Porsche’s eagerly awaited hybrid supercar, the 918 Spyder, has been spotted completely uncovered and sporting a novel livery that harks back to the firm’s Le Mans racing hey-days. The 918 Spyder will be powered by a 4,6-litre V8 engine developing around 420 kW and coupled with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission and a pair of electric motors that bring the full output to more than 568 kW. Porsche claims that the 918 will crack the 0-100 km/h run in just under 2.9 seconds and hit a top speed of 330 km/h. To ensure the 918 Spyder’s worldwide exclusivity, Porsche will produce no more than 918 examples. So make sure you put it your order immediately.
Production will be at Porsche’s famed factory in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen is planned for Sept. 18, 2013. With its design inspired by past Porsches like the Carrera GT super sports car and the legendary 917 and highly successful RS Spyder race cars, the 918 Spyder remains faithful to the 2010 concept car. Unlike the concept car, the two-seat production version, based on a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic monocoque, will feature a manual roof system with removable panels that can be stored in the front luggage compartment.
The car pictured here wears virtually nothing in the way of camouflage and shows off such wonderful details as the exhaust outlets on domes behind the occupants heads, deeply vented rear end, aggressive three-port front air dam and a low-slung, purposeful stance.
The paint scheme is also something special; along with No. 12 decals on the bonnet and doors, the car’s bodywork sports a swirled design that makes a nostalgic nod to the company’s 917L Le Mans racer of the 1970’s, with what’s now referred to as Martini “Hippie” livery.
