Despite having less power and being heavier that its archrivals the Ferrari LaFerrari and McLaren P1, Porsche believes the upcoming 918 Spyder will be the faster than both. At least that’s what Porsche’s product manager James Eastwood said in an interview with CAR magazine.
The question on everyone’s lips is whether Porsche will upgrade the 918’s engine and electric motors producing a combined 795-horses to match its rivals' outputs of more than 900bhp. The answer is a surprising no.
“We don’t need to,” Eastwood told the publication. “Although our car is heavier, its technology makes the car faster on the road and track. In rear-drive cars like our competitors, you still have to do all your braking in a straight line, compromising corner-entry speed. Thanks to the 918’s torque-vectoring and independently-driven front wheels, we can maintain better drive and achieve far higher entry and mid-corner speed.”
Eastwood added that the 918 Spyder will weigh 1,700 kilograms (3,748 pounds), with fuel and fluids on board. However, the lightweight Weissach package will cut 50 kg (110 pounds) of weight from the car. Speaking of the optional package, Eastwood said around 50 percent of customers have opted for it.
As for the number of 918 Spyders that are spoken for, Eastwood didn’t provide details, but said Porsche will have no problems selling the 918 units it will make. “We can’t confirm sales numbers, but even though we are producing far more cars than LaFerrari (499) and McLaren P1 (375) we’re not worried about selling 918 examples being a problem. Our last limited-edition supercar – the Carrera GT – sold 1,275 units,” said Eastwood.
Final performance specs are not yet ready, but the product manager said Porsche expects cars with finished aerodynamics and powertrains to improve on the current numbers. The 0-100 km/h sprint time is now under 3 seconds, with top speed rated at 203 mph (327 km/h).
By Dan Mihalascu
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