Porsche 918 Spyder Revealed: Frankfurt 2013

The Porsche 918 Spyder – the Porsche answer to LaFerrari and McLaren P1 – has been revealed in final production guise at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

The Porsche 918 Spyder has been on the way for a long time, but it finally arrived at Frankfurt in production guise last night.

Designed as a successor to the Carrera GT, the Porsche 918 Spyder joins the McLaren P1 and LaFerrari as the ultimate supercars from mainstream makers and looks set, despite a slightly lower level of power, to take the fight to the McLaren and Ferrari.

It gets a mid-mounted 4.6 litre V8 – derived from Porsche’s Le Mans power – that has 600bhp of its own to play with, but that’s coupled to a pair of electric motors – once on each axle –  contributing an additional 275bhp which can work with the ICE engine for maximum performance.

But in e-Power mode the electric motors can work on their own to provide up to 20 miles of EV power (and still get to 62mph in 7 seconds and on to 93mph) which explains why the 918 Spyder comes complete with official economy figures of 85mpg.

As well as e-Power mode you’ll be able to opt for Hybrid mode, when the 918 Spyder alternates between ICE engine and electric motors to suit demand, whilst Sport Hybrid and Race Hybrid modes throw the ICE and Electric motors at delivering maximum performance when it can get to 62 mph in 2.8 seconds.

With active aerodynamics and a sophisticated multi-link rear suspension – and the option of a Weissach Pack with extra aerodynamic bits and stripes (stripes make you go faster) – the 918 Spyder promises impressive performance and dynamics, especially as it also gets a similar active rear steering system.

Inside is an evolution of the Carrera GT, with the cockpit divided in  to two sections with the controls important for driving grouped round the steering wheel and the second set in the infotainment section housed in the raised centre console

You can also do something in the 918 Spyder you can’t do in the McLaren and Ferrari – open up the top. Two carbon fibre reinforced plastic panels can be unclipped and stowed in the front boot.

Porsche are building 918 examples of the 918 Spyder (less than the Carrera GT, when 1270 were built) but even with 375 McLaren P1s and 499 LaFerraris looking for a home, Porsche should have no problem shifting them.