Hypermiling in a Porsche 911 yields 35.1 mpg
The Porsche 911 has long been one of the most fuel efficient sports cars available at its performance level. The new 2009 911 with its direct injection and dual clutch gearbox is rated at 24 mpg (US) combined on the EU test cycle (19/27 on the EPA cycles). That's not an exceptional number around these parts. However, ex-racer and German TV presenter Klaus Niedzwiedz set out to prove again the influence that driving style can have on efficiency. At the wheel of a new 911 Carrera coupe, Niedzwiedz went 400 miles with a sealed gas tank. Over a mix of 19 miles of urban driving, 119 miles of country roads and 262 miles of autobahn Niedzwiedz averaged 52 mph and 35.1 mpg (US). The driving style used for this run is almost certainly not typical of 911 drivers but gentle driving can definitely eek more miles out of every gallon of fuel.
Gallery: 35.1 mpg 2009 Porsche 911
[Source: Porsche]
911 Carrera Saving Fuel all the Way: Just 6.7 Litres/100 Kilometres
Stuttgart. Porsche sports cars embark on record-breaking test drives time and again – but this time the purpose of the test was quite different: Driving a regular 345 bhp Porsche 911 Carrera with Porsche's PDK Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe, the car tester, ex-racing driver and presenter of the n-tv Motor magazine Klaus Niedzwiedz covered 648 kilometres or exactly 400 miles on public roads, achieving extremely low average fuel consumption of just 6.7 litres/100 kilometres, equal to 42.2 mpg imp. In the process, he easily outperformed the combined fuel consumption specified under the Euro 5 standard which, at 9.8 litres/100 kilometres (28.8 mpg imp) already sets the absolute benchmark in this category of sports cars in terms of fuel economy.
The Porsche Carrera covered about 190 kilometres/118 miles of the total route on country roads and 30 kilometres/19 miles in city traffic, with the remaining distance on the Autobahn. The car's tank was filled up prior to and after the test drive by a certified inspector of the German DEKRA Car Inspection Authority, who also sealed the fuel tank and the engine compartment in the process. Under normal traffic conditions, with the headlights switched on, and with rain from time to time, the driver sought to keep the car's engine speed between 1,800 and 2,000 rpm, with a road speed between 90 and 130 km/h (56 – 81 mph). The average speed achieved in the process was 84 km/h or 52 mph.
In the words of test driver Klaus Niedzwiedz, "the result proves that with a lot of feeling and discipline you can even drive a 3.6-litre, 345-bhp sports car very economically."
The test drive confirms once again that Porsche is going the right way in its process of technological development. Within a very short time, all production versions of the Porsche 911 with a natural-aspiration power unit have been converted to brand-new engine technology featuring DFI Direct Fuel Injection, improving fuel economy by more than 12 per cent, and with a substantial increase in both torque and engine power.
The optional PDK transmission with seven gears likewise makes a significant contribution to the car's greater fuel economy, at the same time giving the six-cylinder models even more power and performance.
The report on Klaus Niedzwiedz's economy test will be broadcast on Saturday, 20 December, on the German TV channel n-tv Motor at 16:30 CET.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
gorr 1:31PM (12/17/2008)
This test is cheap. They should do it with more cars then just one car. If a corrolla and a malibu have did the same trip at the same time as that porsche it would averaged 50-60 mpg approx. So it would offer a better view on fuel efficiency. What we see was not a test of fuel efficiency for the porsche, it was a test of bland driving, the only solution offer from the chatters here. Drive less and slower, the rest is impossible if a make an average of the opinions here in this site. Nobody here is able to voice what a green car is?? some say battery, some say nothing except confusion. LOL.
Reply
Torbjorn 2:59PM (12/17/2008)
Hypermiling a Porsche is absolutely stupid. Hypermiling in general is dumb. All these people go out of their way to drive at these little competititions and waste gas just to show that if you drive your car like a moron you can save the worlds energy resources.
A little advice: STOP DRIVING AT THESE COMPETITIONS AND GOING AROUND THE WORLD PROVING YOU CAN SAVE GAS. YOU JUST WASTED A VALUABLE RESOURCE JUST TO PET YOUR EGO.
Reply
Aether Glider 10:06AM (12/18/2008)
Hypermiling is not stupid. People driving 80mph in a Hummer, Expedition, Excursion, Tahoe, Explorer is stupid. That is wasting gas. If this guy wants to drive his Porshe to show how many MPG he can get and educate idiots like you then its not wasting gas.
a little advice: STOP IDLING IN DRIVETHRUS FOR 15 MINUTES, STOP MAKING UNNECESSARY TRIPS, STOP WARMING UP YOUR CAR IN THE MORNING BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOME, STOP POSTING IDIOTIC THINGS ON THE INTERNET.
Falcom 6:51PM (2/13/2009)
@ Aether Glider
its stupid? I think just to spite people like you i'm going to use my freedom to be wasteful and do a nice smokey burnout in the parking lot @ work, and drive home making sure i keep the RPM well over 4000 as much as traffic will allow. Time to waste some gas!
lucidink 4:17PM (9/24/2009)
Listen, it's great and all that you're offended that someone was 'stupid' enough to waste a tank of gas or two to prove a point, it obviously shows that you care about the issue to a certain extent, but calling it a 'waste' of a natural resource is a myopic and poorly thought out evaluation. If this guy is informing the public at large that it's possible to get 35mpg in a Porsche driving it frugally, then he's just potentially influenced hundreds, maybe thousands of people to think twice about gunning it from stop light to stop light and driving fast for no other reason than driving fast. Hey, I flog the hell out of my car, but only as a treat, not a standard. I think the point is emphasized because it IS a Porsche... obviously we know what its performance capabilities are, but this is one of them too, and one worth knowing. By the way, it sounds like you're asking what the point is of conducting any scientific tests, empirically provable or not, if the test involves 'wasting' energy. Do I really need to answer that for you? Really?
Peter 3:01PM (12/17/2008)
If you convert the 55 miles of range that Top Gear got while racing a Tesla on their test track, you get the equivalent of about 35mpg. Hypermiling yields over 100mpge.
So I think what you mean is, the Porsche 911 WAS one of the most efficient sports cars available at its performance level.
Reply
kurt 3:16PM (12/17/2008)
I just acquired a 2007 Porsche 911, and I can assure you, it must have taken this gentleman a lot of discipline!
Reply
GenWaylaid 8:59PM (12/18/2008)
Indeed, if you're getting 35 mpg from a Porsche...you probably didn't mean to buy a Porsche.
noz 6:40PM (12/17/2008)
A hybrid system essentially does the hyper miling for you. With electric assist, it reduces load on the IC engine and increase fuel economy.
Let's see how well this Porsche does in stop and go traffic...
Reply
Mike 12:03PM (12/18/2008)
I get this on my 1998 Nissan Maxima.. lol.. when hypermiling - I guess it's hypermiling..
I still drive a tad over the speed limits (35mph = 42mpg and 55mph - 65mph)
I can still attain 30+ mpg. Its the start/stop city driving that kills it!
But The prius when we "hypermile" (wifes car) we can get like 70+.. but then we have to drive the speed limit. We still get between 44-52mpg on normal driving.. (thats at least 5-10mph over the speed limits)
Reply
Loris 8:33PM (12/18/2008)
I've heard good and bad things re: hypermiling. One thing I've never quite understood is how diesel cars (ie the diesel Yaris) have been hypermiled at 100+ mpg but hybrids don't yield comparable results. Or is just that hybrids are typically shut out of such competitions due to their poor drivability, low "fun scores" on carfunfootprint.com and etc (in other words, no one cares)? But then someone else said that hybrids essentially do the hypermiling for you. Anyone care to explain the difference between engines here?
Reply