Porsche 918 Spyder

The 918 Spyder was shown as a concept at Geneva in 2010 and went into production at Zuffenhausen in 2013. It combines a 4.6-litre V8, related to the engine of the RS Spyder racing car and producing 608 PS on its own, with an electric motor on each axle, for a combined 887 PS and four-wheel drive.

A 6.8 kWh battery allows a short electric-only range and can be charged from the mains. The chassis is carbon fibre, the gearbox is a seven-speed PDK, and the exhausts exit upwards behind the occupants' heads. The optional Weissach package saved around 40 kg.

In September 2013 a 918 lapped the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 6 minutes 57 seconds, at that time a record for a production road car. Exactly 918 were built.

Variants

Variant	Years	Notes
918 Spyder	2013–2015	Standard car.
918 Spyder Weissach package	2013–2015	Magnesium wheels, lighter trim, optional film wrap in historic racing colours.

On a road trip

Unusually for a car of this performance, the 918 is easy to drive slowly, can creep through a village on electric power alone and has four-wheel drive. It is still very wide and very low, and the removable roof panels fill the front luggage space when stowed.