The car is powered by a V8 gasoline engine offering in excess of 500 HP that revs up to 9,200 rpm, used in conjunction with three electric motors on the front and rear axle developing combined output of 218 HP (160 kW). The internal combustion engine is based on the 3.4 liter unit featured in the RS Spyder racing car and is centrally mounted.
The V8 and the and the rear electric system are mated to a Porsche PDK double clutch gearbox that delivers the power to the rear wheels, while the front-wheel electric drive is connected to the wheels via a invariable transmission ratio. The 918’s electric motors drawn their energy from a fluid-cooled lithium-ion battery pack, mounted behind the occupant cell. This can be charged using a standard household outlet. The car also features a kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) that charges the battery when the brakes are used.
The driver can choose four modes for the car’s powertrain: the electric only E-Drive (in this mode the car has a range of 16 miles - 25 km), the auto-adaptive Hybrid, that uses both power sources and delivers the power as required by the the driving conditions, the Sport Hybrid, which also uses both sources of energy but is sharper and sends most of the power to the rear wheels and the Race Hybrid that offers maximum performance. A special E-boost system offers additional electrical power at the touch of a button.
Although the 918 is a hybrid, it tips the scale at just 1,490 kg (3.285 lb), thanks to the use of a modular structure with a monocoque body that uses materials such as carbon-fiber-reinforced-plastic, magnesium and aluminum.
Porsche took the 918 round the Nurburgring to see just how sporty the car is and the result was a Carrera GT-crushing laptime of under 7:30 minutes.
The car’s interior comes with touch-screen interface that controls multiple functions. The 918 Spyder features with a Range Manager, an expanded version of the satnav system that given information about the car’s resources.
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