In among the wealth of new vehicles at the Frankfurt Motor Show this month, one of the hotly anticipated releases will be the new Porsche 918 Spyder.
The car, which was initially revealed in early 2010, is a hybrid model.
According to Porsche, the Spyder will emit as little as 70 grams of CO2 per kilometre, whilst providing 78 mpg.
However, despite the energy-efficient design, the performance will not be limited. In fact, the car can go from 0 to 62mph in just 3.2 seconds. Furthermore, an impressive top-speed of 198mph can be achieved.
Despite a couple of vehicles already created and tested, the official production debut of the car is expected in Germany.
While the car will reach 186mph in 23 seconds, the speed has been eclipsed by the upcoming LaFerrari, which can achieve the same speed in just 15 seconds.
The high-revving V8 engine is able to develop some 608bhp at a maximum engine speed of 9,200rpm, with the electric motors on the front and rear axle able to achieve an overall mechanical output of 278bhp.
Originally expected to be a 718 hp concept, the car was then upgraded to 770hp in the prototype phase. When it hit production however, the vehicle was delivering 887hp.
The electricity powered vehicle can run for 16-18 minutes on electric power alone, and is just part of the recent developments in the hybrid hyper-car market.
According to Chris Harris from PistonHeads, the car is able to start silently and smoothly, while the steering is both “exceptional” and “uncorrupted” by the electric motors when under full power.
The vehicle recently had an impressive test day at Goodwood Festival of Speed, where it demonstrated its performance during its public dynamic debut.
Describing the car, Porsche has said: “The 918 Spyder embodies the essence of the Porsche idea: it combines pedigree motor racing technology with excellent everyday versatility, and maximum performance with minimum consumption. The task faced by the development team was to create the super sports car for the next decade with a highly efficient and powerful hybrid drive.”
Furthermore, with the vehicle able to make improvements on both efficiency and performance without having an adverse effect on either factor, Porsche has said the car is the most successful sports car for the past 50 years.
“In short, the 918 Spyder will act as the gene pool for the Porsche sports cars of the future,” Porsche claimed.
The car has five different modes, depending on how it is intended to be used. For quiet and elegant drives, utilising the electric motor, drivers can select E-Power. If the battery is fully charged, this is the default mode. When the battery drops below a minimum level, it switches to hybrid mode automatically.
This particular setting is for efficient and comfortable drives, with both the electric motor and the combustion motor working alternately to minimise fuel consumption.
For a sporty and dynamic drive, motorists should select the Sport Hybrid mode, where the combustion engine operates continuously while the electric motor provides additional support for greater efficiency.
Race Hybrid mode is for sporty driving, where the combustion engine is used primarily, but charges the battery when it is not being utilised.
However, to achieve the most power, the Hot Lap mode achieves the maximum power available, releasing the car’s final reserves.
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