A loyal reader of our parent site Autoblog.it has sent us a bunch of pictures starring a couple of mules of the Porsche 918 Spyder, the new hybrid plug-in model from the iconic Zuffenhausen-based manufacturer whose final production version has been unveiled just a few days ago at the ongoing 65th Frankfurt International Auto Show. The pictures were taken just a few days ago in northern Italy, something that would have us believe the car is still undergoing some testing in view of its imminent arrival on the markets worldwide. One of the two prototypes sports an all-black livery, while the other had a sort of two-tone ‘black & white’ color scheme that is somewhat reminiscent of the one showcased by the first prototype of the model.
The hybrid powertrain of the model is made of a naturally-aspirated 4.6-liter V8 petrol engine and two electric motors (one for each axle, fed by a 6.8 kWh lithium-ion battery pack placed at the lower back of the monocoque) which can produce a combined output of 887 horsepower and a peak torque value between 917 and 1280 Nm, depending on the gearing. The 918 Spyder is equipped with dual-clutch seven-speed automatic gearbox and comes with five driving modes - ‘E-Power’, ‘Hybrid’, ‘Sport Hybrid’, ‘Race Hybrid’ and ‘Hot Lap’ - and the advanced Porsche Active Aerodynamic (PAA) system, which adjusts some aerodynamic bits of the body in real time according to the needs of the moment.
As you would expect from any car carrying a Porsche badge, performance figures are pretty impressive: on electric power alone, the 918 Spyder can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in under 7 seconds and hit a top speed of 150 km/h (93 mph), but with its full potential it can go from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.8 seconds, reaching a maximum speed of 345 km/h (214 mph). In spite of all that power, fuel consumption is actually quite good: between 3.0 and 3.3 litres per 100 km.
via EUROCARBLOG
