Porsche has unveiled a pretty cool video presenting their stand at the 2012 Autosport International Show held in Birmingham, England. Porsche launched the 2012 Carrera Cup GB and GT3 Cup Challenge race series, as well as showed off the 918 RSR and the new 911 Carrera for the first time in the UK.
Porsche’s presence at the Autosport is pretty important considering this event is kind of a kick-off for the motorsport year - an area where Porsche has a lot to say. Our favorite, of course, is the 918 RSR - a race car that will deliver about 600 HP, while hitting a top speed of 200mph and taking off from 0-60 mph in less than 3.0 seconds. The Porsche 918 RSR will begin competing in 2013.
Porsche unveiled the 918 Spyder Concept at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, followed by the 918 RSR Racing Lab at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show. Both concepts will be used as base versions for the 918 Spyder production and racing vehicles scheduled to arrive in 2013.
The production version 918 Spyder was officially confirmed for an end of 2013 launch with the first deliveries beginning in early 2014. Porsche will build only 918 units and will price each unit at $845,000 on the US market.
The Porsche 918 Spyder Concept is powered by a 500 HP 3.4 liter V8, along with a pair of electric motors producing 109 horsepower each. But for the production version, this engine will be replaced with an engine featuring a larger displacement of 4.6 liter based on the RS Spyder LMP2 race car. This engine will deliver a total of 550 HP and will be combined with three electric motors that will increase the total output to an impressive 720 HP.
The 2010 Geneva Motor Show was all abuzz with the unveiling of the Porsche 918 Spyder Concept, a vehicle that, once it hit production, would be the successor for the Carrera GT. Thankfully, we didn’t have to wait long to receive confirmation that this concept would indeed be hitting the production block, and now we get to have a look at the first step to seeing the Spyder in its full form with this image of the first scale clay model.
Once that clay model turns into something a little less arts and crafts and a lot more mind-bendingly powerful, Porsche has announced that they will be investing around 150 million euros in a high-tech wind tunnel, that will help "to maintain Porsche’s top position in the fields of aerodynamics and design and to further extend our lead."
In a previous statement Porsche announced that the production version will deliver more power than the concept. Michael Macht, President and Chairman of the Board of Management of Porsche AG said: "Production of the 918 Spyder in a limited series proves that we are taking the right approach with Porsche Intelligent Performance featuring the combination of supreme performance and efficient drivetrain concepts. We will develop the 918 Spyder in Weissach and assemble it in Zuffenhausen. This is also a very important commitment to Germany as a manufacturing base."
UPDATE 03/21/2011: Order books are now open for the production 918 Spyder. According to Porsche, their plug-in hybrid sports car will be priced at 645,000 Euro in Europe and $845,000 in the U.S. There will only be 918 units produced.
UPDATE 05/15/2011: Porsche opened up the order books for the production 918 Spyder back in March, and now, less than two months later, all 918 units have already been spoken for. For those who were lucky enough to snag one, production will begin on September 18, 2013. Still a long ways away, but more than likely, it will be worth the wait.
UPDATE 01/16/2012: While Porsche has kept a little mum lately about the production version of the 918 Spyder, new details have emerged on the internet stating that the car will be making its world debut in 2013 at the Frankfurt Motor Show and that the first deliveries will be made in 2014. Also, the concept’s 3.4 liter V8 engine will be replaced with a new 4.6 liter version based on the RS Spyder LMP2 race car. This engine will deliver a total of 550 HP and will be combined with three electric motors that will increase the total output to an impressive 720 HP. The production version will also be about 5.8-inches longer and half-an-inch wider than the concept and will weigh somewhere under 3,700 lbs. (TeamSpeed).
UPDATE 01/17/2012: Today we have a rendering for you for the production version 918 Spyder. We hope you will like it!
Read more about the production version of the Porsche 918 Spyder and the tedious ordering process it takes to buy one after the jump.
The wait is finally over! Porsche’s big surprise in Detroit is the Porsche 918 RSR – Racing Laboratory. Starting with the 918 Spyder, the new 918 RSR Racing Lab concept is inspired by models like the 908 long-tail coupe (1969) and the 917 short-tail coupe (1971).
The 918 RSR is a hybrid racing car that combines a V8 motor with a direct petrol injection engine and two electric motors on the front wheels. Each of these motors delivers an additional 75 kW, adding up to 150 kW. The whole engine setup delivers a total of 767 HP. The engine is mated to a six-speed constant-mesh transmission with longitudinally mounted shafts and straight-toothed spur gears.
The new concept is dominated by muscular wheel arches, dynamic air intakes, and a pulpit-like cockpit. It is painted in a new "liquid metal chrome blue" color combined with typical Porsche hybrid orange color on the brake calipers and the body’s longitudinal stripes.
UPDATE 08/19/2011: Some guy was lucky enough to get an invitation to an event in Carmel where they featured a 918 RSR! Check out the photo gallery to see the goods! (TeamSpeed)
Image Credit: Chulander Photography
UPDATE 09/08/11: Porsche has unveiled a new video of the 918 RSR Racing Lab with Anthony Hatter, Porsche’s design manager for sports cars, taking us through a quick walk-through of some of the key elements of the 918 RSR. It’s a good watch if you’re looking to find out more about the inner workings of the car.
Hit the jump to read more about the Porsche 918 RSR Racing Lab.
In an interview with Car and Driver, Porsche CEO, Matthias Mueller, recently confirmed the production of a new supercar to be slotted between the 911 and the 918. Now the head honcho is making it even more official with an official confirmation of the new model ready to tackle the competition; here’s looking at you, Ferrari 458 Italia.
In his statement, Mueller said, "It always irritated me that the (most expensive) 911 tops out at 250,000 euros ($360,000) and then the 918 continues starting at 750,000 euros ($1,080,000). In between, Ferrari cavorts around relatively comfortably and without any competition. That is where we need to be. There is still space for a larger sports car, one like the 959 that we built in the 1980s."
The new Porsche model will be priced between 250,000 euros ($360,000) and 400,000 euros ($580,000), and it will be the eighth model in Porsche’s future line-up. It will join the current four models as well as the upcoming small mid-engine roadster patterned on the 550 Spyder, the smaller SUV dubbed the Cajun, and a smaller version of the Panamera GT. The new Porsche supercar, along with the brand’s other new models, will help seal the deal in Porsche’s attempt to boost annual global sales to more than 200,000 units by 2018.
Image is a rendering of what we think this new supercar will be, the 2013 Porsche 961.
