It won’t fit in all the groceries, but it will get you to the store in record hybrid time. At a record hybrid price. We’ve caught glimpses of the Porsche 918 Spyder hybrid speedster with its 770 horses on the roads, flying from 0-100 kmh in under three seconds and zipping around Nurburgring in 7:22. At a top speed of 320 kmh, this is just what you need for that next road trip from Singapore to Mongolia in record time. What really makes it all the more incredible is that this circuit breaker is a hybrid vehicle which has a fuel consumption of 3 litres/100km, stumping nearly every other hybrid out there.
In terms of technology, the 918 Spyder is the works. Full carbon-fibre reinforced plastic monocoque, adaptive aerodynamics and rear-axle steering, an exhaust system that vents to the top. From the original concept 918 Spyder that was presented in 2010 (back then with 715 bhp), Porsche has further integrated the drive train of the 911 GT3 R Hybrid into the 918, giving it the additional horsepower it has gained.
The cost of this delish model? Just USD845,000. Only 918 are available, starting from September next year. “What we are doing with the 918 Spyder is redefining driving fun, efficiency and performance,” said Wolfgang Hatz, Member of the Executive Board Research and Development of Porsche AG.
The prototypes, their camouflage harking back to historical Porsche 917 racing cars, signal the final touches to the 918 Spyder. The focus is on the interplay between the highly sophisticated individual drive components. The combination of combustion engine and two independent electric motors – one on the front axle and one in the drive line, acting on the rear wheels – poses completely new demands on the development of the operating strategies. “They are therefore a critical component in this vehicle into which we have put all of our expertise and capacity for innovation,” said Wolfgang Hatz.
Check out the photos and videos of the Porsche Spyder 918 here.
