Porsche 918 Spyder Concept at Geneva Auto Show
The V8 is evolved from the 3.4-liter engine in Porsche’s RS Spyder LMP2 race car. It makes “over 500 horsepower,” according to Porsche, and has a 9,200-rpm redline. It joins forces with electric motors mounted in both the front and rear axles that make a combined 218 horsepower. Porsche’s PDK 7-speed, twin-clutch automated manual transmission delivers power to the rear wheels, while the two front motors drive the front wheels directly through a fixed ratio.
Get this concept car on a track and you’d be timing it at 3.2 seconds to 60 mph, says Porsche. That’s quicker than a Carrera GT and would almost certainly make it the quickest Porsche road car ever. It would also be the most fuel-efficient, as consumption is said to be on the order of 3 liters per 100 km on the European test cycle, which is round about 78 mpg.
A lithium-ion battery pack mounted behind the 918 Spyder’s passenger compartment provides juice for the electric motors. In addition to the plug-in capability, the batteries regenerate using KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System), the system developed for Formula 1 that recovers energy that would otherwise be lost as heat during braking.
Via Inside Line
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