Porsche 918 Spyder: the plug-in hybrid flagship

The Porsche 918 Spyder is a limited-production mid-engine plug-in hybrid sports car. A naturally aspirated 4.6-litre V8 drives the rear wheels with one electric motor, a second motor turns the front axle, and together they give 652 kW. It went into production in September 2013, was sold out by December 2014 and ended in June 2015.

Porsche 918 Spyder at a glance

History of the Porsche 918 Spyder

The 918 Spyder was first shown as a concept at the 80th Geneva Motor Show in March 2010. Two thousand declarations of interest followed, and on 28 July 2010 the supervisory board of Porsche AG approved series development. The production car was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2013, with production beginning on 18 September 2013 and first deliveries planned for December. It was the second plug-in hybrid from Porsche, after the 2014 Panamera S E-Hybrid.

The V8 was built on the same architecture as the engine of the RS Spyder Le Mans prototype, without any belts. The bore stayed at 95 mm while the stroke grew from 59.9 mm to 81 mm, for 4,593 cc, and the engine ran to 9,200 rpm. It weighs 135 kg and produces 447 kW at 8,700 rpm and 540 N·m at 6,700 rpm. The 115 kW rear motor works in parallel with the engine and doubles as the main generator; the 95 kW front motor drives the front axle directly and is decoupled by an electric clutch when not in use. Total system output is 652 kW and 1,280 N·m.

Porsche quoted 0–100 km/h in 2.6 seconds, 0–200 km/h in 7.2 seconds, 0–300 km/h in 19.9 seconds and a top speed of 345 km/h. Independent tests did better, with 2.5 seconds to 100 km/h, 19.1 seconds to 300 km/h and 352 km/h flat out; Car and Driver recorded 2.2 seconds to 60 mph, and Motor Trend set a production-car record at Willow Springs with 2.4 seconds to 60 mph and a figure-eight time of 22.2 seconds.

The battery is a 312-cell, liquid-cooled 6.8 kWh lithium-ion pack behind the passenger cell, charged from a port at the passenger-side B pillar, by regenerative braking and by surplus engine output while coasting. Porsche quoted 79 g/km of CO2 and 3 litres per 100 km on the NEDC. Charging takes seven hours from a 120 V household socket, two hours from a 240 V charger and 25 minutes at a DC station, and the V8 can refill an empty battery on about one litre of fuel.

Five running modes are offered. E-Drive uses battery power alone, with an official US all-electric range of 19 km and a maximum speed of 150 km/h; Hybrid and Race combine engine and motors, and in Race a push-to-pass button selects the Hot Lap setting for extra electrical power. Total range with a full tank and a charged battery is quoted at 680 km in EPA testing. The chassis is a carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic monocoque with an electrically boosted brake system. Production ended in June 2015, and the car has since been subject to a series of recalls, from control arms to seat belts.

Design and features

• Plug-in hybrid drive: a 4.6-litre V8 with two electric motors, one per axle.
• Carbon monocoque: a carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic structure with electrically boosted brakes.
• Five driving modes: from pure electric E-Drive to Race and the Hot Lap setting.
• Belt-free V8: derived from the RS Spyder racing engine and revving to 9,200 rpm.

Porsche 918 Spyder versions

• 918 Spyder concept (2010): the Geneva show car that led to the production model.
• 918 Spyder (2013–2015): the production car, 918 built and sold out by December 2014.
• 918 RSR (2011): racing study shown in Detroit, never put into production.

The 918 belongs to the same generation as the Porsche 911 and sits above the Porsche Cayman in the range. More cars are in the Porsche collection.

Sources

• Porsche 918 Spyder, English Wikipedia: specification, performance, production, modes