Porsche 918 Spyder

Introduction

Speed increases adrenaline level and Porsche 918 Spyder does the same with its speed. There are very few cars which gives both raw power and at the same time are environment friendly, Porsche 918 Spyder comes in this category. Its a mid engine hybrid super sports car launched in 2013, and was designed and conceptualized by Michael Mauer. It was first revealed to the world as concept at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. After its launch it became first series production street legal car by breaking Nürburgring lap time record. In Sri Lanka it is available through Eurocars (Private) Limited.

Engine, mileage & variants

Porsche comes in two variants Spyder 918 and Porsche 918 Spyder Weissach package. For the Weissach Package you will have to shell extra money and what you get is racing inspired body lines,weight reducing options which improves the carbon foot print of the car giving better fuel economy. Porsche 918 Spyder is a hybrid and get its power from a 4.6 litre V8 engine producing mind blowing 608 hp at 8700 rpm along with two permanently excited synchronous electric motors placed at the rear and front providing extra 279 hp taking the number 887 hp. It produces maximum torque of 500 Nm at 6500 rpm. The electric motors are powered by liquid-cooled high-performance lithium-ion traction battery. When it was launched it was one of the fastest legal street car, and its worth to mention that in September 2013 it broke Nürburgring lap time record by huge margin of 14 seconds setting its own record of 6:57 seconds on the 12.8 mi (20.6 km) road course. Porsche claims it can run at the top speed of 345 kmph shooting from 0 to 100 in just 2.6 seconds ,but in car and drivers individual test it ran the same 0-100 mark in just 2.2 seconds making it the one of the quickest car on the street. Not only in terms of performance but when it comes to running cost too this Porsche set the benchmark high because of its electric motors it has combined fuel economy of 32.2 kmpl ,and for Weissach Package it goes to 33.3 kmpl.

Exteriors

Porsche has a history of making beautifully designed cars, this beauty is no exception. It has design elements from every racing Porsche be it 917 or 935 or the 906. It has a wheelbase of 2730 mm and external dimensions of 4643 mm x 1940 mm x 1167 (L x W x H). The wheels are developed specially for the sports car, its is equipped with 20inch wheels at the front and 21 inch at the rear with tyre size of 265/35 ZR 20 and 325/30 ZR 21 respectively. There is also an option for magnesium alloy wheels in Weissach Package which are lighter and more performance oriented.

Interiors

In the cockpit you don't see too many buttons or switches the entire central console panel of the Spyder is designed by Samsung and is made of single glass and look really superb. Everything from music control to sat-nav can be accessed from the panel. The gear selector is placed on the dashboard right of the steering, which helps in quick gear shifting. Seats are positioned upright and are very comfortable. Inside everything is gorgeous, with sharp detailing and use top quality material. While there is not much storage space available inside but not to forget that its a sports car not a sedan or regular crossover. We can see use of carbon not only outside but inside too to reduce weight of the car.

Safety, Braking and Miscellaneous

Since its very fast, Porsche has provided almost everything on safety front. It has everything starting from ABS (anti lock braking sytem), Traction control, Engine Immobilizer, Ventilated front and rear disc brakes, anti theft alarm, Centrally Mounted Fuel Tank, Automatic Headlamps to name a few. No wonder why its 5 start rated by EURO NCAP. Among other features it comes with innovative rear axle steering which reduces its turning radius considerably,Ceramic composite brakes for better braking, optional lift system which raises the body by approximately 30mm.

Verdict

Its hard to find any negative point except that its available in limited quantity, its fast, design is eye catching, also its dual electronic motors make it economical. Since Porsche has built only 918 of these getting into the driver seat is difficult.