By Chris Haak
As the Geneva Motor Show is about to open, Porsche has surprised all of us with a third hybrid model – alongside the Cayenne Hybrid and 911 GT3 R Hybrid – at the show. And, although this one is just a concept at this point, it’s something special. It’s also worth noting that Porsche generally does not produce concept cars unless the company intends to put them into production.
So what is the 918 Spyder Hybrid Concept? It’s a low-emission, fuel-efficient, hybrid sports car. Under its hood is a 3.4 liter V8 from the RS Spyder race car, which produces over 500 horsepower. But wait, there’s more: it also has electric motors on the front and rear axles that add another 218 horsepower. Because torque and power peaks don’t occur at the same place on the power curves for both powerplants, you can’t just say it has a “718+ horsepower drivetrain,” but clearly, it’s an extremely powerful one. The engine puts its power to the ground via a 7-speed dual-clutch PDK gearbox.
