Porsche underestimates the power of its 918 Spyder: It’ll actually do 0-60 in 2.5 seconds

By Stephen Edelstein November 18, 2013

2015 Porsche 918 Spyder

When you’re talking about an 887-horsepower plug-in hybrid supercar, it’s hard to be modest. Yet Porsche was apparently being a little modest when it came to the 918 Spyder’s performance figures.

Thanks to some final tuning, the 918 Spyder posts even more incredible numbers than before. Porsche says the car will now do 0-60 mph in 2.5 seconds, compared to the previously-quoted time of 2.7 seconds. It will also do 0-124 mph in 7.2 seconds – an improvement of half a second – and reach 186 mph in 19.9 seconds.

Both figures are for 918s equipped with the optional Weissach package, which lowers the curb weight from 3,715 pounds to 3,616 pounds, and includes some aerodynamic improvements.

That’s when the 918 is operating as a hybrid. In electric-only mode, the car can still accelerate to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds, which Porsche says is 0.7 second faster than previously estimated. With the Weissach package, the time drops to 6.1 seconds.

Producing this impressive performance is a plug-in hybrid powertrain consisting of a 4.6-liter V8, two electric motors, and a lithium-ion battery pack. Total system output is 887 hp and 590 pound-feet of torque.

Despite its immense power, the 918 has always seemed to be at a disadvantage compared to the Ferrari LaFerrari and McLaren P1, because of its relative lack of power (both the Ferrari and McLaren have over 900 hp) and relatively heavy curb weight.

That may not be the case. Substantial performance figures for the LaFerrari haven’t been released, but the P1 will do 0-60 mph in 2.8 seconds, and 0-124 mph in 6.8 seconds. So the Porsche will at least beat it off the line, not surprising given its all-wheel drive traction.

The Porsche will also probably be a better hybrid than the McLaren. The car from Woking, England gets an estimated 34 mpg, but the 918 is expected to rerun around 85 mpg on the European combined cycle. U.S. EPA fuel economy estimates haven’t been released. Expect them to be lower than the European numbers, but still very impressive.

Porsche will only build 918 918 Spyders, with a base price of $845,000 each. There may still be a few order slots open.

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Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

Cars

Will the mighty Mitsubishi Evo be powered by a 1.1-liter hybrid in its 11th generation?

next mitsubishi lancer evolution could be a plug in hybrid

The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution has gone so long without a significant update, you'd be forgiven for thinking that it's dead.
However, Mitsubishi reportedly has bigs plans for its sportiest model.
The turbocharged rally-car-for-the-road known as the "Evo" may ditch the Lancer platform altogether, and gain a hybrid powertrain, according to Motor Trend.
The next Lancer compact sedan will switch to a Renault platform, but a Mitsubishi insider told the magazine that said platform won't be adequate for the performance targets the company has set for the next Evo.
That car, the 11th Evo, will also reportedly be a technological showcase, somewhat similar in mission to the Nissan GT-R. Specifically, it will be showcasing Mitsubishi's plug-in hybrid powertrain technology.
Mitsubishi has tried to carve out a niche as a proliferator of plug-ins. The company launched the Outlander PHEV earlier this year, and showed two plug-in hybrid crossover concepts at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show.
The next Evo may be powered by a version of the 1.1-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine from one of those concepts, the XR-PHEV. Electric motors latched to each axle will give it all-wheel drive, and a downsized battery pack will sit under the rear seats.
Those electric motors could reportedly cooperate withe Mitsubishi's Super All-Wheel Control vehicle dynamics system to dramatically improve the car's handling.
A high-performance plug-in hybrid sounds pretty remarkable, but it would take the Evo very far from its original concept. When it was launched in 1993, the Evo was a "homologation special", a way for Mitsubishi to get into the World Rally Championship (WRC). The series requires manufacturers to sell a certain number of the cars they plan to race.
Mitsubishi hasn't competed in the WRC for years, but the connection is still pretty strong. The company would have to change the car's name, because it wouldn't really be an "Evolution" of an existing model anymore.
There's something to be said for practical performance cars based on ordinary models, but Mitsubishi wouldn't be the first Japanese carmaker to switch things up in the name of ultimate performance.
The Nissan GT-R started out as a high-performance version of the Japanese-market Skyline, until Nissan moved to a dedicated platform with the current R35 generation.
For awhile, it looked like Subaru would build a new WRX on a bespoke platform as well, but the recently-revealed 2015 model is still based on the Impreza compact.

Cars

Stop what you’re doing and watch the McLaren P1 lap the Nurburgring in under 7 minutes

I have written that the Nurburgring is bad for car development, and I still believe that, but what McLaren is doing might be the exception that proves the rule. The amazing P1 hypercar - though, frankly, "hyper" doesn't do it justice - has purportedly pulled off a lap of the 'Ring in less than seven minutes.
The video that McLaren released to celebrate and tout its achievement is pretty incredible. Sure McLaren over-hypes the significance of the Nurburgring, as the "ultimate challenge", but my god the driving footage.

I have heard a number of super cars, but nothing that sounds like the McLaren P1. The engine, turbos, and electric motors produce a sound like a jet turbine eating an F1 car while the string section from an orchestra plays. Its symphonic, its loud, it is unmatched.
And kudos to the driver for the amazing performance he put on. It takes a brave soul to maneuver a car with 903 horsepower that is capable of getting from a standing start to 124 mph in 6.8 seconds around that track. This is a car made of maths, unlikely numbers, and sheer raw terror.
Like I said, I think the focus on the 'Ring is bad, it results in hard un-drivable cars that frequently just aren't that fast in the real world. But the McLaren P1 isn't meant for the real world, its meant for another dimension, and the closest thing we have to that dimension is the 'Ring.
So that's where it belongs along with its other sub seven minute rival, the Porsche 918 Spyder. Just how the two cars match up isn't clear yet because the folks at McLaren won't reveal the actual lap time, but regardless they are beyond hypercars they are quantum-cars.

Cars

BMW’s new 2 Series is The Little Bimmer That Could … run 0 to 60 in 4.8 seconds

first ever bmw 2 series spritely stateside bimmers p90137588 highres

After long – OK short – wait, the new BMW 2 Series is here. Just as expected, it’s bigger, faster, and more expensive than the 1 Series. You had to see that coming, though. This is BMW after all.
The first 2 Series offerings hitting American showrooms in early 2014 will be the 228i and the M235i.
The 228i will pack a twin-turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 240 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Paired with the eight-speed automatic, it’ll make a 0-60 sprint in 5.4 seconds and onto a top speed of 130 mph. It will also achieve 23 mpg city, 35 mpg highway, and 27 mpg combined.
The sportiest 2 is the M235i with a 322-hp and 332 lb-ft twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline six. The torque-y six will run the 2 to 60 in 4.8 seconds and onto a top speed of 155 mph. When not at full throttle, the M235i is rated at 19 mph city, 28 mpg highway, and 22 mpg combined.
Both cars will come with a six-speed manual as standard and offer an eight-speed auto for extra coin. While I love manuals, the BMW eight-speed auto is so good, you won’t go wrong either way. Oh and for those of you who don’t realize, the 2 Series – unlike the CLA or the A3 - will send all its power to the rear wheels.
Despite its brilliant engine and transmission option, I think the 2 Series is lacking in the looks department. While it is not as boring as I had feared, it’s not great either. The standout gorgeousness of the 3 Series has been downplayed, as has the striking resemblance to Bimmers of old that the 1 Series boasted.
What will these bright little Bimmers run you? The 228i will start at $33,025. The M235i base price jumps to $44,025.
Yes, final price tags on the 2 Series will easily push into the realm of the 3 Series, when loaded up. While you will be getting less car than the 3, the 2 will offer much more spritely driving dynamics.
Let’s put it this way: the 3 Series is for a sporting, gentlemanly family man named Kevin who has a couple kids. The 2 Series is for guys named Chaz who got a vasectomy at 23. See what I’m getting at?
We’ll have a deep delve into the first-ever 2 Series soon so be sure to check back. In the meantime, though, you might want to – just in case - call and schedule the ol’ snip with your urologist.