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There are plenty of reasons, Porsche says, why this hybrid monster isn’t as intimidating as it might seem. It’s absolutely crammed with technology, but it’s also been thoroughly thought out in the way it’s packaged. Matthias squats beside the car to demonstrate.
“We have 315kg of hybrid equipment in the car which brings us a lot of benefits despite the extra weight,” he explains. “The electric components are as low in the car as possible. The battery is in a compartment behind the carbon monocoque, and the V8 engine is mounted very low, which all means that the centre of gravity is below the wheel locks, which makes a huge difference to the balance of the car.”
As well as the low centre of gravity there’s plenty of aerodynamic work to keep the 918 Spyder nailed to the road surface. Just behind the very cool top-mounted exhausts (so located to keep them away from the low-mounted electronics) is a huge, adjustable rear wing. It’ll move up and down to three different levels depending on speed, and adjusts in angle by up to 13 degrees. Below it is the now de rigeur rear diffuser, and there’s another aero device hidden at the front. Two channels on the bottom of the car open up depending on the driving mode selected, letting air flow through and sucking the car down.
All of which means, according to Matthias, that the 918 is really quite something to drive. Although, in fairness, he would say that.
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“When you have the combustion engine, and the additional boost from the electric engines, you instantly get that extra power,” he enthuses. “You can feel the electric torque at the low end and then the power of the combustion engine takes over. The brakes are also excellent, but the electric engine brings 0.5G of braking power as well. I’ve never driven a road car before where you can brake really hard, turn into a corner and the car stays stable, as if you’re on a straight.
“The last thing I drove on the Nordschleife was the 997 Cup car, which is much more difficult to drive than the 918 Spyder. What’s unbelievable is how the 918 turns into a corner. With a Cup car you expect that quality – it’s a race car – but the 918 is very close in terms of turn-in. The grip on the front wheels is amazing, there’s almost no understeer. Through a chicane it’s like driving a go-kart. The monocoque is stiffer and lighter than the Carrera GT and we have rear-axle steering. At low speed the rear wheels turn the opposite way to the fronts so you have more agility and a smaller turning radius. At higher speeds the rear wheels turn the same way as the fronts.
“Although the front end is so good it’s not nervous at the back, but if you want you can drift with it. It’s a sports car so you should be able to drift. I’ve not tried it yet though, because in the prototypes we have to be a bit more careful so we’re not allowed. But this car has a stable front and a stable back.
“When you hard brake into a corner in a GT car, it bites, but with this you can almost full brake and it sticks. We have a wider wheelbase in the front than the back so all these things come together. And it’s four-wheel drive until 235kph, when the front clutch from the electric motor turns off and then it’s rear-wheel drive.”
The car we’re chatting by is equipped with the optional Weissach package, which adds some carbon goodies, including the rear wing, roof, and interior panels, as well as door-opening straps and lightweight RS Spyder magnesium rims over ceramic wheel bearings. As VIP customers start to arrive, Matthias looks proudly at his charge, eager to show it off again. If he’s successful in his persuasions, the first Middle East customers will get their 918 Spyders by the end of the year, as production is due to start in September.
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“This is the next decade of our super sports car,” Matthias says with a smile. We’ve yet to drive it, but so far we’re in no position to argue.
