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NEWS
Porsche confirms 918 specs
Petro-electric supercar boasts 450kW V8; 220kW of electric motivation and laps the ‘Ring in 7m14secPorsche has confirmed specifications for its 918 petrol-electric hybrid supercar. Set to be launched officially later this year at the Frankfurt Motor Show, just 918 examples will be built.
Though we have variously published power, pricing and other details over the past few months, Porsche this week officially disclosed technical specs on the car for the first time.
Though it boasts a claimed 0-100km/h time of 2.8sec (it accelerates 0-200km/h in under 8sec!), it also has the ability to drive 30km on electric power alone. It weighs in at 1640kg and has already lapped the Nurburgring at 7m14sec.
Porsche says the car has a top speed of over 340km/h and an electric-only top speed of 150km/h
Porsche says the 918 will act as “the gene pool” for future Porsche sports cars. Based around a carbon-fibre monocoque with engine and front suspension sub assemblies as stressed members, the €800,000 supercar incorporates “a great deal of insight gained from the development of Porsche race cars for the 24 hours race in Le Mans in 2014”.
The 4.6-litre dry-sumped V8 engine features a flat-plane crankshaft and produces 447kW. It revs to a screaming 9150rpm and is “derived directly” from Porsche’s successful LMP2 RS Spyder racer. Thanks to the hybrid infrastructure, the engine powers no auxiliary systems. There are no external belt drives for steering, aircon or the like.
With a power output per litre of approximately 132hp it is Porsche’s most muscular naturally aspirated engine. By way of comparison Porsche’s last supercar, the V10 Carrera GT managed just 106hp/L.
Also derived from the RS Spyder design is the 918’s top-exiting exhaust system. Porsche claims no other production vehicle uses this design which significant shortens exhaust paths and also helps cool the engine compartment for better efficiency of both internal combustion and electrical powertrains. To facilitate this, the V8’s inlets are on the outside of the Vee. This is the opposite of conventional V8s.
The 918’s hybrid system features front and rear electric motors and a battery bank which can be charged via plug-in.
Porsche engineers have defined five operating modes. On start-up E-Power mode is the default and the combustion engine is only used when needed. If the battery’s charge state drops below a set minimum value, the vehicle automatically switches to hybrid mode. Says Porsche: “In Hybrid mode, the electric motors and combustion engine work alternately with a focus on maximum efficiency and minimum fuel consumption.”
Sport Hybrid is the next step up. Here the petrol V8 provides the main source of power and the electric motors provide support “boosting” to optimise efficiency. Race Hybrid provides maximum performance. The seven speed PDK dual-clutch gearbox is set up for maximum performance and front and rear electric motors are used up to their maximum power output limit to “deliver the best possible performance for the racetrack”.
At the very top of the tree is the performance provided by the 918’s ‘Hot Lap’. Similar to a qualifying set-up on a turbocharged racecar, this pushes the electrical system to its maximum power output limits for a few fast laps. This mode uses all of the available energy in the battery.
Porsche also announced this week details of the 918’s active aerodynamics. Not only does this system vary the height, profile and angle of the pop-up rear wing, but it also opens underfloor ducts to direct “a portion of the air into the diffuser channels of the underbody structure”. Says Porsche: “This also produces a ‘ground effect’ [negative lift] at the front axle”.
Porsche 918 Spyder
Specifications
Body: Two-seat Spyder; carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP) monocoque interlocked with CFRP unit carrier; two-piece Targa roof; fixed roll-over protection system.
Drivetrain: Parallel full hybrid; 4.6-litre V8 mid-engine with dry-sump lubrication; hybrid module with electric motor and decoupler; electric motor with decoupler and gear unit on front axle; auto start/stop function; electrical system recuperation; four cooling circuits for motors, transmission and battery; thermal management. 653kW/800-1275Nm combined output
Engine power: 447kW at 8600 rpm
Engine torque: 530Nm at 6600 rpm (V8 engine)
Energy supply: Lithium-ion battery with 6.8kWh capacity (BOL nominal) and mains-compatible plug-in charger.
Electrical output: 115kW (hybrid module on rear axle); 95kW (electric motor on front axle)
Maximum Revs: 9150rpm
Transmission: Combustion engine with hybrid module and transmission bolted together to form a single drive unit; seven-speed Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK); rear-wheel drive; front electric motor with gearbox for driving the front wheels (decoupled from 235km/h); five pre-selectable operating modes for optimum coordination of all drive units
Chassis/Suspension: Front axle with double-wishbone; optional electro-pneumatic lift system on front axle; electro-mechanical power steering; multilink rear axle with adaptive electro-mechanical system for individual rear wheel steering; electronically controlled twin-tube gas-pressure dampers in the front and rear with Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM).
Brakes: High-performance hybrid brake system with adaptive recuperation; internally ventilated and perforated front ceramic brake discs (PCCB), 410 x 36mm; rear discs 390 x 32mm.
Wheels and tyres: front 9.5 J x 20 with 265/35 ZR 20; rear 12.5 J x 21 with 325/30 ZR 21
Dimensions
Kerb weight (DIN): 1640kg
Length: 4643mm
Width: 1940mm
Height: 1167mm
Wheelbase: 2730mm
Track (f/r): 1664/1612mm
Luggage compartment capacity (VDA L): 110
Fuel tank capacity 70 litres
Performance
Top speed: >340km/h (Purely electric 150km/h)
0-100 km/h: 2.8 s
0-200 km/h: 7.9 s
0-300 km/h: 23.0 s
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