Heard the squealing voice of a fellow Porsche fan last week about the world’s first hybrid super race car, capable of travelling from zero to 100 km/h in less than three seconds. She was calling to check if I was saying yes to an invitation to go view the said car with her as it made its final UAE stop in Dubai last weekend as part of an exclusive Middle East tour.
The new generation Porsche 918 Spyder prototype, dubbed as the super sports car of tomorrow was presented to a VIP audience at the Porsche Centre Dubai Showroom, as part of a regional tour that includes Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain.
Designed as a high-performance hybrid with plug-in electric module, the model is limited to a worldwide production of just 918 individually numbered supercars with start of production in autumn this year.
Rajaram…who was the first car personality I met via the Millionaire Group was quoted …”With a top speed of over 325 km/h, and a purely electric top speed of over 150 km/h, the 918 Spyder pushes the boundaries in developing new technologies for future vehicle concepts.”
The 918 Spyder features a newly-designed 4.6-litre V8 engine producing over 580 hp, and is accompanied by two permanently energized electric motors on both front and rear axles, producing a combined power output of over 180 kW.
The total power output of the V8 engine and electric motors is over 795 hp, and is coupled to the seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK), enabling extremely fast gear changes for high performance, comfort and efficiency.
Sharing the same genes as the Porsche 917 Le Mans, the lightweight, high quality materials of the 918 Spyder keep the focus on what’s important: the driver. Intelligent ergonomics keep him comfortable and safe, with height-adjustable bucket seats, a dynamically rising centre console with touchscreen and a central instrument cluster with three separate dials.
The 918 Spyder continues the super sports car line in Porsche history; as technology demonstrators, the driving force behind emotion and evolution alike and the ultimate sports cars of their decade: the Carrera GTS, the first Porsche Turbo, the 959, the 911 GT1, the Carrera GT.
The new Porsche 918 Spyder is available for order now, with a basic retail price in the United Arab Emirates of AED 3,294,000.
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