RE: Porsche Reveals Hybrid 918 Spyder
Discussion
The Wookie said:
Alex said:
What a joke. Laps the 'Ring in 7m 30s and does 78mpg? Possibly, but not at the same time.
I could get the same result by fitting a milk-float engine to a TVR. Or a V8 to a milk-float.
If it did 78 mpg and a 7.30 ring time at the same time it'd probably have to produce more fuel than it uses as it goes round.I could get the same result by fitting a milk-float engine to a TVR. Or a V8 to a milk-float.
Yes, you could perhaps get that result from fitting a milk float engine to a TVR, assuming you fitted it to the front wheels and left the V8 powering the rears... And had the ability to make a suitable control system.
I don't see how that dimishes the achievement...
how can porsche produce a 3.4 litre engine with 500bhp at a price which people would be willing to pay for, its 147bhp a litre. most super cars have around 100bhp per litre. then add in the costs of what looks like one of the best hybrid systems proposed. i see this car costing £500,000+
i don't see porsche making this but maybe a cheaper 911 price version.
styling is amazing
i don't see porsche making this but maybe a cheaper 911 price version.
styling is amazing
roberthiggs said:
and those side exhausts are TACCY
I quite like them, but they are like that as the engine installation seems to be straight out of the racing car for this concept. I daresay that legislation in at least one of the major markets for the car will dictate that any production version will be more prosaic... 
wildman0609 said:
how can porsche produce a 3.4 litre engine with 500bhp at a price which people would be willing to pay for
Carrera GT. It too was built around an engine purpose built for racing (though the actual racing project was sadly stillborn due to rules changes at the ACO. That particular item in race trim and deprived of its restrictors was reputed to be good for comfortably in excess of 800hp before it was sanitised for road use). The CGT (inflation adjusted, or even somewhat higher) is the price point that we should expect this piece of exotica to be pitched at if it should see series production. Anyone expecting it to be a volume item starting in the 5 to low 6 figure range really wasn't paying any attention to the spec sheet. And even at half a million quid or more, it will find eager buyers. Even in this economic climate.
Ravell said:
That looks astonishingly good!
Porsche really got the mix right on this one. Shame it won't look anywhere near as good once it's been watered down for production, just like the original Boxter concept.
I've heard this comment several times today. Yes, the production Boxster was watered down quite a bit from the concept. The Boxster is a high volume production vehicle for Porsche. However, there wasn't much difference between the prototype and production Carrera GTs. The 918 Spyder IS the replacement for the Carrera GT.Porsche really got the mix right on this one. Shame it won't look anywhere near as good once it's been watered down for production, just like the original Boxter concept.
According to Porsche R&D Chief, Wolfgang Durheimer, the production 918 Spyder will cost more than the Carrera GT. At that price point the design team won't have to make many cost saving concessions to the styling. Durheimer also stated the 918 will be a limited production model. He estimated between 750 and 1300 units.
Edited by evile on Wednesday 3rd March 02:03
havoc said:
chuntington101 said:
Just needs a couple of turbos strapped to that V8 now 
No it most emphatically DOES NOT! Turbo's are for the lazy and those who don't care about how an engine behaves. Thankfully Porsche (as evidenced by the Carerra GT and generations of GT3s) does care, as do I. I'll take mine gloriously n/asp with just the 500bhp thanks!
Also could you exsplane the comment on Porsche not liking turbos? it just seems alittle strange as their 911 has come in turbo modle for YEARS, Also porsche have been at the cutrting edge when it comes to turbo tech for many decades now.......
Cheers,
Chris.
chuntington101 said:
havoc said:
chuntington101 said:
Just needs a couple of turbos strapped to that V8 now
No it most emphatically DOES NOT! Turbo's are for the lazy and those who don't care about how an engine behaves. Thankfully Porsche (as evidenced by the Carrera GT and generations of GT3s) does care, as do I. I'll take mine gloriously n/asp with just the 500bhp thanks!
Also could you exsplane the comment on Porsche not liking turbos? it just seems alittle strange as their 911 has come in turbo modle for YEARS, Also porsche have been at the cutrting edge when it comes to turbo tech for many decades now.......
Cheers,
Chris.
1) Turbo's give easy access to power at low-revs (through significantly greater torque), and across a large rev-range. Which means you don't need to use the gearbox as much to get 90% of the performance out of the engine. Usually the engine of choice for someone who just wants "POWER" and doesn't care how they get it.
2) A turbo necessarily blunts the throttle-response of an engine, vs naturally-aspirated (however with the advent of DBW n/a engines have been dragged-down somewhat in this regard!
). And it also means the power isn't delivered in a linear fashion...with n/a you know exactly how the power will be delivered through the rev-range. With a turbo you WILL get a slug of torque at some point...modern turbo's are better in this regard than old-school stuff, but it's still there.3) I didn't say Porsche didn't like turbos, I just said they care about engine behaviour...look at the cars I mentioned and their engines are the epitomy of high-tech, low-inertia and truly instant-response...and they're delivering 100bhp/litre from an n/a repeatedly! Porsche have long been among the 3 best builders of (semi-mainstream) n/a engines - BMW & Honda being the others. And the Porsche engines are perhaps the closest to the circuit in their build and approach.
4) Weight and complexity - turbo, plumbing, intercooler, more plumbing, perhaps a bigger rad for more cooling...it's something else to go wrong, and it's additional weight (although I accept the argument that you can use a turbo with a smaller-capacity unit to get the same output...but would you rather a blown-4 or a n/asp V6?!?)
5) Finally, sound and range. Compare a GT3 to a Turbo. Compare the Carrera GT to any turbo'd competitors. Compare an S2000 to an Audi TT, or a CTR to a Golf. Turbo's muffle an engine. Turbo's also typically don't work at low AND at high-revs, so you either get something lazy and truculent low-down (think older STi's) or something which is out of puff before 6,000rpm (most modern turbo-petrols, sadly). The solution is the more expensive sequential-twins (BMW -35i) or twin-scroll units (Porsche), which ARE very good engines.
But I still don't think turbo's have any place in a proper sports-car. GTs, hot-hatches, big execs - yeah, sure. But not sports-cars, and certainly not supercars.
That swoopy line from nose over the front wheel arch along the shoulder and over the rear wheel arch is becoming the new Porsche trademark.....I remember buying the Porsche Boxster game for the Playstation 1....in the intro it showed Harm lagaay sketching the Boxster form, and I think he started with a line just like that.
Boxster, Cayman, CGT and now 918.... very pure.
Photocopier or not, Porsche know about timeless class and style in its basic form. I'm actually quite taken aback by the almost total agreement here for this car... and it's a Porsche??!!
Boxster, Cayman, CGT and now 918.... very pure.
Photocopier or not, Porsche know about timeless class and style in its basic form. I'm actually quite taken aback by the almost total agreement here for this car... and it's a Porsche??!!
Agoogy said:
I'm actually quite taken aback by the almost total agreement here for this car... and it's a Porsche??!!
Just goes to show that those who decry many as "Porsche-haters" are wrong - people don't hate Porsche, they hate lazy, predictable design. As soon as Porsche produce something interesting and a bit different (despite it still having many of their standard styling cues), people like it.
First the boring question, as great as that car looks, (I can’t believe I am actually saying that about a modern day Porsche) does it have any type of roof or soft top??
And second, who would care to estimate how many speculative deposits Porsche will have taken on this car before the show ends?? I will guarantee you that if Porsche are able to deliver that car to market looking almost exactly like that then I predict that the 918 will command the highest premiums for any new car hitting the second hand market. If you have the money folks I suggest you jump in you private jet to Geneva now or make a B-line to your local Porsche dealer.
And second, who would care to estimate how many speculative deposits Porsche will have taken on this car before the show ends?? I will guarantee you that if Porsche are able to deliver that car to market looking almost exactly like that then I predict that the 918 will command the highest premiums for any new car hitting the second hand market. If you have the money folks I suggest you jump in you private jet to Geneva now or make a B-line to your local Porsche dealer.
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