Porsche 918 Spyder

The vehicle in detail

The Porsche 918 Spyder is one of the most impressive hypercars ever built by Porsche. This particular example, number 550 of the 918 ever built, bears a particularly symbolic number. It is a nice link to the legendary Porsche 550 Spyder, a lightweight and highly agile racing car from the 1950s, made famous by its success on the track and its iconic design. The 550 Spyder was known as a progressive car in its time, just as the 918 Spyder is in the modern era.

It is a masterpiece of engineering and innovation. At the time, it was the most advanced Porsche ever built.

A 918 Spyder has a plug-in hybrid powertrain that combines a naturally aspirated 4.6-liter V8 engine with two electric motors. The V8, derived from the Porsche RS Spyder race car, produces 608 hp alone, while the electric motors add another 286 hp. This results in a system output of 887 hp and 1,280 Nm of torque. This allows the 918 Spyder to sprint to 100 km/h in just 2.6 seconds and has a top speed of 340 km/h.

The 918 has a seven-speed PDK automatic transmission (Porsche Doppelkupplung). This transmission has been specially developed for maximum performance, combining lightning-fast shifting moments with a smooth driving experience. The PDK transmission drives the rear wheels, while the front electric motor works directly on the front axle and can function independently up to 235 km/h. This gives it an advanced hybrid four-wheel drive system that can also be driven fully electrically and even plug-in is possible.

The 918 Spyder uses a monocoque chassis made of carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP), which ensures an extremely rigid and light construction. This contributes to both the performance and efficiency of the car. In addition, the 918 has Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) and rear-wheel steering, which makes it not only lightning fast, but also exceptionally agile, both at high and low speeds. The 918 Spyder is also equipped with a front-lift system, which means that the low Porsche 918 has no trouble with speed bumps.

Porsche has made no compromises in terms of material choice. Carbon fiber, titanium, magnesium and aluminum are used extensively to keep the weight as low as possible. In addition, the 918 has an advanced active aerodynamics system with an adjustable rear wing and air flaps in the front bumper that adapt to the driving conditions.

While the Porsche 959, 911 GT1 (Strassenversion) and Carrera GT preceded the Porsche 918 Spyder, the 918 still has no worthy successor. It is also questionable whether this successor will be a variant with a combustion engine. In our opinion, this makes the Porsche 918 Spyder extra special.