Porsche surprises Geneva with the 918 Spyder hybrid concept

The 918 Spyder concept was introduced by President and CEO of Porsche AG, Michael Macht during a special pre-show event before the opening of the Geneva Motor Show, and is described by Porsche as a "Super-Sports" car.

The 918 Spyder is a low-emissions hybrid sports car which is capable of consuming just 3 litres of fuel per 100km. However, the 918 Spyder can also offer supercar performance, through its 3.4-litre V8 engine that produces 493bhp, combined with three electric motors that put out an additional 215bhp, for a total power output of 708bhp. This means the 918 Spyder is able to rocket from 0-100km/h in 3.2 seconds, reaching a top speed of 320km/h.

The 918 Spyder includes features such as a liquid cooled lithium-ion battery, brake energy regeneration, push-to-pass "E-Boost" button for sudden overtaking manoeuvres, and four driving modes. According to Porsche, the four driving modes are "E-Drive mode for electric only powered driving; Hybrid mode, which uses both the electric motors and the V8 engine relative to driving conditions; Sport Hybrid mode uses both drive systems, but with the focus on performance; and Race Hybrid mode for hardcore performance running at the limit."

Power is transmitted to the wheels by a seven-speed Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) transmission that feeds the power of the electric drive system to the rear axle. The front-wheel electric drive powers the wheels through a fixed transmission ratio.