Porsche 918 Spyder - A Unique Combination Of Performance And Efficiency

The Porsche 918 Spyder is like nothing that’s gone before. Blending a race-derived composite chassis and a 4.6-litre V8 engine with a hybrid drivetrain, it’s the fastest road going Porsche ever made – and it joins the forthcoming McLaren P1 and Ferrari LaFerrari in pushing the boundaries of technology.

Under the composite body is a stiff yet light carbon fiber tub, around which the highly complex power sources are mounted. The battery and fuel tank are sandwiched between the cabin and the V8 engine, which is packaged with the rear electric motor and PDK gearbox.

A masterpiece of engineering, the Porsche 918 seamlessly blends cutting-edge hybrid tech with focused motorsport engineering and rewrites the hypercar performance and efficiency rulebook.

A second electric motor feeds the front wheels, and all these power sources combine to deliver 875bhp and 1,280Nm of torque. As a result, the raw numbers are staggering. In optional Weissach trim – which sheds 41kg from the standard 918’s 1,647kg kerbweight by using titanium bolts and magnesium wheels – the car will sprint from 0-62mph in 2.5 seconds and hit 186mph in just under 20 seconds. Plus, it lapped the Nürburgring race track in less than seven minutes.

Yet at the same time, as the 918 can glide silently in EV mode, it emits only 72g/km of CO₂ and promises the kind of efficiency never seen before in this class.

But purists needn’t worry – in the flesh, the 918 stirs the emotions as only a supercar can. There’s beauty in the simplicity of the lines, while exquisite detailing complements the stunning proportions. The Porsche has a race car-like stance on the road, with its recessed lights, yet it’s most striking from the rear, due to the active spoiler and tapered tail. And the top-venting exhausts are pure hyper car extravagance.

The ultra-modern cabin has a tablet-inspired central console and traditional Porsche dials, which house a clever mix of analogue and digital displays.

Engine kicks in with a race car boom, while 918 offers incredible grip.

The driver is cocooned within the composite monocoque, and benefits from a perfect seating position, while the roof panels can easily be removed and stored in the tiny nose boot.

Refreshingly for such a futuristic car, you fire it up simply by turning the key. But there’s no V8 growl – just the uncanny silence of electric running.

In E-Power mode, the 918 will still do 0-62mph in just over seven seconds and hit 93mph, and as long as you don’t press the throttle past the kick down point, the engine remains dormant.

With a fully charged battery, Porsche promises and 18-mile range in zero emissions mode. Gliding silently through town is surreal, but despite its size, the 918 isn’t intimidating to drive, while the PASM active dampers mean the ride is quite compliant.

There are four more drive modes: Hybrid, Sport Hybrid, Race Hybrid and Hot Lap. In Hybrid, the electric motors and V8 alternate, while in Sport Hybrid mode the engine works constantly with the electric motors chipping in when needed.

Touchscreen dominates the console; button selects mode; Alcantara for steering wheel.

Race Hybrid takes this further: battery level fluctuates, allowing the full output to be channeled to the wheels. Finally, Hot Lap lets you exhaust all the batteries’ power for ultimate boost for a couple of laps, and you choose when to deploy it via a kick-down step in the throttle.

On a track, the 918 delivers staggering performance; we’ve never experienced acceleration like it. But what leaves you open-mouthed is the characterful V8, derived from the LMP2 RS Spyder.

When the car switches from electric mode, it booms into life with a rich race engine intensity. It revs so quickly, you hit the 9,000rpm red line in the blink of an eye. Fortunately, the PDK box changes quickly and has a lovely blip on the downshift.

As it tips the scales at over 1.5 tons, you might expect the 918 to feel a bit lazy, but you never notice the weight. The center of gravity is level with the wheel hubs, so the car feels plated – there’s no noticeable roll or pitch, and there’s so much drip, you’ll feel the g-force on your body before you notice the bespoke Michelin tires losing grip.

The active rear axle steering helps agility, while the fast, well weighted steering has none of the over-edgy eagerness you’ll find in cars like the Ferrari F12. Porsche has also worked hard to calibrate the regenerative braking, to remove the inconsistent pedal feel that blights most hybrids. It’s largely succeeded – under heavy braking on track, you can feel the pedal pulse a bit, but only at low speeds in E-Power mode does it feel a fraction inconsistent. And it never spoils your driving fun.

The Porsche has a race car-like stance on the road, with its recessed lights, yet it’s most striking from the rear, due to the active spoiler and tapered tail.

Mind-boggling on the track or the road, the Porsche 918 is a truly unique experience.

Verdict

A masterpiece of engineering, the Porsche 918 seamlessly blends cutting-edge hybrid tech with focused motorsport engineering and rewrites the hypercar performance and efficiency rulebook. It’s truly spectacular to drive in any mode, but isn’t intimidating – and the 918 has the looks, performance and wow factor every great hypercar needs.