Porsche announced today that in response to outstanding customer response to the concept car, they are going to produce a limited number of Porsche 918 Spyder.
They will make 918 units of the futuristic hybrid sports car and the orders book are open now. Priced from 645,000 Euro before tax, the 918 Spyder deliveries will begin in November 2013. Production is initialised in the same sequence in which orders are received and is scheduled to commence on 18 September 2013.
Porsche promises the same amazing figures of the concept car for the production version as well. That means 918 offers a combined output of 718 bhp, while fuel consumption remains as low as 3 liters/100 km or 94 mpg with CO2 emissions of 70 g/km (112 g/mile). That is simply unbelievable!
Even more astonishing is the performance. It accelerates from a standing start to 100 km/h (62 mph) in a maximum of 3.2 seconds and has a top speed of more than 320 km/h (199 mph). Even in pure electric mode it has a top speed of 150 km/h (94 mph). They reckon it will lap Nurburgring Nordschleife in less than seven minutes and 30 seconds.
This is a worthy successor for the great Porsche Carrera GT.
For you to get a clearer picture how Porsche has managed to arrive at such an amazing compromise between mind-bending performance and great fuel economy, here’s more details on the 918’s hybrid system:
The design’s DNA is derived from the Carrera GT and Porsche 917 sports car as well as the RS Spyder and is very closely modelled on the 2010 concept car. Unlike the concept car, however, the production version of the two-seater, based on a carbon fibre-reinforced plastic monocoque, features a manual roof system with removable roof panels that can be stowed in the front luggage compartment.
The 918 Spyder is driven by a unique type of plug-in hybrid system. It comprises a high-revving V8 engine with a displacement exceeding four litres and output of more than 368 kW (500 hp). The mid-engine power unit is based on the racing engine of the successful Porsche RS Spyder, which provided impressive proof of its efficiency with its multiple victories in the Michelin Green X Challenge in the American Le Mans Series, the Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Power transmission to the rear wheels is by means of a compact, seven gear Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK). This is complemented by two electric motors – one each on the front and rear axle – with a joint mechanical output of at least 160 kW (218 hp). This configuration offers an innovative, variable all-wheel drive with independent control of the propulsion force on both axles. The energy storage unit is a liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery that can be charged from a conventional domestic power socket, delivering a range in excess of 25 km (16 miles) in the NEDC on purely electric power. The charging time depends on the country-specific mains network, being approximately three hours in Germany, for example. A quick charging option is planned to reduce charging time yet further.
