PORSCHE LEADS HYBRID BREAKTHROUGH AT 2010 GENEVA MOTOR SHOW0

High performance, mid-engined 918 Spyder with plug-in Hybrid technology spearheads future road car development pathway

¡öJoins 911 GT3 R Hybrid race car and Cayenne Hybrid

¡öPorsche Intelligent Performance underlined in three unique renditions
Porsche is keeping up the pace in the enhancement of efficiency combined with driving pleasure, by shifting to the next gear at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show with no less than three world debuts in hybrid technology.

The absolute highlight is the presentation of a concept of a high-performance mid-engined sports car with plug-in hybrid technology, the 918 Spyder, which debuts alongside the Cayenne S Hybrid, the first production hybrid in the history of Porsche AG, and the 911 GT3 R Hybrid which is the first racing car from the Stuttgart marque with electric front axle drive and a flywheel energy reservoir.

Highly Efficient and Ultra-Fast: Porsche 918 Spyder Mid-Engined Sports Car with Plug-In Hybrid

Presenting a high-performance mid-engined concept sports car with ultra-efficient, low-emission drive technology, Porsche is further increasing the Company¡¯s competence in hybrid technology.

The 918 Spyder prototype combines high-tech racing features and electro-mobility with the performance of a thoroughbred super sports car to offer a fascinating range of qualities. These include, first and foremost, an emissions level of just 70 grams/km CO2 combined with fuel consumption of three litres/100 kilometres (equal to 94 mpg on the New European Driving Cycle); a feat outstanding even for an ultra-compact city car, yet truly remarkable when combined with the performance of a supercar. Acceleration from 0-62mph (100 km/h) is achievable in just under 3.2 seconds, a top speed of more than 198mph (320 km/h), and a lap time around the N¨¹rburgring Nordschleife of less than 7:30 minutes ¨C faster than the Porsche Carrera GT.

The 918 Spyder is one of three Porsche models with hybrid drive making their world debut at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. This trio ¨C made up of the new Cayenne S Hybrid SUV with parallel full-hybrid drive, the 911 GT3 R Hybrid racing car with electric drive on the front axle and a flywheel mass battery, and the two-seater high-performance 918 Spyder mid-engined sports car with plug-in hybrid technology ¨C clearly demonstrates not only the great bandwidth of this new drive technology, but also the innovative power of Porsche as a genuine pioneer in hybrid drive.

Under the Skin

The highly innovative 918 Spyder concept car combines Porsche Intelligent Performance technology, know-how from motorsport, and classic but modern design to make a truly convincing statement.

The open two-seater is powered by a high-speed V8 developing more than 500 bhp and running at maximum speed engine of 9,200 rpm as well as electric motors on the front and rear axle with overall mechanical output of 218 bhp (160 kW). The V8 combustion engine is a further development of the highly successful 3.4-litre power unit already featured in the RS Spyder racing car and positioned amidships in front of the rear axle, giving the car the optimum set-up for supreme performance on the race track through its inherent good chassis balance.

Power is transmitted to the wheels by a seven-speed PDK (Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe) double clutch transmission, which also feeds the power of the electric drive system to the rear axle. The front-wheel electric drive powers the wheels through a fixed transmission ratio.

The energy reservoir is a liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery positioned behind the passenger cell. The big advantage of a plug-in hybrid is that the battery can be charged on the regular electrical network. A further point is that the car¡¯s kinetic energy is converted into electrical energy and fed into the battery when applying the brakes, thus providing additional energy for fast and dynamic acceleration.

A button on the steering wheel allows the driver to choose among four different running modes. The E-Drive mode is for running the car under electric power alone, with a range of up to 16 miles (25 km). In the Hybrid mode, the 918 Spyder uses both the electric motors and the combustion engine as a function of driving conditions and requirements, offering a range from particularly fuel-efficient all the way to extra-powerful.

The Sport Hybrid mode uses both drive systems, but with the focus on performance. Most of the drive power goes to the rear wheels, with Torque Vectoring serving to additionally improve the car¡¯s driving dynamics.

In the Race Hybrid mode, the drive systems are focused on pure performance with the highest standard of driving dynamics on the track, running at the limit to their power and dynamic output. With the battery sufficiently charged, a push-to-pass button feeds in additional electrical power (E-Boost), when overtaking, for example, or for even better performance.