Ever since the 918 Spyder concept was unveiled in Geneva, Porsche has been working at a fevered pace to bring it to market in 2013. Â Wired was lucky enough to get an exclusive ride in the development mule and talk with the project’s engineers. Â While Porsche’s new car is a hybrid, the author states, “This is most definitely not a Prius.”
The 4.6L V8, lifted from the ALMS RS Spyder, puts out 570HP. Â The cylinder heads have been flipped, so the exhaust manifold comes out the top of the motor instead of along the sides. Â Porsche says that this setup dramatically reduces heat in the engine compartment, and I’m sure it frees up some space as well.
The V8 is assisted by a 90kW electric motor on the driveline, along with an 80kW motor up at the front, making the 918 all-wheel-drive on-demand.  All combined, in “Hot Lap” mode, you can get up to 770HP and 700lb.ft. of torque, getting the 3700lb car to 60 in under 3 seconds.  While 3700lb might seem like a lot, it’s light compared to the 3-ton Fisker Karma, and Porsche has kept 80% of weight below centerline, thus keeping handling what you’d expect from a Porsche.
Check out the full story and more photos at Wired.
[ Source: Wired ]
