Who would have thought that you could have a mean looking, fast racing, good looking sports car that also has impressive green credentials? Well, that's exactly what Porsche are proposing with their latest concept car: the Porsche 918 Spyder. Let's take a closer look.Unveiled on the eve of the famous Geneva Auto Show, the Stuttgart based company, Porsche, lifted the lid on their new concept car which happens to be a mid engine, two seater sports cars with hybrid and electric drive technology. It certainly looks mean, but what are the stats like? Remarkably impressive when looked at. Nought to Sixty in less than 3.2 seconds with a top speed of 198mph and it happens to be faster than the Carrera GT, as proven by successfully finishing the Nurburgring lap in less than 7 minutes 30 seconds.
So, how can a car have all this power and claim to be green? The 918 Spyder has electric motors at the front and rear axles. The drive to the front wheels is purely electric via a fixed ratio. The liquid cooled lithium ion battery pack sits behind the cockpit and can be ideally charged at home or by brake regeneration.
This sports car is a high revving V-8 related, 3.4 litre racing car. It produces more than 500 brake horse power with engine revs of up to 9200 rpm. Yet, it does an incredible 78mpg, driven the right way, plus the emissions level sit at just 70 grams of CO2 per kilometre.
The chassis is made from CFP (Carbon fiber reinforced plastic), along with the use of a lot of magnesium and aluminium to keep the frame as light as possible. The stylish interior is designed to be driver orientated with touch screens and intuitive controls.
