Porsche 918 Spyder Production Model Revealed in Full
In 2010, Porsche stunned the automotive world by revealing the 918 Spyder Concept, a plug-in hybrid supercar. Not long after the concept completed its tour of the auto show circuit, Porsche announced it would be putting the 918 Spyder into production, with assembly of the first car set to begin on September 18 (9-18…get it?) of this year. Granted, Ferrari and McLaren beat Porsche to the punch by premiering their hybrid hypercars at Geneva in March, but there’s still anticipation aplenty surrounding the 918.
Now Porsche has pulled back the curtain on the production 918 Spyder’s shape, as well as its technical details. And even though it’s the last of the big-name green supercars to go public, we don’t think that has even a slight chance of hurting its chances for success.
Take the styling, for instance. It mirrors that of the gorgeous concept version quite closely, though there are a few detail changes, such as the sidepipes being replaced by tailpipes poking through the top of the engine cover. Some people might dismiss it as derivative, but we think it comes across as an evolution of the Carrera GT. But if you do happen to feel it’s too generic, you can always order the “Weissach Package” (named for Porsche’s legendary test track and technical center), which adds one of many snazzy retro-inspired graphics package modeled on a famous Porsche race car livery from back in the day. It also adds bare carbon fiber trim, magnesium wheels, Alcantara seats and less sound deadening.
But cosmetics and trim aren’t what the 918 is about; it’s about the powertrain. And boy is that powertrain fancy: The 4.6L V8 is based on the 3.4L V8 found in last decade’s RS Spyder LMP2 racer. It delivers 608hp and revs to – get this – 9,150 rpm. It teams up with a pair of electric motors, one at the rear making 154hp and one at the front delivering 127hp, plus a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. The most combined power the car will make at any one time? A neck-straining 887hp and 940 lb.-ft of torque (though that torque figure only comes in top gear). Egad.
And because the 918 Spyder is a plug-in hybrid, it can putter around on just electric power for a short distance. Specifically, the 6.8 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack (which can be fully recharged in less than seven hours from a normal 110-volt outlet) should hold enough juice to propel this supercar for up to 18 miles at speeds up to 93 mph. When not in EV mode, the 918 will supposedly top 211 mph, and hit 62 mph from a dead stop in 2.8 seconds. That’s mighty fast, but Ferrari and McLaren have thrown out slightly more extreme numbers for their tree-hugging rocket ships. On the other hand, neither the LaFerrari nor the P1 has a removable roof, something the 918 Spyder, as its name suggests, does.
Expect Porsche to start delivering the first 918 Spyders to customers around December. And if you haven’t ordered yours yet, well, you’re too late: All 918 (There’s that number again!) copies scheduled to be built were spoken for years ago. As a consolation, we do have plenty of pictures of a Weissach Package equipped 918 Spyder on which you can feast your peepers.
Source: Porsche