Porsche Cayenne-Based CO2ncept-10% Is Cleaner, More Efficient By 10%

On display at the on-going ATZ/MTZ Congress in Germany is the CO2ncept-10%, basically a Porsche Cayenne V8 that has been modified to deliver, as its name suggests, 10.1% lower fuel intake and carbon dioxide emissions.

The people responsible for this concept, the Schaeffler Group, managed that impressive 10% reduction mainly from engine modifications, which include measures such as the using of electromechanical instead of hydraulic cam phasers; the minimising of friction in the belt drive and valve train; and the optimising of side intake switching tappets and the VarioCam Plus valve system.

Non-engine changes—like the use of an electromechanical instead of hydraulic roll stabiliser, the use of new wheel bearings and the use of double-row angular ball bearings in the front and rear differentials—also contribute to improving efficiency.

What makes the 10% reduction more impressive is that this Cayenne remains as heavy as the standard vehicle and that the V8 performance remains untouched.

But seriously, a 10% cleaner, more efficient Cayenne V8 still incurs the wrath of the Greenpeace people. The remaining 90% fuel consumption and emissions are equivalent to two-to-three smaller cars'. So the CO2ncept-10% is excellent as a showcase for first-rate engineering, but useless as a green vehicle.