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Report: Porsche Wants To Build 918 Spyder Hybrid Supercar

 
3 2,640 views Mar 10, 2010
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Porsche 918 Spyder Concept

HI-RES GALLERY: Porsche 918 Spyder Concept

Hybrid or electric supercars are the hot new thing among the Germans, with Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric due in a few years, and Audi working on the e-tron electric super sportscar. Now it looks like Porsche is planning to dip its toes into production of a hybrid supercar with the 918 Spyder. We're looking forward to it, but we're not holding our breath for electron-powered rubber to meet the road.

There's been no official announcement, but a report from Autocar says Porsche's whole team wants to build the car--right up to Porsche boss Michael Macht.

Porsche's 918 Spyder combines a 3.8-liter V-8 engine rated at 500 horsepower with a pair of electric motors good for another 218 horsepower, yielding electrifying performance: 3.2 seconds to 62 mph, 198 mph top speed--and all while revving to 9,200 rpm and delivering 78 mpg.

Clearly, the 918 Spyder proves it's possible to build a meaningful hybrid sportscar, and its aesthetics likewise prove they don't have to be the ugly ducklings of the breed. Here's hoping it sees production, and that we'll eventually have the loose change to stick one in our garage.

[Autocar]





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Comments (3)

  1. By R2Dad Posted: 3/10/2010 12:29pm PST

    The entire auto universe has hybrid sphincter lock at the moment, so I guess this is a plea for orders? Porsche is so wishy-washy, no one wants to take the blame for a bad product launch. Judging from the flopping Panamera, I guess I can't blame them.
     
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  2. By Teal Posted: 3/11/2010 5:49am PST

    @R2Dad...what are you smoking? Porsche have sold 10 000 Panamera units (50% of planned production for the entire year) in 3 months. If you've ever driven any Porsche (which you obviously have not) you would know that Porsche is anything but wishy washy. Keep your comments for the playstation forums please.
     
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  3. By R2Dad Posted: 3/12/2010 11:21am PST

    So, Mr. Teal, you Porsche expert, you. Are those 10,000 units that the factory forced down the throats of their dealers, or are those pre-production orders from foaming-at-the-mouth customers? Premium auto sales are at record low levels in the developed world. US Boxster/Cayman sales were down 64% in 2009, 911 sales down 39%, Cayenne down 40%. Germany Porsche sales were down 18% last year, the UK down 33%. In non-tealian reality, the US had 968 firm orders and received 1,200 Panameras in 2009. Why would Porsche only sell 1,200 in the US (12% of the market you claim is 10,000) while the US typically constitutes about 40% of unit sales? Are YOU the one who's been stealing my crack? 10K units would be a decent rate and believable--if the design wasn't so polarizing, the product so new, the sedan so...friggin' massive. BTW, "planned production" = optimistic guess, especially in this economy. Whether or not I've actually driven a Porsche would seem distinct from the analysis of Porsche management history, but you obviously know things I don't--like what a playstation is, for example. And for the record, 356B (which is not my shoe size) and Carrera Targa (which sounds Italian but is not, in fact, a kind of pasta).
     
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