Porsche 918 Spyder officially revealed

Posted 9th September, 2013 in Porsche, Videos | Leave a comment

After what feels like an eternity, Porsche has finally revealed its 918 Spyder to the world.

Tipping the scales at 1640 kg, the plug-in hybrid hypercar is constructed around a carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) monocoque interlocked with CFRP unit carrier, a two-piece Targa roof and fixed roll-over protection.

Just 918 examples will be built, with pricing starting at 845,000 USD (€633,000) for the base model, rising up to 929,000 USD (€696,000) if you specify the Weissach Package. This track-focused version features such items as six-point harnesses, the carbon interior pack – including flappy paddles, flame-resistant material on the seats, deletion of the air-con system and stereo, front and rear dive planes, a lightweight braking system. It also includes foil on the body rather than paintwork, which makes up 2.5 kg of the 36 kg weight loss that the package brings.

Notable options include liquid metal paintwork for €47,600, magnesium wheels for €29,750, front axle lift system for €8,925, the quick charging system (reduces charging time from 2 hours to 0.5 hours) for €20,230 and the electric comfort heating system for €5,950, which heats the interior when the car is running in electric-only mode.

At the heart of the 1,160 kg Spyder is a 453 kW (608 hp) 4.6-litre V8 engine, which is based on that of the LMP2 RS Spyder race car and is backed up by a hybrid module at the rear along with a electric motor powering the front wheels. When using electric power alone, top speed is 150 km/h (93 mph) with a range of 25 kilometres achievable – depending on driving style but, with the full 661 kW (887 hp) a its disposal, 100 km/h appears in 2.8 seconds and 200 km/h in 7.9s, while top speed is 340 km/h (211 mph). All from a car capable of drinking around three litres of fuel every 100 kilometres.

Apart from the electric-only E-Power mode, the driver can also choose from Hybrid, Sport Hybrid, Race Hybrid and Hot Lap modes. Hybrid uses the best combination of power sources to achieve optimum efficiency; Sport Hybrid sees the combustion engine in permanent use and Race Hybrid features sharpened PDK responses and bursts of electric power, while still intermittentl charging the battery. Finally, Hot Lap is the perfect selection for qualifying, taking maximum energy from the battery – but only for a handful of laps.