Porsche readies 918 plug-in supercar

Porsche has revealed the first images of its scintillating new 918 Spyder supercar in final production guise, in the form of a prototype clad in a matt-black and white colour scheme inspired by the brand’s famous Le Mans-winning 917 racers of the 1970s.

Six images of the road-ready 918 were accompanied by full provisional specifications, which continue to claim the ground-breaking two-seat coupe-convertible will accelerate to 100km/h in less than three seconds on its way to a top speed of more than 325km/h while being able to return combined average fuel consumption of about 3.0L/100km, making it both one of the world’s quickest production cars and more frugal than a Toyota Prius.

Thanks in part to an all-electric driving range of more than 25km – during which its top speed will be limited to ‘just’ 150km/h - Porsche says the 918 will emit an average of just 70 grams of CO2 per kilometre, making it the most fuel-efficient Porsche ever, as well as the quickest.

In the latest in a series of pre-launch press releases, Porsche has now confirmed first customer deliveries will take place by the end of next year and says it remains on target to commence production by the end of September 2013 on a dedicated line at its Zuffenhausen headquarters in Stuttgart.

The first example will formally roll off the line next year on September 18 – 9/18, as it is known in some countries – and production will be limited to just 918 left-hand drive versions, meaning the 918 will be restricted to racetracks and private roads in some right-hand drive countries like Australia.

As such, Porsche has received no orders for the plug-in hybrid super-coupe from Australia, where import duty and the luxury car tax would bring its price to about $1.29 million.

As expected, the first street-legal 918 prototype looks similar to the concept that debuted at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show – and significantly more refined than the early development ‘mule’ that Porsche presented as it underwent high-speed testing at Italy’s Nardo circuit in March.

Look closer, however, and the production 918 – which appears to be a coupe but remains a roadster with a removable two-piece carbon-fibre ‘Targa’ roof – features a number of developments, including a more upright windscreen, slightly longer cabin accessed by longer doors, the removal of the concept’s bonnet venting and a smoother front bumper bookended by smaller air-vents on either side.

The 918’s formidable rear-end features more prominent rear wheel-arches, a longer rear overhang, a massive fixed rear wing designed to replicate the downforce of the production car’s multi-stage retractable spoiler, and the 918 Spyder’s characteristic ‘top pipes’ exhaust system, which comprises two outlets that emerge from the top of the engine bay behind the cabin’s integral carbon-fibre rollover hoops.

As previously revealed, the 918 Spyder is based around a full carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) monocoque chassis, with power coming from a mid-mounted dry-sump 4.6-litre V8 matched to a pair of electric motors - one mounted on the front axle to drive the front wheels and another in the transmission housing and driving the rear wheels.

While the V8 itself will deliver no less than 425kW, combined with the 90kW hybrid module on the rear axle and the 80kW electric motor on the front axle, the full parallel hybrid’s total power output will be 770hp or about 575kW.

The 918 will also feature fully adaptive aerodynamics, double wishbone front suspension with optional electro-pneumatic lift system, electro-mechanical power steering, a multi-link rear axle with adaptive electro-mechanical system for individual rear wheel steering, and a high-performance hybrid brake system with adaptive energy recuperation and ceramic brake discs (PCCB).

Energy for the hybrid system will come from a 6.8kWh-capacity lithium-ion battery that is mains compatible and offers maximum power of 202kW.

“What we are doing with the 918 Spyder is redefining driving fun, efficiency and performance,” said Porsche research and development chief Wolfgang Hatz, who said the two independent electric motors of the 918’s advanced petrol-electric drive system posed new development challenges.

“They are therefore a critical component in this vehicle into which we have put all of our expertise and capacity for innovation,” he said.

Naturally, the million-dollar 918 Spyder will top the Porsche range, representing a belated replacement for the Carrera GT. However, a recent German newspaper report indicates a new Ferrari-rivalling performance model to slot between the 911 and the 918 is far more likely to emerge from Porsche in the medium term than a sub-Boxster sportscar or a sub-Panamera sedan.

Porsche has announced the sub-Cayenne Macan compact SUV will become its fifth model line later next year, but speculation of a sixth model line - based on VW’s compact mid-engined BlueSport roadster concept that debuted at the 2009 Detroit show – now appears to have been premature.

Porsche parent company Volkswagen itself cast a cloud over the entry-level Porsche sportscar project earlier this year when it said it had yet to establish a business case for the BlueSport and now Porsche CEO Matthias Mueller has told Stuttgarter Zeitung that such a model could undermine the Porsche brand.

 “Porsche lives primarily from its brand,” he said. “It is the most important reason to buy a Porsche. We must ensure that the brand remains what it is, namely highly desirable (and) premium.??“If we were to offer a car that would be positioned below the Boxster, we would be talking to a completely new customer group. If we lose the established Porsche customers, we would not do the brand any favours.”??Mr Mueller said Porsche would be better served by investigating “other ideas for products without the risk” and cited a potential “high-performance sportscar” as one example, although he did not rule out revisiting the ‘baby Boxster’ project at a later date.

He also poured cold water on recent reports that Porsche was developing a new entry-level luxury sedan to be positioned below the Panamera. Dubbed Pajun (for Panamera Junior), the smaller four-door would be a direct rival for the likes of BMW’s upcoming 4 Series GranCoupe and a new sub-Quattroporte sedan from Maserati.

“We must ask ourselves whether it would make sense right now to bring a little Panamera to the market,” said Mr Mueller, who nevertheless said the Pajun project could be revisited in five to six years, by which time Porsche hopes to have doubled its global sales to about 200,000 units.

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