This is, simply, one of the greatest cars I’ve ever seen. It’s gorgeous, it’s fast, it’s powerful, it’s efficient and it’s technologically advanced. This is the Porsche 918 Spyder Concept, which made it’s appearance at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. You may have read about it already, you may be seeing it for the first time, but hopefully we are seeing the future of automobiles. Click to read more, watch the video, and voice your opinion.
It’s the future because it is an amazing combination of performance and responsibility. It makes 718hp. It goes 198mph. It will go from 0-60 in under 4 seconds. It gets 78mpg.
What?! Whowhatwherehowwhywhen? I said the same thing when I read about this car, I couldn’t believe my eyes. How can it be so fast, yet achieve an mpg that makes a Prius look like a 1973 Ford F-250 with a fuel leak? It’s a hybrid. The mid-mounted 500hp V8 makes 500hp, and two electric motors in the front make 218hp. At the Geneva Motor Show Porsche showed off it’s new GT3 R HYBRID race car. It too has electric motors in the front, but the power can only be used in small bursts of speed, like that being developed for F1 cars.
The 918 would have 4 driver selectable modes: E-Drive, Hybrid, Sport Hybrid and Race Hybrid. As you move up the ladder you get more power, better throttle response and, of course, fewer MPG. In E-Drive the car is an electric vehicle, with a small range of 16 miles. In Race mode both engines are at max output, and there’s even an E-Boost button for extra passing power. It’s like the green version of NOS. Awesome.
The technology alone is so exciting it could give Al Gore a personality, but then there’s the looks: it’s beautiful. This car places second only to the exquisite Carrera GT, and it’s a close 2nd. When you look at it you know it’s a Porsche, but it has flavors of SLR and Ferrari in it as well. Perhaps Porsche drove to Italy one night and kidnapped a struggling artist. Whatever they did, it works. It’s modern, but with classic sports car soul. It doesn’t look like a car from the Jetsons, even though the technology could have the “Spacely” name on it. Inside and out, from any view, it’s just a gorgeous car. People have complained about the plastic looking wheels, but that’s a waste of O2. I promise you, when the car comes out, it will be wearing normal shoes.
With a car like this, you don’t need much else. Maybe a wagon or tiny, fuel-efficient SUV for carrying kids or taking road trips, but that’s it. I can lay awake dreaming of a garage with as many cars as Baskin Robbins has ice cream flavors. I would have a car for every job, every mood, every craving. Be it a quiet commuter to save gas and get around, or a huge V8 to shake the ground and snap my neck back, the list was always huge. But the 918 covers so many categories, it leaves little room for anything else. Track car, luxury car, sports car, gorgeous to look at, 200MPH super car, responsible hybrid, loud V8, RWD, brand recognition, “romantic evening” magnet; it has it all.
When you add it all up, this is one of the best concepts ever made. It looks great, without going the fun-house way so many concepts do (Mazda). It’s a supercar, which we always love, but it’s also looking to the future. Instead of another 11MPG, 1000hp Mach 2 supercar from a company ran by 4 billionaires that is no more practical than using a loaded gun for dentistry, this is a car that is fitting for where our world is heading. This shows the world super-cars and hybrid efficiency are not mutually exclusive. We can have our cake at eat it too. Up until now hybrids have been as exciting as grey wallpaper, and less alluring to look at. The 918 is like a window of hope, a spec of light when you thought you were buried in a cave. I hope this inspires other automakers, because if it does, the future looks bright.
Zack K
Tell us what you think below.
WOW! Why cant car companies actually produce cars like this? I know, I know EPA, Crash testing ETC. But im sure it could be done if they wanted to…without making the completely boring watered down versions we are used to.
My hope is this concept inspires every other car-maker in the world, and they follow suit. This is a car people want.
It is a very interesting concept to say the least. I'm still not completely sold on hybrid vehicles, however. It may sound ignorant, but it somehow doesn't feel right with me. Probably will get made fun of for that
Saying that, however, this is probably the most promising concept out there and the most 'plausible'.
The design is great (not sure about the wheels, but i never am) and should definitely be pursued if only for the fact that porsche finally managed to make a good looking car aside from the Carrera GT and 911.
I think what bothers me the most about the car is the amount of compromise. Don't take this the wrong way. I'm not saying everybody should have a race car, a practical car and a fuel efficient car, but if you attempt to cater to too many aspects of a car, it will be able to do many things well, but none really well. Naturally, this is Porsche and they tend to do things right, no doubt about it, but there simply are physical limitations to everything.
Everything said and done, i am looking forward to Porsche going forward with this concept and actually putting in on the market.
Has it been confirmed that they'll race the hybrid 911 at the 24h of Nürburgring this year?
We all know that in real world conditions this thing would never get 78mpg, the Prius barely gets 50mpg on the highway but man,this is the sweetest looking ride I have ever seen, The carbon fiber and side exhaust,sick. I like it way more than the Carrera GT, which is one of my favorite cars.