Frankfurt Motor show 2013: Production-ready Porsche 918 Spyder revealed.

By -
Porsche's 918 Spyder has been unveiled at the Frankfurt motor show in its final production form.

Set to go into production soon, the 344kph petrol-electric hybrid two-seater is planned to be built in a run of no more than 918 examples, in left-hand drive only, over the next 18 months.Porsche claims orders for its new performance flagship are ahead of expectations. “We have taken deposits for more than two-thirds of the planned production volume,” officials revealed to Autocar. “Interest is increasing by the day.”

First revealed as a concept car at the 2010 Geneva motor show, the 918 Spyder is based around a carbonfibre monocoque, comes clothed in composite plastic body panels and uses a bespoke chassis fashioned from aluminium, magnesium and titanium.This combination has helped Porsche achieve a kerb weight of 1634kg for the 918 Spyder in its lightest form, despite the inherent complexity and bulk of its petrol-electric hybrid powertrain and battery pack.Removable roof panels that stow away in the nose section allow the new Porsche to be used either as a coupé or a roadster, while an optional Weissach performance package brings a series of aerodynamic tweaks. These include winglets to the bumpers for added downforce, as well as a number of lightweight components, including magnesium wheels, that combined to reduce the kerb weight by 35kg over the standard model.

The 918 Spyder is powered by a plug-in petrol-electric hybrid drivetrain based around a mid-mounted, naturally aspirated 4.6-litre V8 petrol engine that produces 599bhp at 8700rpm. It is supported by two electric motors, one sited up front within the front axle and another at the rear, developing a combined 282bhp at 6500rpm.

All up, the 918 Spyder has a total system output of 875bhp at 8500rpm, which equates to a power-to-weight ratio of 535bhp per tonne and makes the new model the most powerful Porsche road car to date. Maximum revs for the V8 combustion engine, whose aluminium block is based around the unit used in Porsche’s earlier LMP race car, is 9100rpm.The maximum torque of the hybrid system varies between 93.4kgm and 130.3kgm, depending on the gear in use. Drive is channelled through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox either to the front wheels under electric propulsion only or all four wheels with a combination of petrol and electric power.

Energy for the electric motors is provided by a 6.8kW/hr lithium ion battery mounted low down at the rear of the monocoque and backed by a four-year guarantee. It is charged both through plug-in means and electrical energy stored under braking.The three power sources are controlled by a Porsche-developed electronic management system offering five different driving modes: E-power, Hybrid, Sport Hybrid, Race Hybrid and Hot Lap.

E-power provides zero-emissions propulsion in front-wheel drive electric mode for distances of up to 32km. So configured, the new Porsche accelerates to 100kph from a standstill in under 7.0sec and reaches a top speed of 150kph.

Porsche says that in Race Hybrid mode, the 918 Spyder will storm from 0-100kph in just 2.8sec — a significant 0.9sec faster than the V10-powered Carrera GT supercar, built from 2004-2007 — with 200kph coming up in 7.7sec and 300kph in 22.0sec. Top speed, aided by active aerodynamics, is put at 344kph — a figure that makes the 918 Spyder the fastest Porsche road car yet.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

All new Ambassador makeover by Hindustan Motors in 2012 .

By -
Image
Sixty years back, the word ‘car’ in India literally meant the Ambassador for most Indians. A lot has changed since then, with horde of automobile manufacturers active in the Indian market, sales figures for Hindustan Motors have hit an all time low 5,510 units in the first 10 months of the current fiscal year. Over the years, it has been the Indian political class that has been keeping Hindustan Motors rolling. The latest blow to Hindustan motors came from the Govt. of India itself, which replaced the Ambassador with cars like the  Maruti SX4  and the  Tata Indigo CS considering safety and performance issues. The next-gen Ambassador will feature structural, aerodynamic and aesthetical chages. Changes on board the 2012 Ambassador include new engine calibrations, an anti-lock brake system and aluminium alloy wheels. For comfort, there will be new leather seats coupled with wood grain interiors. For the first time, there will also be an integrated music system and redesigne...
Read more

Force One to get 4x4 in mid-2012

By -
Image
Force Motors, which launched its first SUV, Force One, last August will launch a new 4x4 version and a variant equipped with ABS by mid-2012. The new 4X4 was displayed at the Auto Expo last month. At the launch, the company had indicated its intentions to offer more features in the SUV at a later stage. These features have made it to the SUV, but the company has been tight-lipped about launch date  and price tag. The 4x4 variant will continue to be powered by the FM-Tech 2.2-litre common-rail turbo-diesel motor that develops 139bhp and 32.6kgm of torque. It will be offered with a five-speed manual gearbox as is the case with the 4x2 version. There will be no visual changes to  differentiate the 4x4 from its 4x2 sibling, except for  the badge. We expect the ABS-equipped 4x4 version to  cost at least Rs 1 lakh more than the 4x2 variant, which costs Rs 10.65 lakh (ex-showroom,  Delhi). 
Read more

Maruti 800 replacement coming soon.

By -
Image
Authentic Cars  broke the news on the upcoming Maruti 800 way back in July last year   and now we bring you more info on the car that will finally replace the venerable Maruti 800.  This new car, to be called the Alto 800 (codename: YE3), is based on the Alto, but with significant modifications done to make it cheaper. Not to be confused with the Alto sold in Japan, the new Alto 800 is based on the current generation Alto (YG4) but with a new body and interior. As seen in the pictures, the design is rather basic but there is more than a passing resemblance to the Japanese Alto, especially from the front. The nose gets high-mounted headlights, a slim, slot-like grille and there is a huge secondary air-inlet opening above and below the bumper. The styling is in line with the current-generation Suzukis, and details like the slanting window-line point to an aggressive tip-forward stance. Also, there is a prominent character-line that runs on the sides, right from the head...
Read more