Porsche 918 Spyder concept is the most beautiful hybrid we've ever seen

Um, we're sure there's something sensible to be said about this Porsche concept, but we're not altogether capable of coherent expression at present. We want to own one of these so badly, we don't even care if it has an engine. And boy does the 918 Spyder have an engine. A 3.4-liter V8 petrol burner is combined with electric motors to put out 500bhp, while featuring the mind-altering acceleration to go from a standing start to 62mph in just 3.2 seconds. Topping out at 198mph and offering a very respectable 78mpg fuel economy, this is pretty much the stuff dreams are made, which is quite naturally why you shouldn't expect to see it in any purchasable form any time soon. If you do care to see more of it, however, you can do so at the Geneva Motor Show this year or just past the break, the choice is yours.

[Thanks, Zach]

[flett Posted Mar 2nd 2010 5:01PM]

@bitsbite - it has more curves than the carrera and it goes 2 miles slower. 0-60 in .3 seconds faster. i dont see a price though... its probably still at 300 000 though

[7egend Posted Mar 2nd 2010 5:09PM]

@obarthelemy

Or... A beautifully designed car, for people with money and tastes for the finer things in life.

A person is only as good as the names he is willing to call another.

[abedinthehouse Posted Mar 2nd 2010 5:18PM]

@Vaio
That is the sexiest spider I have ever seen

[shadowj0 Posted Mar 2nd 2010 8:14PM]

@abedinthehouse

I had to do a double take, cuz it looked like a lambo, amirite?

but yeah, very sexy car. If this is the way Porsche is headed, I'm gonna like them more that I did before.

[Sean Connery Posted Mar 2nd 2010 8:42PM]

The back says Audi R8. The front says Ferrari (your pick). The side says coquettish.

[John H Posted Mar 2nd 2010 9:13PM]

@Sean Connery

There's also a bit of the Veyron on both sides. Those huge air scoops above both seats at the back, and the design from the front looks like the car is made of one smaller half at the front that sort of "slots in" to the wider part in the back. I guess that's not too surprising considering VW owns both Porsche and Bugatti.

[AlfaCat Posted Mar 2nd 2010 9:31PM]

@abedinthehouse
They better make sure they don't infringe any Apple's patents.

[AlfaCat Posted Mar 2nd 2010 9:32PM]

@abedinthehouse
because 'sexy' was invented by Apple
see patent # 533xy.

[v3ng3nc3 Posted Mar 3rd 2010 12:08AM]

@Sean Connery

Yes, but its a porsche.

[PORSCHEEE Posted Mar 4th 2010 5:19AM]

This car is stunning!

porsche918.com and www.porsche918.co.uk have both been bought... by Porsche??

[srismart Posted Mar 4th 2010 1:10PM]

@John H

you forgot to mention that they own Audi too:)

[dfrosted Posted Mar 2nd 2010 2:02PM]

First. Wooha. I want one of these oh so bad.

[Certifiedfryguy Posted Mar 2nd 2010 2:10PM]

@dfrosted
HA

[horchata Posted Mar 2nd 2010 3:23PM]

@dfrosted

The Spyder was faster than your post, and it wasn't even moving.

Anyway, you know you're looking at a great sports car design when it looks fast even in standstill. I just wish they wouldn't dumb it down for the production model...

[Wil2Win Posted Mar 2nd 2010 10:55PM]

@horchata Oh you know they will. They love to tease you by showing a very stunning car then, when the real deal comes out, they make it completely bland. However, this is the first time that I have seen a Porsche prototype so who knows. Maybe they'll stay true to the design like Audi did with the R8.

[Funke Tobias Dr Posted Mar 2nd 2010 2:03PM]

Porsche's mpg = meters per gallon.

[Mr Oos Posted Mar 2nd 2010 2:12PM]

@Funke Tobias Dr

Your comment couldn't be more misplaced.

[James Sonne Posted Mar 2nd 2010 2:15PM]

@Funke Tobias Dr
No. In fact, the Porsche press release explicitly states 78 U.S.-mpg, so it's not even the Imperial mile used in UK.
(as an aside, I realize you're trying to be clever).

[Rem DX Posted Mar 2nd 2010 3:50PM]

@James Sonne
Just so you know, it's not really 78 mpg. Just like that hybrid Hummer didn't really get 400 mpg.

[Tohe Posted Mar 2nd 2010 7:48PM]

@James Sonne

Those 78 combined mpgs are in the EU cycle, it will get a lower mpg figure when it gets rated here. Still this is a pretty impressive performance piece.

[edoles Posted Mar 2nd 2010 2:03PM]

@Vaio My God... Its BEAUTIFUL!


..the car too.

[Daveiops Posted Mar 2nd 2010 2:06PM]

That is truly a sexy spyder.

[bripab007 Posted Mar 2nd 2010 2:09PM]

It's a 3.4L V8, not a 6.2L.

[rmbrown09 Posted Mar 2nd 2010 2:09PM]

1 Porsche Spider Concept - $300,000

Time spent in jail for robbing that bank - 25 years

Dreaming of driving that car - STILL COSTS $300,000 SO STFU

[MizuInOz Posted Mar 2nd 2010 2:36PM]

@rmbrown09
Try over $1 million Euro!

Now - consider how many banks you will have to rob...
Or you can go to New Zealand and hope the bank makes a deposit mistake of $10,000,000 in your favour...

Cheers.

[msunardi Posted Mar 2nd 2010 2:09PM]

Drop Dead Gorgeous

[Tanzier Posted Mar 2nd 2010 2:10PM]

This is simply amazing. Now that's a hybrid that I'd want to drive!!!

[219 Posted Mar 2nd 2010 2:10PM]

Uncrate says a 500hp V8 which when combined with the dual electric motors add up to 718hp.

Also, it's a Plug-in-electric so that 78mpg is surely just for the first tiny bit of distance.

[Mr Oos Posted Mar 2nd 2010 2:15PM]

@219

You can run 16 miles on the electric motors by themselves, but there are four total settings ranging from ultra-economical driving to race mode (0-62 in 3.2). Pretty awesome

[James Sonne Posted Mar 2nd 2010 3:16PM]

@219
Also, it's a KERS system, i.e. regenerative braking (especially useful on the track). Like the Prius, the gasoline engine recharges the batteries as well when possible.

[MONKEY Posted Mar 2nd 2010 5:15PM]

@James Sonne Let's hope it doesn't incorporate the Prius' DEgenerative braking system....

[rcappo Posted Mar 2nd 2010 5:44PM]

@219

If the engine turns off when idling at red lights and stop signs, that will help mpg. And if it uses electric engines to accelerate quickly (they are better at that), then the gas/petrol to get higher rates of speed and distance, I think it is a good model for a lot of new sports cars. You would only need 4th and 5th gear that would make the transmission lighter since it would use the electric at lower gears. Now only if GM could come out with a car that looks half that good for less than $15k with this type of electric/gas system. I'm concerned the Volt may not be up to these standards. They should have used the Corvette body and made it with high quality parts. They did have the Saturn Sky, which would have been great if it was a hybrid like this and had a better name.

[dfrosted Posted Mar 2nd 2010 2:10PM]

The specs on this are amazing.

[HerbieDerb Posted Mar 2nd 2010 2:14PM]

Pricing will be interesting on this one.

[RyanTV Posted Mar 2nd 2010 2:15PM]

And I'm spent!

[JoeJoeJoeJoeJoe Posted Mar 2nd 2010 2:16PM]

A Porsche that does not look like a Porsche! What will they think of next?!

[frauhottelmann Posted Mar 2nd 2010 3:07PM]

@JoeJoeJoeJoeJoe How does this not look like a Porsche?
My first thought was: Wow a hybrid Carrera GT...

[ustna Posted Mar 2nd 2010 2:16PM]

Droooooooooooool.......

[Mr Oos Posted Mar 2nd 2010 2:18PM]

@Shawn

I agree that this breaks from tradition, but isn't that the essence of a hybrid Porsche? They've never done this before. Frankly, they seem to be perfectly happy breaking tradition lately (panamera?).

[emopoops Posted Mar 2nd 2010 2:18PM]

@Vaio i have to disagree. not only is it rediculous it is named spyder LIKE SPIDER. its just too curvy. i bet those kind of cars are more rediculous on the road then they are in garages/alone...

[engadgetcomexcludeengadget Posted Mar 2nd 2010 2:22PM]

@Vaio And I jizzed in my pants...

[owen66 Posted Mar 2nd 2010 2:24PM]

@edoles yeah, but the car whines in a good way.

[crearian Posted Mar 2nd 2010 2:26PM]

It looks like Porsche got some new designers. I Love it.

[fabarati Posted Mar 2nd 2010 2:29PM]

@Shawn Except the Cayenne, which has V8s, V6s and VR6s. And the Panamera has V6s and V8s. If you look at older cars, the Carrera GT had a V10. The 928 had a V8. The 968, 944, 924 and the 914 had straight 4s and the 912 and 365 had flat 4s. So yeah.

[Brother Unit No 4 Posted Mar 2nd 2010 2:30PM]

I'm game.

[nabberuk Posted Mar 2nd 2010 2:31PM]

love this car! it actually looks different from there usual vw beatle type looking cars.

[Slick Posted Mar 2nd 2010 2:57PM]

@nabberuk

try not insulting porsche's like that

[frauhottelmann Posted Mar 2nd 2010 3:09PM]

@Slick Porsche started with VW and now there back in the House since VW bought it last year, so not really an insult ;)

[Bahumbug Posted Mar 2nd 2010 3:20PM]

@nabberuk I bet you didnt know that the original VW Beetle was designed by Ferdinand Porsche. Much like the ideal of a Volkswagen was also his vision.

And you're wrong thinking this Spyder doesnt have the typical Porsche style and flair. Its see very clearly visible and that is good!

[bdekok Posted Mar 2nd 2010 7:03PM]

@Bahumbug

Actually it seems that Ferdinand Porsche and Adolf Hitler stole the idea of the Beetle.

Check out http://www.ganz-volkswagen.org/ and the story of Josef Ganz a German Jew who started making a car called a volkswagen (peoples car) and the model was called a beetle many years before Ferdinand's involvement (1930). Ferdinand actually visited Ganz's company to check out the vehicle. Hitler forced Ganz (like many Jews) to flee Germany and then stole all the ideas.

So the Beetle, rear engine and monocoque construction did NOT stem from Ferdianand Porsche (he copied it).

...now having said all of that, I want this hybrid.