The Carrera GT was a great car. Wonder what might have been the expectations from its replacement! But Porsche, from the looks of things, might have hit the bulls eye with their latest hypercar- the 918. It looks fabulous and is the first plug-in hybrid car from Porsche. It is immediately recognizable as a Porsche, courtesy the front end which showcases Porsches 911 heritage.
Highlights:
-4.9 litre V8 gasoline engine producing 580 horsepower, supplemented by 2 electric motors delivering an additional 218 horsepower.
-Only 3L/100km fuel economy claimed.
-Carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic monocoque chassis.
-1,490 kilograms (3,300 lb).
-0-62mph dash in less than 2.9 seconds.
-Top speed over 210 mph(330 km/h).
When it will be released, it will see competition from hyper cars such as the McLaren P1, the LaFerrari and the Lamborghini Veneno.
The Porsche 918 Spyder is a mid-engined sports car designed by Porsche and first shown as a concept at the 80th edition of the Geneva Motor Show in March 2010. The Spyder is powered by a 4.6 litre V8 engine, developing 580 horsepower (430 kW), with two electric motors delivering an additional 218 horsepower (163 kW). It is the first plug-in hybrid car from Porsche. Porsche later announced a limited production of the vehicle.
At NAIAS 2011, Porsche unveiled the RSR racing variant of the 918, which combines hybrid technology first used in the 997 GT3 R Hybrid, with styling from the 918 Spyder.
Spyder
The 918 Spyder is a mid-engined two seater sports car, designed by Michael Mauer, that is powered by a 4.6 liter V8 engine (580 hp/430 kW) which is a development of the engine used in the RS Spyder Le Mans Prototype racing car. This is supplemented by two electric motors delivering an additional 280 horsepower (210 kW). The transmission is a 7-speed gearbox coupled to Porsches own (PDK) double clutch system delivering power to the rear axle. Two electric motors drive the front wheels directly through a fixed ratio while a third electric motor is connected to the transmission and gives additional power to the rear wheels. This gives the 918 Spyder a 0–100 km/h time in just under 2.9 seconds, which is faster than Nissans GT-R and Lamborghinis mighty Aventador, and a top speed of over 330 kilometres per hour (210 mph). The energy storage system is a liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery positioned behind the passenger cell. In addition to the plug-in recharge the batteries can also be charged by regenerative braking and by excess output from the engine when the car is coasting. CO2 emissions are 70 g/km and fuel consumption is 3 L/100 km (94 imperial mpg/78 us mpg). The 918 Spyder offers 4 different running modes: E-Drive allows the car to run under battery power alone, using the rear electric motor only, giving a range of 20 miles (32 km). Three hybrid modes (Hybrid, Sport and Race) use both the engine and electric motors to provide the desired levels of economy and performance. In Race mode a push-to-pass button is available to deliver additional electrical power.
The chassis is a carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic monocoque. Magnesium and aluminium are extensively used in the construction of the car which helps keep the 918 Spyders weight down to 1,490 kilograms (3,300 lb).
On July 28, 2010, after 2000 declarations of interest, the Supervisory Board of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, gave the green light for series development of the Porsche 918 Spyder. The 918 will be produced in a limited series. It will be developed in Weissach and assembled in Zuffenhausen.
RSR
At the 2011 Auto show in Detroit, Porsche unveiled the RSR racing variant of the 918 Spyder. Instead of using plug-in hybrid technology, power for the two electric motors is provided by a flywheel accumulator KERS system that sits beside the driver in the passenger compartment. The V8 is a further development of the direct injection engine from the RS Spyder race car developing 563 horsepower (420 kW). The electric motors on the two front wheels each provide an additional 102 horsepower (76 kW), giving a peak power output of 767 horsepower (572 kW). The six speed gearbox is a development of the unit from the RS Spyder.
Video games appearances
The Porsche 918 Spyder in Need for Speed: Most Wanted(2012)
The 918 Spyder is subject to numerous video games appearances, most notably in several games of the third generations of Need for Speed series. It was originally featured in the game Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit as a drivable vehicle. Unlike the other Porsche cars featured in the game, it is not available in a police livery. It was later featured in Shift 2: Unleashed, Need for Speed: Most Wanted(2012) and Need for Speed: The Run (The Run only featured the RSR variant).
