Porsche 918 Spyder
Encyclopedia
The Porsche 918 Spyder is a mid-engined
Mid-engine design
A mid-engine layout describes the placement of an automobile engine between the rear and front axles. Another term for this is mid-ship.-Benefits:The mid-engine layout is typically chosen for its relatively favorable weight distribution...

 sports car
Sports car
A sports car is a small, usually two seat, two door automobile designed for high speed driving and maneuverability....

 designed by Porsche
Porsche
Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....

 and first shown as a concept at the 80th edition of the Geneva Motor Show in March 2010. The Spyder is powered by a 3.4 litre V8 engine
V8 engine
A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....

, developing 500 hp, with three electric motors delivering an additional 218 hp. It is the first plug-in hybrid car from Porsche. Porsche later announced a limited production of the vehicle.

At NAIAS 2011
North American International Auto Show
The North American International Auto Show is an annual auto show held in Detroit, Michigan at Cobo Center, usually in January. It is among the largest auto shows in North America.-History:...

, Porsche unveiled the RSR racing variant of the 918, which combines hybrid technology first used in the 911 GT3 R Hydrid, with styling from the 918 Spyder.

Spyder

The 918 Spyder is a mid-engined two seater sports car powered by a 3.4 litre V8 engine (500 hp) which is a development of the engine used in the RS Spyder
Porsche RS Spyder
The RS Spyder is a racing car designed by Porsche to compete in Le Mans Prototype Class 2 racing. The car takes its name from the legendary 550 Spyder of the 1950s...

 Le Mans Prototype
Le Mans Prototype
A Le Mans Prototype is a type of sports prototype race car most notably used in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, American Le Mans Series and Le Mans Series...

 racing car. This is supplemented by three electric motors delivering an additional 218 hp. The transmission is a 7-speed gearbox coupled to Porsche's own (PDK) double clutch system delivering power to the rear axle. Two electric motors drive the front wheels directly through a fixed ratio while a third electric motor is connected to the transmission and gives additional power to the rear wheels. This gives the 918 Spyder a 0–100 km/h time in just under 3.2 seconds and a top speed of over 320 kilometres per hour (198.8 mph). The energy storage system is a liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery positioned behind the passenger cell. In addition to the plug-in recharge the batteries can also be charged by regenerative braking and by excess output from the engine when the car is coasting. CO2 emissions are 70 g/km and fuel consumption is 3 L/100 km (94 imperial mpg/78 us mpg). The 918 Spyder offers 4 different running modes: E-Drive allows the car to run under battery power alone, using the rear electric motor only, giving a range of 16 miles (25.7 km). Three hybrid modes (Hybrid, Sport and Race) use both the engine and electric motors to provide the desired levels of economy and performance. In Race mode a push-to-pass button is available to deliver additional electrical power.

The chassis is a carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic
Fibre-reinforced plastic
Fibre-reinforced plastic is a composite material made of a polymer matrix reinforced with fibres. The fibres are usually fibreglass, carbon, or aramid, while the polymer is usually an epoxy, vinylester or polyester thermosetting plastic...

 monocoque. Magnesium and aluminium are extensively used in the construction of the car which helps keep the 918 Spyder's weight down to 1490 kilograms (3,284.9 lb).

On July 28, 2010, after 2000 declarations of interest, the Supervisory Board of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, gave the green light for series development of the Porsche 918 Spyder. The 918 will be produced in a limited series. It will be developed in Weissach and assembled in Zuffenhausen.

RSR

At the 2011 Auto show in Detroit, Porsche unveiled the RSR racing variant of the 918 Spyder. Instead of using plug-in hybrid technology, power for the two electric motors is provided by a flywheel accumulator KERS system that sits beside the driver in the passenger compartment. The V8 is a further development of the direct injection engine from the RS Spyder race car developing 563 hp. The electric motors on the two front wheels each provide an additional 102 hp, giving a peak power output of 767 hp. The six speed gearbox is a development of the unit from the RS Spyder.

Video games appearances

The 918 Spyder is subject to numerous video games appearances, most notably in several games of the third generations of Need for Speed series. It was originally featured in the game Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (2010 video game)
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit is a BAFTA Award–winning 2010 racing video game in the Need for Speed series developed by British games developer Criterion Games and published by Electronic Arts for iOS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Wii and Xbox 360. The Wii version was developed by Exient...

 as a drivable vehicle. Unlike the other Porsche cars featured in the game, it is not available in a police livery. It was later featured in Shift 2: Unleashed
Shift 2: Unleashed
Shift 2: Unleashed is a racing video game, the 17th title in the Need for Speed franchise. It was developed by Slightly Mad Studios and published by Electronic Arts...

and Need for Speed: The Run
Need for Speed: The Run
Need for Speed: The Run is a racing video game, the 18th title in the Need for Speed franchise, and developed by EA Black Box and published by Electronic Arts. The Wii and 3DS versions were developed by Firebrand Games, the team behind Undercover and Nitro...

(Shift 2 and The Run only featured the RSR variant).

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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