porsche 918 spyder

The Porsche 918 Spyder is a mid-engined sports plug-in hybrid designed by Porsche and first shown as a concept at the 80thGeneva 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 243 horsepower (181 kW). It is the first plug-in hybrid car from Porsche.^[2] Porsche intends to manufacture 918 units as a 2014 model year starting production on September 18, 2013, with deliveries scheduled to begin in December 2013.^[3] The starting price is rumored to be around €768,026.^[4]

Porsche unveiled the RSR racing variant of the 918 at the 2011 North American International Auto Show, which combines hybrid technology first used in the 997 GT3 R Hybrid, with styling from the 918 Spyder.^[5]

The 918 Spyder is a mid-engined two-seater sports car designed by Michael Mauer.^[6] It is powered by a 4.6 liter V8 engine which is a development of the engine used in the RS Spyder Le Mans Prototype racing car. The engine delivers 580 horsepower (430 kW) at 8,500 rpm and 500 N·m (370 lbf·ft) of torque.^[4] This is supplemented by two electric motors delivering an additional 240 hp (180 kW).^[7] One 85 kW (114 hp)^[4] electric motor drives the rear wheels in parallel with the engine and also serves as the main generator.^[7] This motor and engine deliver power to the rear axle via a 7-speed gearbox coupled to Porsche's own PDK double-clutch system. The front 95 kW (127 hp)^[4] electric motor directly drives the front axle; an electric clutch decouples the motor when not in use.^[7] The total system delivers 823 hp (614 kW) and 780 N·m (580 lbf·ft) of torque.^[4]As of October 2012 the engineering design is not finalized,^[7] but Porsche has given performance figures of 0–100 km/h (62 mph) in 2.8 seconds and a top speed of 325 kilometres per hour (202 mph).^[4] The energy storage system is a 6 kW·h liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery positioned behind the passenger cell. In addition to plugging in to recharge, the batteries are also charged by regenerative braking and by excess output from the engine when the car is coasting. CO₂ emissions are 70 g/km^[2] and fuel consumption is 3 L/100 km (94 imperial mpg/78 us mpg).SpyderRear view of the Porsche 918 Spyder
RSR
The 918 RSR at the 2011 North American International Auto Show
Video games appearances
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The 918 Spyder offers four different running modes: E-Drive allows the car to run under battery power alone, using the rear electric motor and front motor, giving a range of 25 miles (40 km); the car can reach 100 mph (160 km/h) in this mode.^[3]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.^[8] 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 Spyder's weight down to 1,700 kilograms (3,700 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.^[9] The 918 will be produced in a limited series and it will be developed in Weissachand assembled in Zuffenhausen. Porsche intends to manufacture 918 units as a 2014 model year starting production on September 18, 2013, and deliveries are scheduled to begin in December 2013.^[3]

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At the 2011 North American International 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 KERSsystem 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 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.^[5]

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The 918 Spyder is subject to numerous video games appearances, most notably in several games of the third generations ofNeed for Speed series. It was originally featured in the game Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit as a drivable vehicle.^[10] 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,^[11] Need for Speed: The Run^[12] (The Run only featured the RSR variant), and Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2012)^[13]

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• The 918 Spyder at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show

• The 918 RSR at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show

• Porsche 918 Spyder badge

• Rear side of the 918 Spyder