After years in development, production of the 2014 Porsche 918 Spyder has finally began yesterday at the company's Zuffenhausen factory in Stuttgart.
First deliveries are expected by the end of the year, with UK pricing starts at £657,400, rising to £718,000 if equipped with the optional Weissach package, which comes with special colors inspired by legendary Porsche race cars and includes a six-point seatbelts, an optional film coating instead of a paint finish, several carbon fiber aerodynamic add-on parts and lightweight magnesium wheels which lower the regular 1,634 kg weight by around 35 kg.
As a reminder, the 918 Spyder is powered by a mid-mounted 4.6-liter V8 engine which produces 608 hp and 530 Nm of torque. It is backed up by two electric motors - producing 156 hp and approximately 129 hp - which power each axle. This allows the supercar to have a combined maximum output of 887 hp and a maximum torque varying between 917 Nm and 1,280 Nm. Power is sent to the wheels via a dual-clutch seven-speed automatic gearbox.
Thanks to this potent drivetrain, the 918 Spyder can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 2.8 seconds, 0-200 km/h in 7.9 seconds, 0-300 km/h in 23.0 seconds and hit a top speed in excess of 340 km/h. In terms of efficiency, the car averages approximately 3.3-liter / 100 km with CO2 emissions of roughly 79 g/km.
