The 2012 Goodwood Festival of Speed officially kicked off on June 28 and one of the stars of the show was the Porsche 918 Spyder concept, making its debut UK appearance.
First unveiled at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, the 918 Spyder concept was the highlight of Porsche's stand at Goodwood. The de-facto replacement for the Carrera GT has already been confirmed for production with work set to begin on the 645,000 Euro (about £519,000 - plus local taxes) supercar set to begin in September 2013.
The 918 Spyder is something of a technology showcase for Porsche as it bows to environmental concerns but still tries to maintain the performance synonymous with the marque. To this end the 3.4-litre V8 engine that was shown in Geneva has been replaced with a 4.6-litre high-revving unit that produces 570hp. Add in a pair of electric motors (one for each axle, which form the plug-in- hybrid system) and peak power will jump to around 770hp. Overall, Porsche is predicting a 0-62mph time for its 918 Spyder of 3.2 seconds and a top speed in excess of 199mph when all power sources are working. The best part is that fuel economy could be as high as 94mpg with Toyota Prius shaming emissions as low as 70g/km.
In addition to the engine, the roof of the production version will also change from the open top concept model shown in Geneva to a manual roof system with removable roof panels that can be stowed in the front luggage compartment.
If you want your own personal 918 Spyder we hope you made your way to the Porsche stand at the Moving Motors display in Goodwood, as, to ensure exclusivity, only 918 examples will be produced. The worse news - they will only be made in left-hand drive...
Paul Healy - 2 Jul 2012