Porsche decided to keep the production version of the 918 Spyder under wraps for now showing off instead the motorsport-inspired 918 RSR Coupe Concept at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show. Combining hybrid racing technology with a dramatic looking coupe body style, the RSR is every bit as impressive as the design study showcased last year at Geneva. For its motivation, the 918 RSR relies on a V8 gasoline engine delivering 563HP and a pair of electric motors producing a combined output of 204HP. Check out our gallery with live pictures from the Detroit show after the break or click here for more details on Porsche's conceptual racer.
Porsche's return to the Detroit Show after a four year-absence is marked with the introduction of a new racing concept based on the company's 918 Spyder from last year's Geneva Salon. The 918 RSR is a two-seat mid-engined coupe, and according to Porsche, it demonstrates what happens when the technology fitted in the 911 GT3 R Hybrid race car and the design of the 918 Spyder concept are combined together.
The motorsports version of the 918 Spyder concept car gets a V8 engine based on the RS Spyder race car's 3.4-liter unit tuned to deliver 563HP at 10,300 rpm, and is linked to a six-speed racing transmission with shift paddles that feeds the rear wheels.
A pair of electrics motors mounted on the two front wheels each contribute 75 kW (102 hp), or a total of 204HP, lifting the combined output to 767HP. The German maker notes that the extra power from the electric motors is available for around eight seconds when the system is fully charged.
As with the 911 GT3 R hybrid racing car, the additional power from the electric motors, which is generated during braking, is stored in an optimized flywheel accumulator.
In the 918 RSR study, the two electric motors also offer a torque vectoring function with variable torque distribution to the front axle, which increases agility and improves steering response.
Aside from the coupe configuration with the fixed roof and the characteristic doors which open at an angle upwards, the 918 RSR also features an added air intake in the roof between the wing doors, a special aero package that includes air splitters beneath the front lip and a huge rear wing, plus slick tires on 19-inch wheels with single centre locking nut.
The interior of the road-spec 918 Spyder has also been modified and comes with a single figure-hugging bucket seat, while the passenger seat has been replaced by flywheel accumulator.
We already know that Porsche plans to debut a new model at the rapidly approaching North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit next week, but the problem is that the German sports car maker is keeping its cards close to its chest about the type of vehicle it will unveil.
Adding to the many rumors already circulating on the internet, Bloomberg today reported that the model in question will be a racing coupe version of the 918 Spyder hybrid concept that was first shown at last year's Geneva Show.
Citing two people with knowledge of the matter, the news agency said that the car will be a two-seater concept coupe featuring a 600-horsepower V8. We'll remind you that the 918 Spyder, which was recently approved for a limited production run, gets a 500HP 3.4 liter V8 electro-enhanced by way of motors that add another 160 kW (218 hp).
We'll monitor the story and post an update if anything new arises, but for now, check out some renderings of a competition 918 made by a member of the Teamspeed forums in the video below.
It's not every day that you find a Porsche Carrera GT engine up for sale on eBay, or anywhere else for that matter. This particular example of Porsche's 5.7-liter V10 thoroughbred engine with an output of 612 bhp at 8,000 rpm and maximum torque of 590 Nm (435 lb-ft) at 5,750 rpm, is said to have clocked a mere 6,000 miles or just under 10,000 km.
It's not clear from the seller's description if the ten-cylinder powerplant comes alone or together with the 6-speed manual gearbox, but the starting price is set at US$103,000 and the 'Buy it Now' price at US$128,000 [~€96,000]. Our question is simple; if you had the money to buy the V10, what car would you use it on? Voice your thoughts in the comments section after the jump.
Kubatech, a self-proclaimed engine software expert from Mechernich, Germany, has introduced a new Stage II tuning kit for the Porsche Carrera GT, which adds an extra 48 hp (36 kW) and 52 Nm (38 lb-ft) of torque. The German firm achieved this by modifying the engine management system and fitting a new Cargraphic sport exhaust system.
With 612 hp (456 kW) delivered by the 5.7-liter V10, the Carrera GT is anything but underpowered, still who can resist a nice, round figure like 660 hp (492 kW)? The Stage II kit also helps increases the GT's top speed, from the standard model's 330 km/h (205 mph) to 343 km/h (213 mph). The company also states that the 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint has been reduced, but didn't release any numbers.
Kubatech will charge you €10,699 (or US$14.837) for this modification, which is usually completed in 2 to 3 working days.
Having recently confirmed for production, Porsche took the 918 Spyder Concept over to Monterey, California last week ahead of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. And while they were at it, the Germans shot a new video clip of the plug-in hybrid supercar on the road.
A spiritual successor to the 959 and Carrera GT models, the 918 Spyder sports a mid-mounted 500HP 3.4 liter V8 gasoline engine and a pair of electric motors located on the front and rear axle producing a combined 218-horsepower, for a total system output of 718HP.
The numbers you want to know -for the concept version- is a top speed of 320km/h (198mph), a zero-to-100km/h (62mph) time of 3.2 seconds and a combined fuel economy of 3.0 lt/100km (78mpg US) with CO2 emissions of just 79g/km. And oh, according to Porsche, the 918 Spyder is faster around the Nürburgring Nordschleife than the Carrera GT.
Porsche officials may have not yet given the green light for the production of the 918 Spyder, but we already have a projected price for the hybrid supercar that was unveiled in concept form at the Geneva Auto Show in March - or at least, that's what a report from Bloomberg supports.
Citing two people with "direct knowledge of the plan", Bloomberg reported that if Porsche goes ahead and builds the 918 Spyder, it may carry a price tag of around €500,000 (equal to about US$630,000 at today's exchange rates).
That's 10 percent higher than Porsche's previous flagship supercar, the €453,000 Carrera GT built between 2003 and 2006, and roughly one-and-a-half times the price of Ferrari's "fastest ever road-going model", the new 599 GTO that costs -according to Bloomberg- €320,000 (US$405,000 at the current exchange rates).
The news agency says the number of people that have put in non-binding expressions of interest for the Porsche 918 Spyder has risen to at least 2,000 individuals.
Porsche development chief Wolfgang Duerheimer has previously stated that the company needs a minimum of 1,000 sales to approve limited production of the supercar. In this case, Porsche is said to make at least €500 million in revenue.
As a reminder, the two-seater 918 Spyder concept model makes use of a 500-horsepower 3.4 liter V8 gasoline engine positioned midship in front of the rear axle, and electric motors located on the front and rear axle with overall mechanical output of 218-horsepower. The company claims that the hybrid supercar should return 78 mpg (3 liters / 100km), hit 100km/h (62mph) in 3.2 seconds, and speed around the 'Ring faster than its predecessor, the Carrera GT.
