Porsche 918 Spyder

The 918 Spyder is powered by a naturally aspirated V8 engine built on the same architecture as the one used in the RS Spyder Le Mans Prototype racing car without any engine belts. In developing the V8 for the 918 Spyder the bore remained 95 mm with the stroke increased from 59.9 mm (for 3397 cc) to 81 mm (for 4593 cc). The engine ran to 9,200 rpm. In 2011 an RSR version was introduced, which offered 563 bhp at 10,300 rpm. The engine weighs , according to Porsche, and delivers at 8,700RPM and of maximum torque at 6,700RPM. This is supplemented by two electric motors delivering an additional . One electric motor drives the rear wheels in parallel with the engine and also serves as the main generator. This motor and engine deliver power to the rear axle via a 7-speed gearbox coupled to Porsche's own PDK double-clutch system. The front electric motor directly drives the front axle; an electric clutch decouples the motor when not in use. The total system delivers and of torque. Those numbers were surpassed in independent tests which yielded 2.5 seconds for 0100 km/h, 7.0 seconds for 0200 km/h, 19.1 seconds for 0300 km/h, a top speed of {{cvt|352 In Car and Drivers independent test of the Porsche 918 they achieved in 2.2 seconds, in 4.9 seconds, in 17.5 seconds, and the quarter mile in 9.8 seconds. In Motor Trends independent test the Porsche 918 set a production-car track record at Willow Springs Raceway. With a time of 2.4 seconds, it was the fastest car to 60 mph that they had ever tested. It stopped from in , and broke Motor Trend's figure 8 record at 22.2 seconds. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under its five-cycle tests rated the 2015 model year Porsche 918 Spyder energy consumption in all-electric mode at 50kWh per 100 miles, which translates into a combined city/highway fuel economy of . When powered only by the gasoline engine, EPA's official combined city/highway fuel economy is . The 4.6 litre V8 petrol engine can recharge an empty battery using about one litre of fuel. The supplied Porsche Universal Charger requires seven hours to charge the battery on a typical 120V household AC socket or two hours on a 240V charger. A DC charging station can restore the battery to full capacity in 25 minutes. The 918 Spyder offers five different running modes: E-Drive allows the car to run under battery power alone, using the rear electric motor and front motor, giving a range of for the concept model. The chassis is a carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic monocoque and the brake system is boosted electrically (rather than the traditional vacuum boost). ==Sales and production==

The production version was unveiled at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show. The 918 Spyder was produced in a limited series and it was developed in Weissach and assembled in Zuffenhausen for the 2014 model year. Production for the 2014 model year started on 18 September 2013, with deliveries scheduled to begin in December 2013. Pricing for the 918 Spyder started at in Europe and in the U.S. Production ended in June 2015 as scheduled. The country with the most orders is the United States with 297 units, followed by China and Germany with approximately 100 orders each, and Canada ordering 35 units. According to JATO Dynamics, a total of 105 units have been registered worldwide during the first nine months of 2014. The United States is the leading market with 202 units delivered up to May 2015. , a total of 9 units were registered in Switzerland, 6 in the Netherlands, 5 units in Canada, 4 in Sweden, 3 in Brazil and 1 in South Africa. == Weissach Package ==

The Weissach Package is a weight saving and aerodynamics package offered by Porsche for the 918 Spyder. It was an $84,000 factory option in the US. The package included magnesium wheels specially manufactured by BBS, an extended rear diffuser, and interior parts covered in Alcantara instead of leather. The windscreen frame, roof, rear wings, and rear-view mirrors were also made out of carbon fiber. ==Porsche 918 RSR==

At the 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Porsche unveiled the RSR racing variant of the 918 Spyder. Instead of using plug-in hybrid technology, power for the two electric motors is provided by a flywheel accumulator KERS system that sits beside the driver in the passenger compartment. The V8 is a further development of the direct injection engine from the RS Spyder race car developing at 10,300RPM. The electric motors each provide an additional , giving a peak power output of . The six-speed gearbox is a development of the unit from the RS Spyder. ==Nürburgring lap time record==

In September 2013 a 918 fitted with the optional 'Weissach Package' set a Nürburgring lap time of 6:57 on the road course, reducing the previous record by 14 seconds, and making it the first street-legal production car to break the 7-minute barrier. ==Gallery==

File:Porsche918HighMuseumFPQ.jpg|The 918 Spyder concept at the High Museum File:Porsche918HighMuseumRV.jpg|Rear view of the 918 Spyder Concept File:Porsche 918 Spyder - Flickr - David Villarreal Fernández.jpg|The 918 Spyder concept badge File:2011-03-04 Autosalon Genf 1213.JPG|The 918 RSR concept at the Geneva Motor Show 2011 File:2011-03-04 Autosalon Genf 1208.JPG|The 918 RSR concept at the Geneva Motor Show 2011 File:Porsche 918 RSR center console and flywheel.jpg|The 918 RSR centre console and flywheel File:2013 Porsche 918 Spyder development mule in Monaco.jpg|The 918 Spyder prototype (black) in Monaco One-off Viola Metallic Porsche 918 Spyder.jpg|A 918 Spyder in a PTS Viola Metallic colour File:Porsche 918 Spyder Lenkrad Touchpad.JPG|918 Spyder Interior ==See also==