Porsche is known for being at the forefront of sports car manufacturing today. Any new sports car, whether in the commercial or professional racing realm, has to compete with Porsche. Here are some fascinating facts about Porsche to help you understand the company a little better.The Porsche Founder Made a Hybrid in 1899We tend to think of hybrid vehicles are being very modern and innovative. They function by combining conventional fuel power with electric power. This combination is what propels the vehicle forward. But did you know that the founder of Porsche, Ferdinand Porsche, created a hybrid vehicle as early as 1899? It used a battery to store electricity that powered the motor. Sure, it was a primitive model, but innovative nevertheless. It was known as the Lohner-Porsche Mixte Hybrid, and it was produced until 1905.Rear Mounted Flat Six Engine Is A Classic Porsche TraitKarl Benz invented the first Boxer Engine way back in time, 1896 to be precise. Today only a few auto makers, such as Porsche and Subaru, currently use horizontally opposed engines. Porsche continues to be the most prominent manufacturer of flat-6 engine luxury sports cars. Flat -six engines can be mounted lower, lowering the center of gravity enhances the cars handling and balance. However for it’s larger cars such as the Panamera, Porsche use front mounted V6 Turbocharged engines. Find out more about that car at places like harratts.co.uk.Every Porsche 911 Made was Manufactured in the Same PlaceThe Porsche Factory in Stuttgart is the most important location for the company. This is where the important work is done, and the company has been based in that part of Germany for as long as it has existed. It’s important to the most popular of Porsche’s cars, the 911, in particular.All the Porsche 911 models to have been made have been manufactured in this factory. This gives the brand a sense of place and continuity.The First Car Sold in the US with Passenger Airbags as Standard was a PorscheThese days, we take it for granted that the cars we drive will be fitted with multiple airbags. Without these, we wouldn’t be safe on the road, and we would be in grave danger in the event of a crash. However, passenger airbags were not fitted as standard until Porsche decided to take that step forward in the 1980s. The Porsche 944 came with airbags fitted for the passenger, rather than just for the driver of the car. Other manufacturers soon followed their lead.Porsche also Designs, Outdoor Grills, Cockpits, Forklift Trucks and TractorsCars might be what we associate Porsche with, but they have made many other things too. As well as plane cockpits, forklift trucks and even tractors, they have made outdoor grills. It shows just how broad the brand is, and not many of us even realise this fact. So, maybe next time you want to upgrade your grill, you’ll opt for the company that brought us the Porsche 911. See them for yourself at sites like www.bbqworld.co.uk.