This is the 918 Spyder's cockpit

Regarding the "918 Spyder," Porsche's plug-in hybrid supercar and successor to the "Carrera GT",we have reported on OPENERSDevelopment appears to be progressing smoothly towards the planned production start in September 2013. Recently, it was reported that a prototype recorded a lap time of 7 minutes and 14 seconds on the Nürburgring North Course.Lexus(Lexus LFA: 7:14.64. Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR: 7:12.13).




A video of journalist Chris Harris as a passenger in the 918 Spyder at the Nürburgring has been released on YouTube's "Drive" channel.



In the video, we are first introduced to the 918 Spyder in motion, driven by Holger Bartels, head of chassis development for the 918 Spyder. In this scene, the sound of the car running on electric power—previously reported to offer a range of 25 km and a top speed of 150 km/h—and the roar of the 4.6-liter V8 engine, which sounds more like a race car than a road car, convey its performance.



Incidentally, according to Chris Harris, the tachometer remains completely still during electric-only driving.



Holger Bartels states, "Many staff from the '911 GT3' were involved in the development of the 918 Spyder, but the tuning was more complex than for any car I've worked on before."

Porsche's Answer to the Future of the Sports Car

The latter half of the video features an interview with Chris Harris and Frank Walliser, the project leader for the 918 Spyder.
According to him, the vehicle weight, initially estimated at under 1,700 kg, is around 1,665 kg. Excluding the hybrid system, the 918 Spyder is about 100 kg lighter than the Carrera GT, and 50 to 60 kg lighter than the 911 GT2 or GT3. The front-to-rear weight distribution is 43:57.



The V8 engine, developed with engineers from Porsche's "RS Spyder," which was active until 2007, features a remarkably compact structure akin to a race car. It is also highly fuel-efficient, achieving approximately 11-12 L/100 km.



The situation reminiscent of the "supercar showdown" between Ferrari'sFerrari"F40" and Porsche's "959" in 1987 may be revisited in 2013 with the appearance of Ferrari'ssuccessor to the "Enzo"and the 918 Spyder, Chris Harris enthusiastically suggests. When asked if the technology cultivated here will be applied to future Porsches, Frank Walliser replies, "It will likely be applied not only to the powertrain but also to body panels and interior components."



Among Frank Walliser's statements, Chris Harris highlights a particularly impressive remark, which he describes as "irritatingly good."



"Will sports cars continue to exist in the future? Will they be accepted by people? Are super sports cars truly too fuel-inefficient to be used as daily drivers? The 918 Spyder is the technical answer to those questions. The hybrid system in the 918 Spyder enhances the performance of a super sports car and also plays a role in making driving more enjoyable. It is the fusion of EV, hybrid, and race car technology – that is the 918 Spyder."

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