Porsche has announced that the drop-dead gorgeous 918 Hybrid shown at last year’s Geneva Motor Show will be fulfilling the wet dreams of petrol heads by plugging into reality and hopefully, a power socket near you, soon. A Porsche with 500hp and an additional 218hp from the twin electric motors, it’s definitely going to be on our Christmas wish list.
The hybrid supercar gets the 500hp the natural way, naturally aspirated that is, by means of a petrol-driven V8 mounted behind the driver. That extra 218 electrified ponies is courtesy of the plug-in electric powertrain consisting of two electric motors, one on each front and rear axle. This gives the car all-wheel drive with the ability to independently control the power to each axle.
Electric energy will be stored in a liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery that can be plugged into a normal household electrical socket. Under the right conditions, Porsche estimates the 918 will be able to run under pure electric power at speeds up to 151km/h although the pure-electric driving range has been rated at only 26km. A full recharge of the battery will take approximately seven hours but a quick-charge option is being looked at to further cut down on recharging times.
If you’re in the market for one, you better hurry because Porsche will only be building 918 units of it, with production set to kick off on September 18, 2013. If you order one, Porsche will also offer you a special-edition 911 Turbo S Coupe or Cabriolet with cosmetic touches made to mirror the 918, such as acid-green calipers and exterior fittings. The interior gets carbon fiber pieces and a badge that has the same production number as the 918 the customer has ordered.
Source: Jalopnik