gearbox (SSG) pre-selects the next gear when the paddle shifter(s) is touched even the slightest bit. With further-prodding, the changes happen instantaneously. There are four distinct driver modes: normal, sport, winter and track, with a dedicated launch control function and airbrake.

It’s a bit unintuitive to compare this car against its predecessor, but it is worth pointing out the new engine makes in the area of 155 bhp per litre of displacement. The original McLaren F1 road car gets approximately 103 bhp per litre from its six-litre V-12, which is capable of low- to mid-three second bursts to 60 mph via a six-speed tranny.

The 12C has a top speed somewhere above 200 mph, though McLaren reps aren’t yet saying or don’t yet know just how fast this thing is. It took six years before McLaren finally got the F1 road car up to it’s then-world record Vmax of 241 mph, so we can only guess when, if and how fast? Don’t expect a record setting attempt anytime soon, at least not with this engine is my guess, but McLaren will build a far greater number of these (12C’s) than the earlier car.

The Formula One expertise is even more evident in the 12C’s highly-advanced suspension setup designed to keep the 12C poised and balanced whether negotiating high or low speed corners, during direction changes, under heavy or light braking and on increasing or decreasing corners.

McLaren calls it Proactive Chassis Control. Basically, the suspension is based on double wishbones with coil springs. The dampers are interconnected and controlled hydraulically to provide adaptive responses depending on both road conditions and driver preference.

The system features adjustable roll control, which replaces the need to have mechanical anti-roll bars, and also makes use of McLaren’s Brake-Steer system that was originally used on the 1997 MP4/12 Formula One race car. In fact, the whole kit and caboodle was developed and tested using the firm’s simulator technology, which is regarded as the best in the world.

Moving to inside, McLaren’s dihedral door arrangement for the 12C uses a single hinge point that offers plenty of leg sweep area for easy entry and egress to the low slung exotic. The touch entry door system is off the hook too! There are no handles to fumble with; simply touch the underside of the sculpted body work (with the key fob on you) and the door opens automatically. Not only that, the interior handles are easier to reach than the Mercedes-Benz SLS ones are, and a touch lighter to pull down and shut.

The F1 road car, of course, also came in a three-seat, centre-drive layout, but the new cockpit is more ergonomic and laden with numerous telematics and convenience features.

You get the normal stuff like airbags, leather, carbon fibre, cup holders, a premium Meridian stereo with AM/FM/USB/Bluetooth and a large portrait touchscreen GUI with 40 GB hard drive and media player for pictures and video. Even the vehicle owner’s manual has been integrated into the onboard electronics, which has the ability to self-diagnose problems and call McLaren’s headquarters in the UK to suss out those it can’t quite figure out.

McLaren also has its optional “IRIS” system – a fully-integrated PC featuring a with a 80 GB HDD, more speakers and and voice-controlled satellite navigation system and even a WLAN connection that lets you check e-mails and even transfer files back and forth from a home or office computer. Now that’s cool!

Along with future models within the range, the 12C will challenge the world’s best sports cars through Formula One-inspired engineering, a revolutionary carbon MonoCell chassis (the fruit of over three decades of carbon fibre pioneering), and an absolute focus on efficiency and quality. It is 100 per cent McLaren; from unique engineering to bespoke design where everything is for a reason.

With an anticipated summer 2011 launch in North America, the 2012 McLaren MP4-12C is the first in a range of high performance sports cars from McLaren Automotive.

Pricing will be somewhere between $225,000 and a quarter-million, depending on where you live. In Canada, Pfaff Automotive in Woodbridge, Ontario (north of Toronto) will arrange to ship you yours wherever that might be. Whereas there will be nine McLaren shops to pick from in select U.S. cities including Beverly Hills, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco and Tampa Bay.

Initially, the automaker expects to build 1,000 cars a year rising to 4,000 per year when those future models start coming down the barrel. Hopefully, along with bigger, more powerful engines, they’ll come with better names than MP4-12C. As for this one, I would’ve named it the Banshee. It sounds much scarier!

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2012 McLaren MP4-12C
North American Specifications

Exterior & Styling
Two-seat, mid-engine coupe with dihedral door design and a carbon fibre MonoCell chassis
Aluminum alloy bonnet, front wings and roof. Other panels are low density SMC
Fully enclosed, under-panel design incorporating front splitter and rear diffuser
Open rear grill and deck venting with side-mounted air intakes
McLaren Airbrake system
Bi-Xenon headlamps, front/rear LED running lights
Touch entry door system

Engine
M838T 90° V8 3.8 liter all aluminum twin-turbo DOHC compact engine design
Dry sump, high specific output with low CO2 emissions
Rear, mid-mounted engine
Rear-wheel drive
Fully catalyzed stainless steel exhaust system with active bypass
Compression ratio: 9:01
Max power: 592 hp @ 7000 rpm
Max torque: 443 ft lbs @ 6500 rpm
Acceleration: 0-60 mph in less than 4 seconds
Max speed: More than 200 mph

Transmission
7-speed, Seamless Shift Gearbox (SSG) with Pre-Cog functionality
Formula 1-style diecast aluminium rocker shift that pivots in the center of the steering wheel
Four driver modes: Normal, Sport and Track
Launch control
Open differential using brake steer to reduce under steer and improve cornering speed

Dimensions
Length: 177.52”
Width: 75.12”
Height: 47.2”
Wheelbase: 105.12”
Weight (dry): 2866 lbs
Distribution: 53/47 front/rear

Brakes
Two-piece discs – aluminum and iron rotors
Front ventilated iron discs: 370mm, 4-piston calipers
Rear ventilated iron discs: 350mm, 4-piston calipers
Bosch ABS/ESP with EBD
Electronic park brake assist
Hydraulic Airbrake system first used in the McLaren F1
Carbon ceramic discs and rotors (option)

Suspension
Front and rear fully independent double wishbones
Kinetic hydraulic interconnections between dampers
Teneco multi-mode dampers, adaptive and roll control
Four modes: winter, normal, sport and track
No anti-roll bars used. Rear “Z Bar” for extra heave control

Steering
Rack and pinion, power assisted
Hydraulic electric variable pressure

Wheels and Tires
Wheels: Front: 19” x 8.5”
Rear: 20” x 11”
Tires: Pirelli P Zero (McLaren spec)
Front: 235/35 R19
Rear: 305/30 R20

Interior
Interior designed around the driver: optimum driver position, visibility and pedal placement
Portrait screen infotainment system with Meridian sound
HVAC controls separated on doors/dual zone
Active dynamic control panel
All unique McLaren-designed switches and controls
Steering wheel modeled on McLaren’s Formula 1 drivers’ hand grips

Safety & Security
Alarm (doors, engine cover, and luggage compartment)
Tilt sensor, electronic immobilizer
Driver/passenger airbag, knee airbags, side head airbags
Hill Hold, ABS-EBD, ASR, ESP
Brake pad wear sensor
Emergency fuel shut off device
First aid kit
Comfort & Convenience
Dual-zone climate control
Electric handbrake
Follow-me-home lights
Trip computer, service indicator, oil level gauge
Lithium-ion battery, battery level gauge
Keyless go, electric folding mirrors, electric adjustable mirrors
One-touch electric windows
Rear defroster, rain sensing wipers
Cruise control, external temp display

Infotainment
Seven-inch portrait touch screen monitor
2-channel, 4-speaker Meridian sound system
40 GB hard drive with media player, am/fm radio and Bluetooth
USB, PDMI and audio jack ports for media player connectivity
Electronic integrated vehicle owners’ guide
IRIS System (option)
80 GB hard drive with satellite navigation system (option)
7-speaker Meridian surround sound with Digital Signal Processing technology
Voice Control
Wireless local area network (WLAN) connectivity, home file transfer
Picture/video viewer and email
Track data display featuring three onboard cameras and data acquisition capability (option)

It’s not the first time Nissan has tiptoed around the Skyline GT-R legend though. Up until the release of its 1989 Nissan Skyline GT-R, the concept was referred to as the GT-X by Shurei Ito, then manager of the Skyline Development Team. Having succeeded his mentor Shinichiro Sakurai, Skyline GT’s first chief engineer, after he fell ill, Ito realized the GT-R badge had developed a deeply loyal following within Nissan itself. Like the successful, original ’69 GT-Rs that won 49 straight races and surpassed 50 wins in the first three years. Ito’s goal was to make his new Skyline the ultimate touring car capable of dominating any Group A entry, not distract the workers and invite speculation.

It turned out to be a great strategy and the ’89 GT-R–codenamed the R32–returned with a vengeance sporting four-wheel drive ATTESA ET-S* and Nissan’s twin turbo 2.6-liter in-line six with 24 valves and DOHC that produces an intercooled 276 hp @ 6,800 rpm and 260 lb-ft of torque @ 4,400 rpm. The powerful RB26DETT engine’s potential was immediately realized with 1-2 finishes in the GT-R’s return to touring car racing in the All Japan Touring Car Championship. Race-prepped versions of these eighth-gen GT-Rs went on to achieve victory in 29 straight races from 1990 to 1993 resulting in four consecutive championships. The following ninth-gen (’95-’98) R33 and 10th generation (’99-’02) R34 models were even more competitive.

The final Japan-only 2002 Skyline GT-R M Spec Nur and V Spec II models was Nissan’s salute to its followers with a limited run of 1,000 cars boasting substantial N1-class engine upgrades that sold out faster than Rolling Stones concert tickets. In 2005, Nismo offered the Nissan Nismo Skyline GT-R Z-Tune, a highly exclusive series of 20 pre-owned GT-Rs that have been stripped down and rebuilt from the ground up with the legendary RB26 modified to Nismo’s intense Z2 specifications. Numerous racy upgrades earned the Nissan Nismo Skyline GT-R Z-tune a stiff $170,000 price tag.

Driving home the GT-R’s supercar status is its persistent ability to overachieve. Much like the Lambo-Ferrari rivalry, the GT-R’s driving force is that it must always be one, two or three steps ahead of the competition. The 1989 GT-R was Nissan’s answer to several race defeats to what they considered inferior opponents in the Ford Sierra RS, Corolla, Civic and Volvo 240 Turbo models. Direct competition for the subsequent R33 and 34 Skylines include the BMW M3, Mazda RX-7, Toyota Supra TT, Porsche 911, WRX STi and Evo 8. Not to mention, they’re well capable of taking down a Gallardo or Corvette.

The GT-R PROTO pictured remains true to all the GT-R legends preceding it, but there are two major differences with this 11th generation GT-R that previous versions. Except for the fact Infiniti has been selling the G35 coupe and sedan in Japan and calling them Skylines for years, the long-awaited GT-R supercar will for the first time in its history have its own unique body style, one not derived from a sedan. Even more striking is the fact the new GT-R will be a left-hand driver sold globally.

For power, sources are saying a 3.5 or 3.8-liter twin turbo V6 is the most likely candidate(s) with output expectations well over 450 hp. While twin snails will be great, the lack of a V8 as standard or optional may cause some suitors to lose interest. On the other hand, it may begin a new chapter in Nissan V8 swaps. All previous Skyline GT-Rs were capable of producing over 550 hp (Nismo Z-tune is in this ball park) with no modifications to the original RB26 engine block or head and some ECU tuning. In the hands of accomplished tuners there have been many examples of 900-plus hp GT-Rs.

Besides finding an alternative to carbon fiber, the large R34-like front bumper scoop is unlikely to change much, holding the emotional connection; but, different head and tail light combinations will be necessary to meet differing regional regulations. Emissions-related equipment will also be under scrutiny, but a 19- or 20-inch wheel and tire package won’t be out of the question. Although some of the car’s sharp lines could be easily de-emphasized, it’s unreasonable to suggest the GT-R will look any less athletic than it does now with wide flared fenders and telltale Skyline rear. The rear carbon diffuser likely won’t remain, however, this and parts like it could be custom ordered separately or appear in accessory upgrade packages.

If it were my call, I’d make that twin turbo V8 a reality with at least 600 hp on tap from a six- or seven-speed manual. I could see it coming in at $60-65K USD; but, with the V8 powered Toyota Supra revival and possible Lexus IS 500 coming, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X and Subaru STI, all priced around $50K, the production GT-R could be in for a bumpy return. BMW’s class-leading M3 is priced similarly; and, were the Mazda Kabura and rotary engine hybrid concepts to come together and (finally) create a right and proper successor for the RX-7, the GT-R will have to face one of its toughest challenges to date. Will the GT-R have what it takes to rise up against several Japanese auto makers engaging in their own, developing modern muscle war?

[ATTESSA ET-S: Electronically-controlled active-split four-wheel drive system (based on FR) that continuously varies the torque allocation between the front and rear wheels in the range of 0.100-50:50]