Porsche 918 Spyder High Performance Plug-In Hybrid

By Privé | March 1, 2010 at 9:55 pm | 4 comments | Automobiles, Privé | Tags: 918, auto, carrera, cayenne, Geneva, hybrid, luxury, porsche, prive, technology

By Privé’s standards the Porsche 918 Spyder is a true masterpiece from the beautifully sculpted design to its new drive technology hybrid engine. When it does come available (and it will), this state of the art vehicle will be top on our list of acquisitions for our exotic car rental division.

The 918′s engine like its design is a work of pure genius. A 3.4-liter V8 petrol burner is combined with electric motors to put out 500bhp, while featuring the mind-altering acceleration to go from a standing start to 62mph in just 3.2 seconds. Topping out at of 320 km/h (198 mph), and a lap time on the Nordschleife of Nürburgring in less than 7:30 minutes, faster than even the Porsche Carrera GT, while on the other hand offering a very respectable 78mpg fuel economy. The energy reservoir is a fluid-cooled lithium-ion battery positioned behind the passenger cell. The big advantage of a plug-in hybrid is that the battery can be charged on the regular electrical network. A further point is that the car’s kinetic energy is converted into electrical energy fed into the battery when applying the brakes, thus providing additional energy for fast and dynamic acceleration. A button on the steering wheel allows the driver to choose among four different running modes: The E-Drive mode is for running the car under electric power alone, with a range of up to 25 km or 16 miles. In the Hybrid mode the 918 Spyder uses both the electric motors and the combustion engine as a function of driving conditions and requirements, offering a range from particularly fuel-efficient all the way to extra-powerful. The 918 Spyder is one of three Porsche models with hybrid drive that made their world debut at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show this week. This trio – made up of Porsche’s new Cayenne S Hybrid SUV with parallel full-hybrid drive, the 911 GT3 R Hybrid racing car with electric drive on the front axle and a flywheel mass battery, and the two-seater high-performance 918 Spyder mid-engined sports car with plug-in hybrid – clearly demonstrates not only the great bandwidth of this new drive technology, but also the innovative power of Porsche as a genuine pioneer in hybrid drive.

Enjoy the film!

Source: Porsche AG