Nurburgring: Porsche Hybrid 6th in Qualifier

Just the Facts:

• A Porsche GT3 R Hybrid and a Lexus LFA competed in the 57th ADAC Westfalenfahrt, a qualifying event for the the 24 Hours of Nurburgring.
• Manthey Racing's Porsche hybrid finished 6th overall.
• Lexus LFA entered by Gazoo Racing was listed in 28th place 1st in SP8 classification.

NURBURG, Germany — The season-opening race at Germany's famous Nurburgring circuit Sunday featured the entry of two new models earmarked for competition in the track's 24-hour endurance contest in May.

A Porsche GT3 R Hybrid entered by Manthey Racing finished 6th overall and a Lexus LFA entered by Gazoo Racing was listed in 28th place, 1st in SP8 classification, in results of the 57th ADAC Westfalenfahrt, a qualifying prerequisite for 24 Hours entries.

The Porsche features kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) technology developed by the Williams Formula 1 team. Braking energy is stored and can be used to drive a pair of electric motors mated to the front wheels of the all-wheel-drive car.

The hybrid finished 3 minutes, 58.348 seconds behind the Manthey Racing GT3 R that took overall victory in the event.

The LFA, an ultra-lightweight two-seat coupe with carbon fiber body and chassis construction, has competed in sports car events as a prototype the past two years, but the Nurburgring entry was a production model with V10 engine and six-speed automatic transmission.

As Inside Line previously reported, a limited run of 500 units is planned for the LFA, with pricing estimated at $375,000.

Porsche is supporting the Manthey Racing effort, and the manufacturer is reportedly hoping to bring the hybrid to the U.S. to compete in the American Le Mans Series. ALMS champion Jorge Bergmeister was a co-driver of the hybrid at the Nurburgring Sunday.

Inside Line says: More than 160 cars participated in the first of 10 events scheduled at the picturesque Eifel Forest track, but these two entries stood out. The Porsche hybrid features one of the most promising applications of the KERS technology pioneered in F1 last year, and the LFA is an intriguing production supercar. — David Green, Correspondent