In the market for a hybrid supercar? Porsche is taking preorders for the 918 Spyder hybrid, a supercar first announced at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. The vehicle was intended to remain a concept, but Porsche received such a positive response that it decided to put the supercar into production. Now, just a year later, customers can start lining up.
The lithium-ion battery powered vehicle packs a punch, with the ability to go 0 to 60 mph in 3.1 seconds and a top speed of 199 mph. According to Porsche, it also features a “high revving 500-plus horsepower V8 engine assisted by two electric motors with a total of at least 218 horsepower” inspired by the Porsche RS Spyder racing engine. And like any good hybrid, it has an impressive fuel economy: 78 miles per gallon, 16 miles on pure electric charge at up to 94 mph.
That kind of power doesn’t come cheap. The Spyder will retail for $845,000 when it goes on sale in 2013–and only 918 customers will have the opportunity to buy it. So it isn’t exactly the mainstream hybrid vehicle of the future, but it is proof that electric cars can be just as sexy as their gasoline-powered counterparts. Check out the supercar in action below.
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