Porsche could price the 918 Spyder at $630,000, making it slightly out of reach for this auto journalist.
The 500-horsepower supercar, which hits 60 mph in 3.2 seconds and gets 78 miles per gallon, would become Porche's most expensive model, says Bloomberg. At least 2,000 people have said they'd like to buy the 918 Spyder, which was one of three hybrid models Porche showed at the Geneva auto show in March.
There is some data that shows demand for luxury cars is returning as Wall Street firms add jobs for the first time in two yeas (and bonuses for those still employed never went away, but we bet they're getting better.)
"The Spyder will become Porsche's new supercar showpiece project," Stefan Bratzel, director of the Center of Automotive at the University of Applied Sciences in Bergisch- Gladbach, Germany, told Bloomberg.
Porsche could make $629 million if it sells just 500 of these cars. It is still just a concept, though, so it's unclear if Porsche will make the car. But if they've come up with a price, they must be seriously considering it.
The car has a seven-speed transmission. The electric power flows from a liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery.
A button on the steering wheel allows the driver to choose among four different modes, Porsche says:
* It can run in E-Drive mode on electric power alone for 16 miles.
* As a hybrid mode, the 918 Spyder uses both the electric motors and the V-8 together.
* The sport hybrid mode uses both as well, only in a more aggressive performance manner.
* The race hybrid is about pure performance.
* The body is made of carbon fiber, with liberal use of magnesium and aluminum to reduce weight and increase stiffness.
-- Sharon Silke Carty/Drive On
