Porsche Bringing The 918 Spyder Concept Hybrid To Geneva
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With upcoming European Council CO2 emission control limits coming up in 2012, it's no surprise that the 2010 Geneva Motor Show is full of high-performance, hybrid supercars.
The Lotus Evora Hybrid and the Ferrari 599 Hybrid both look like fun, but they are based off of existing production vehciles. What Porsche is bringing to the 2010 Geneva Motor Show is something that we haven't seen before, the 918 Spyder Concept.
Porsche has provided some titillating numbers: 0-60 time of 3.2 seconds; A 198 mph top speed; A Nurburgring Nordschleife lap time of under 7:30, which is faster than the Carrera GT.
Performance isn't the only thing this roadster does well. The gas mileage on the car is an astounding 78 miles per gallon, and only produces 70 kg of CO2 per 0,6 miles.
The hybrid uses a mid-mounted, race-bred V-8 that produces 500hp at astronomical 9,200 rpm. Two electrical motors, one for each axle, produce a total of 218 hp as well. The power to the rear wheels travel through Porsche's excellent seven-speed PDK transmission. The front axle engine uses a single ratio.
The 918 is also a plug-in hybrid, allowing for owners to charge their car using the existing electrical grid. Power also gets recharged by utilizing regenerative brakes and kinetic energy similar to the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid.
Today's supercars always feature different modes of power delivery and the 918 is no exception. There is an E-Drive mode that allows the 918 to remain under electrical power for up to 16 miles. Hybrid Mode is what most drivers will stay on, allowing for a wide range of driving styles, from fuel efficiency to performance driving. Sports Hybrid Mode will give the car a more rear-wheel drive bias and more power. Race Hybrid Mode will make the car track oriented and turn the electrical powertrain to a "press-to-pass" mode called E-boost that will give drivers extra grunt when needed.
Porsche is quite good at evolving designs over time. The Carrera GT hasn't been produced in a few years, the 918 looks like the next version of it, even down to the interior.
Nelson Ireson of our sister site Motor Authority writes: "A high-tech exterior of lightweight materials is complemented by the latest in Porsche interior design and features, indicating the car is in fact headed down a production path despite its current concept-car status."
The 918 sounds like an awesome machine, and we at Sports Car Monitor can't wait until the press gets to take it for a spin.
[Source: Porsche]
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