Porsche 918 Spyder Redefining Fun Efficiency and Performance

In Porsche by Jonathan Humphrey

Initial prototypes of the amazing hybrid Porsche 918 Spyder are being road tested. With body camouflage to reflect the glory days of historical Porsche 917 racing cars. The supercars are being driven on trials and this radical sports car of the future is progressing, step by step towards final production at the end of September 2013. The first deliveries will be made before the end of the year.

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“What we are doing with the 918 Spyder is redefining driving fun, efficiency and performance,” said Wolfgang Hatz, Porsche Board Member

The Porsche 918 Spyder power train combines a combustion engine and two independent electric motors – one on the front axle and one in the drive line, for the rear wheels. This new set up demands different strategies on the construction of the car and tests the core skills at Porsche. The combination of minimal fuel consumption and maximum performance.

The super sports car is designed as a plug-in hybrid vehicle combining a high performance combustion engine, V8 with 570bhp with cutting-edge electric motors for extraordinary performance. The car can be driven for 15 miles on pure electric mode with a top speed of 93mph, it has a top speed of 201 mph combining the power trains. This Porsche hybrid will offer the dynamics of a performance racing car boasting more than 770 hp,  but with fuel consumption three litres per 100 km/ equating to approx 110mpg plus.

The  hybrid 918 Spyder breaks new ground with more Porsche solutions, the full carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) monocoque with unit carrier, fully adaptive aerodynamics, adaptive rear axle steering and the upward-venting ‘top pipes’ exhaust system.

In this construction process, the 918 Spyder is offerings a glimpse of what Porsche Intelligent Performance can be capable of in the future.

Body: Two-seater Spyder; carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP) monocoque interlocked with CFRP unit carrier; two-piece Targa roof; fixed roll-over protection system.
Drivetrain: Parallel full hybrid; 4.6-litre V8 mid-engine with dry sump lubrication; hybrid module with electric motor and decoupler; electric motor with decoupler and gear unit on front axle; electrical system recuperation; four cooling circuits for motors, transmission and battery; thermal management.
Engine Power: > 570 hp (V8 engine)
~ 90 kW (hybrid module on rear axle)
~ 80 kW (electric motor on front axle)
> 770 hp (combined)
Suspension: Double-wishbone front axle; optional electro-pneumatic lift system on front axle; electro-mechanical power steering; multi-link rear axle with adaptive electromechanical system for individual rear wheel steering
Brake system: High-performance hybrid brake system with adaptive recuperation; ceramic brake discs (PCCB).
Energy supply:    Lithium-ion battery with 6.8 kWh capacity (BOL nominal), 202 kW maximum power and mains compatible plug-in charger.
Performance: Top speed > 325 km/h (201mph)
purely electric > 150 km/h  (93mph)
Acceleration: 0 – 100 km/h < 3.0 s
Consumption(NEDC): Total ~ 3.0 l/100 km (94 mpg)
CO2 emissions: Total ~ 70 g/km
Range: Purely electric > 25 km (15 miles)