Flaunted as the “ultimate hyper car,” the Porsche 918 Spyder specifications are the very first production-oriented road car that broke the seven minute hurdle at the well-known Nurburgring. This hybrid supercar was introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Every Porsche 918 production cars built on the hood, along with several spots inside the cabin. With an extraordinary blend of performance and efficiency, the 918 Spyder has marked the commencement of a new era of supercars.
The Porsche 918 Spyder is powered by a combustion engine and two electric motors. When it comes to performance, the numbers are stunning: 0-60 in 2.2 seconds, 0-100 mph in 4.9 seconds, 1/4 mile time of 9.8 seconds and a top speed of 217 mph. All this performance and cutting-edge technology cannot come cheap, though. The Porsche 918 price for a new car was $845,000, but options like the Weissach package ($84,000) and Liquid Metal paint ($63,000) could push that price to over $1 million. Since Porsche stopped producing this model in 2015, the asking price for a used Porsche 918 Spyder has skyrocketed — it can easily exceed $1.6 million.
To flash over 200 mph, the 918 Spyder relies on a 4.6 L V8 engine and two electric motors. The fossil-fuel-fed Porsche 918 Spyder specs an engine that produces 608 horsepower. The total horsepower of the 918 Spyder is 887, thanks to the performance boost from the two electric motors. The rear electric motor sends 154 horsepower into the transmission.
The second electric motor on the front axle makes 127 horsepower. Without help from the electric motors, the rear-mounted V8 engine, which is derived from the 2005 RS Spyder race car, revs to 9,150 rpm. The combustion engine reaches 398 lb-ft of torque at 6,700 rpm. The rear electric motor features innovative hybrid cooling with air and water. You can’t easily admire the engine or e-motors, though. As the hood doesn’t open, you’d have to take your Spyder to the dealer to take a peek at your Porsche 918 engine.
The Porsche 918 Spyder specs an engine mounted so low down that Porsche engineering had to mount the 918 transmission upside down, for better weight distribution. The rear motor runs through the 7-speed PDK dual-clutch, while the front axle electric motor has only one gear. Surprisingly, the gear selector is a tiny lever mounted just to the right of the steering wheel. At high speed (over 164 mph), the 918 Spyder becomes rear-wheel drive only. That’s because a decoupler disconnects the front electric motor to avoid over-revving. There are five driving modes: electric, hybrid, sport, racing and Hot Lap. The latter uses full engine power but depletes all electric reserves. The beauty of the system is in the electric motors powering the car between the gear shifts. Obviously, the 918 offers brutal acceleration in any circumstance.
A supercar that goes from 0 to 60 mph in a blink needs a matching high-performance braking system. The 918 Spyder has Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB). They have six-piston monoblock calipers at the front and four-piston calipers at the rear. The ceramic discs at the front have a diameter of 16.1 inches. Those at the rear have a diameter of 15.4 inches. Through brake regeneration, the Porsche 918 Spyder specs that the brakes capture most of the energy that would be otherwise wasted as heat during braking. Furthermore, the electromechanical brakes of the 918 Spyder then store that energy in a battery and feed it back through the electric motors. Additionally, daily driving and light braking won’t even invoke the hydraulic system, as both electric motors become generators when the brake pedal is pressed. So every week you need to do a few spirited stops to keep condensation out of your brake lines.
Inspired by Porsche’s previous supercars, the carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic monocoque chassis of the 918 Spyder is lightweight and high-strength. The design of the Porsche hybrid 918 stands out thanks to the top-mounted exhaust pipes and massive rear spoiler. Both are adjustable from the control panel. The Porsche 918 Spyder specs a Targa roof, but you have to remove the top panels manually. They are easy to stow in the trunk. Another distinctive feature of the exterior design of the 918 Spyder is its “Acid Green”brake calipers. Therefore, Porsche chose to add accents in the same color on the carbon bucket seats, seat belt, and steering wheel ensure design coherency. The Weissach Package adds several pieces of exposed carbon fiber along with gorgeous magnesium wheels. Unquestionably, the differences save over 80 lbs. and make it easily distinguishable at a distance.
The pinnacle of decades of engineering, the Porsche 918 Spyder blends high-tech, efficiency and performance in a weight-saving design. The standard version of the Porsche 918 Spyder weighs 3,691 lbs. With the optional 918 Weissach pack, which improves the driving dynamics, the car is lighter, weighing 3,602 lbs. The 918 Spyder with the Weissach package is the version that made the Porsche 918 Spyder Nurburgring time of 6:57 a reality.
Concurrently, the two electric motors draw their power from a 6.8 kW·h liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery. It has a 20-mile electric range and a total range of 420 miles in hybrid mode. The Porsche Universal Charger takes seven hours to charge the battery when connected to a 110-volt household AC socket. Or only two hours with a 240-volt power supply. An optional HVDC Speed Charging Station can fully charge the lithium-ion battery in 25 minutes. The Porsche 918 Spyder specs are an incredibly fast hybrid for technology aficionados.
To conclude the greatest Porsche to-date, it is an eco-friendly green contrivance. It will mind boggle you to contemplate its working. So what you are waiting for? Get yourself the good Porsche news.
