One of the highest performing and greenest vehicles ever produced by Porsche is the sleek 918 Spyder.
Sure, we’ve seen the car in rough prototype form in the past, yet Porsche is now ready to start on-road testing with more complete prototypes.
The 918 boasts a 4.0-liter 500 hp V-8 engine – which on its own would provide truly impressive performance.
However, Porsche combines the powerful V-8 engine with a pair of electric motors that drive the front wheels – significantly adding to the vehicle’s performance.
Essentially, the car is a plug-in hybrid capable of using electric power alone to achieve speeds of up to 94 mph.
Indeed, the 918 Spyder achieved 78 mpg on the EU test cycle, making for very impressive fuel economy, especially since the vehicle has a 199 mph top speed and can hit 60 mph in 3.1 seconds. With power from the V-8 engine and the dual electric motors combined, the car boasts 770 HP while consuming 3 L of fuel per 100 km driven.
Porsche is also talking a bit about the prototype vehicles as technology gem traders with interesting concepts for weight and performance, including a carbon fiber reinforced plastic monocoque, fully adaptive aerodynamics and adaptive rear axle steering.
Once testing is complete on the 918 Spyder, the vehicle will be offered in limited production for automotive enthusiasts at a cool $845,000. Then again, the Spyder should be one of the most impressive Porsche sports cars ever to carry the crest (it still reminds me of the Carrera GT).
