March 2nd, 2010

P-p-p-plug in a Porsche

Stop, breathe and pick up your jaw off the floor. Yes this is a Porsche, but it is one from the future. Say hello to the Porsche 918 Spyder concept, a plug in hybrid sports car which paints a picture of what high performance motoring in the future could look like.

Powered by a 3.4- liter V8 unit already featured in the RS Spyder racing car and then paired with an electric motors on the front and rear axle with overall mechanical output of 218 horsepower you get a combined horsepower of 718. This equates to a 0-60 time in 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 198MPH – from a Hybrid!

Don’t think this is just  a Prius who has been down the gym and had a couple of ‘roids as there is serious mileage to add to their madness. The 918 has four various driving modes so you can balance the performance/fuel saving for the situation you are in.

A button on the steering wheel allows the driver to choose the different running modes: The E-Drive mode is for running the car under electric power alone, with a range of up to 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 Sport Hybrid mode uses both drive systems, but with the focus on performance. Most of the drive power goes to the rear wheels, with Torque Vectoring serving to additionally improve the carís driving dynamics.

In the Race Hybrid mode the drive systems are focused on pure performance with the highest standard of driving dynamics on the track, running at the limit to their power and dynamic output. With the battery sufficiently charged, a push-to-pass button feeds in additional electrical power (E-Boost), when overtaking or for even better performance.

So it seems that Porsche has all the bases covered and the future is looking bright with a healthy colour of green. But unfortunately this is only a concept and there are no definitive plans to put it into production. All that I am saying is that a car that has the capability to lap the Nordschleife in less than 7:30 minutes as well as achieve 78 miles per gallon and emit just 70 grams of CO2 per kilometer (not at the same time) has to be made.

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