New Porsche 918 Spyder Sports Plug-in Hybrid Concept Revealed in Geneva

Porsche has unveiled a striking concept car, the new 918 Spyder, at the special pre-show event in Geneva. The mid-engined sports car has introduced as the new “ecology vs. performance” issue.

The 918 Spyder “Super-Sports” concept is powered by both a 500-horsepower V8 and a pair of electric motors (one for each axle) producing an additional 218 hp or 160kW. On the ecological surface it is talented of 3.0 litres/100 kilometers (94 mpg imp / 78 mpg US) with just 70 grams of CO2 emissions per kilometer. That gives a combined power output of 528 kW (718 PS / 708 hp) resulting in a 0 to 100 km/h tear in just 3.2 seconds, top zoom of 320 km/h (198 mph), and a lap time on the Nurburgring Nordschleife in excluding than 7:30 record, which is closer than the Porsche Carrera GT.

Porsche 918 Spyder offers 718 horsepower, zero to 62 in 3.2 seconds, and 78 mpg

A plug-in hybrid sports car with more than 700 horsepower that also gets 78 mpg? It’s real enough, though there is some smoke and mirrors in the performance figures. And not only did Porsche build it in just seven months, but it’s quite likely to put it on the market.

The car is the 918 Spyder, which debuted at the Geneva Auto Show last week, and it can travel 15.5 miles on its lithium-ion battery pack before a mighty 500-horsepower V-8 (sourced from the RS Spyder race car) kicks in. But didn’t I just say it had more than 700 horsepower? Yes, a pair of big electric motors produce an additional 218 horses. Porsche's Geneva theme was decidedly green, and here's a look at the cars on the company's stand, including the 918 Spyder: