Porsche 918 Spyder hybrid supercar inching near market launch

Sometime back, the company said that it would manufacture the hybrid supercar in the event of receiving more than 1,000 letters of interest from potential customers. The concept model was showcased and well received at this year's Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland. After getting rave reviews at the motor show; according to media reports, the company had received around 900 orders for the hybrid car in April.

More recently, the hybrid cars is being showcased at the Pebble Beach Concours in California - a very prestigious car show that just fuels the speculations of the vehicle rolling off the production lines soon. The 918 Spyder concept hybrid, arguably the best looking hybrid car of the lot, was showcased at the Geneva show featuring a conventional 3.6 L V8 gasoline engine to crank 500 bhp. The power output might not sound great for a Porsche supercar, but there is more to the story.

The international combustion engine is complemented by two electric motors on each axle, increasing the total power output of the vehicle to 718 BHP. The powertrain is mated to a 7-speed Porsche dual-clutch transmission system.

Porsche is not going to confirm it but the company might just announce the production of the supercar at the Pebble Beach event. The event is marked by the presence of the richest of rich auto aficionados and the price tag rarely stands any consideration among buyers. Last year's event involved launching of the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport.

Going by this yardstick, this year it might just be an ultra high performance hybrid car's turn to set the record straight.