Porsche 918 Spyder Hybrid

A unique combination of performance and efficiency - Porsche 918 Spyder Hybrid

 The Porsche 918 Spyder embodies the essence of the Porsche idea: it combines pedigree motor racing technology with excellent everyday utility, and maximum performance with minimum consumption. The task faced by the development team was to create the super sports car for the next decade with a highly efficient and powerful hybrid drive. Developing the car from scratch, appropriately beginning with a sheet of  white paper, allowed the team to come up with a no-compromise concept. The entire car was designed around the hybrid drive. The 918 Spyder therefore demonstrates the potential of the hybrid drive to a degree never seen before: the parallel improvement of both efficiency and performance without one being at the cost of the other. This is the idea that has made the Porsche 911 the most successful sports car in the world for 50 years. In short, the 918 Spyder will act as   the gene pool for the Porsche sports cars of the future.

 Porsche 918 Spyder Hybrid Dashboard

 Main propulsion: the eight cylinder engine

The main source of propulsion is the 4.6-liter, eight cylinder engine that produces 608 hp of power.The engine is derived directly from the power unit of the successful RS Spyder, which explains why it can deliver engine speeds of up to 9,150 rpm. Like the race engine of the RS Spyder, the 918 Spyder power unit   features dry-sump lubrication with a separate oil tank and oil extraction. To save weight, components such as the oil tank, the air filter box integrated into the subframe and the air induction are made of carbon fiber reinforced polymer.   

Further extensive lightweight design measures have resulted in such features as titanium connecting rods, thin-wall, low-pressure casting on the crank case and the cylinder heads, a high-strength, lightweight steel crankshaft with 180 degree crankpin offset and the extremely thin-walled alloy steel/nickel exhaust system.   Striking features of the V8 are that it no longer supports any auxiliary systems, there are no external belt drives and the engine is therefore particularly compact. Weight and performance optimizations achieve a power output per liter of approx. 132 hp/l – the highest power output per liter of a Porsche naturally aspirated   engine – which is significantly higher than that of the Carrera GT (106 hp/l) and outstanding for a naturally aspirated engine.

 In parallel in the drivetrain: hybrid module

The V8 engine is coupled to the hybrid module, since the 918 Spyder is designed as a parallel hybrid like the current hybrid models from Porsche. Essentially, the hybrid module comprises a 115 kW 156 hp electric motor and a decoupler that serves as the connection with the combustion engine. Because of its parallel hybrid   configuration, the 918 Spyder can be powered at the rear axle either individually by the combustion engine or electric motor or via both drives jointly. As is typical for a Porsche super sports car, the power pack in the 918 Spyder has been placed in front of the rear axle, and does not have any direct mechanical connection to the front axle

Quiet and elegant: “E-Power"

When the vehicle is powered on, the “E-Power" mode is the default operating mode as long as the battery is sufficiently charged. In ideal conditions, the 918 Spyder can cover approximately 19 miles on purely electric power. Even in pure electric mode, the 918 Spyder accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in 6.2 seconds and can reach speeds up to 93 mph. In this mode, the combustion engine is only used when needed. If the battery’s charge state drops below a set minimum value, the vehicle automatically switches to hybrid mode

  Efficient and comfortable: “Hybrid"     

 In “Hybrid" mode, the electric motors and combustion engine work alternately with a focus on maximum efficiency and minimum consumption. The use of individual drive components is modified as a function of the current driving situation and the desired performance. The Hybrid mode is typically used for an efficiency-oriented driving style.