The 2015 918 Spyder embodies the essence of the Porsche idea: it combines
pedigree motor racing technology with excellent everyday utility, and maximum
performance with minimum consumption.
The 918 Spyder was designed around the hybrid drive. The 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder
therefore demonstrates the potential of the hybrid drive to a degree never seen
before: the parallel improvement of both efficiency and performance without one
being at the cost of the other. This is the idea that has made the Porsche 911
the most successful sports car in the world for 50 years. In short, the 918
Spyder will act as the gene pool for the Porsche sports cars of the future.
The Porsche 918 Spyder reveals its close links to motorsport in a variety of
ways. It has been designed, developed and produced by Porsche engineers who
build race cars, in cooperation with series production specialists. A great deal
of insight gained from the development of Porsche race cars for the 24 hours
race in Le Mans in 2014 is thus integrated into the 918 Spyder and vice versa.
The structural concept of the 918 Spyder with a rolling chassis as its basis a
basic vehicle that can be driven even without a body is race car tradition at
Porsche. The concept of the V8 engine originates from the LMP2 RS Spyder race
car. The load-bearing structures, the monocoque and subframe, are made of carbon
fiber reinforced polymer. Porsche has many years of experience with this
high-strength, lightweight construction material and has again achieved top
results with the development of the series production 918 Spyder. Many parts of
the super sports car come from manufacturers who have a proven record as
suppliers for motorsport vehicles.
The 918 Spyder continues a long tradition of super sports cars at Porsche; as
technology platforms, as the driving force behind both car emotion and car
evolution and as the ultimate sports cars of their decades: the Carrera GTS, the
first Porsche Turbo, the 959, the 911 GT1, the Carrera GT. More than any of its
predecessors, the 918 Spyder is providing key impetus for developing
technologies for future vehicle concepts. It offers a complete package of
components that reflect Porsche DNA more concentrated than ever before.
The Porsche 918 Spyder's competitors are the McLaren P1 and the
Ferrari LaFerrari.
The 918 Spyder complete with Weissach package currently holds the lap record for
road vehicles on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, boasting a time of 6:57 minutes.
Update 11/18/2013: After the final fine tuning before delivering the
first examples to customers, the Porsche super sports car is now even more
capable of putting in a strong sprinting performance. The vehicle now
accelerates from zero to 60 mph in just 2.5 seconds (-0.2 seconds), and with the
Weissach package, it accelerates from zero to 124 mph on the track in 7.2
seconds (-0.5 seconds). It reaches the 186 mph mark after 19.9 seconds (-2.1
seconds) on the track. Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser, Senior Vice President 918
Spyder, highlights the significance of these results: "We have used all options
available up to now to electrify the 918 Spyder, working right up to the last
minute to do so."
