Yep Dead Serious.... Their original numbers posted just under CGT speeds. It's a beauty and it saddens me that the (actual with electronic motors) 700hp car won't perform better than the original released data. Possibly they under estimated the times but this is a new car for them and the 200hp Electronic motors get them the MPG they want but the weight sacrifices the speed.

So yes I guess I'm childish. This car sells all day at sub 500k but the 700k it will end up is too much and will lose MANY potential customers.

 

If you're talking about an underestimated 'ring time, then you're probably right. The Carrera GT's simulated ring time was 7:32. The actual time was 7:28. That's a 4 second difference. If Walter can drive it fast enough, the production 918 will get at least a 7:26 time. Remember though, the GT2 RS is a purpose built car for the track, where as the 918 Spyder has a purpose of being highly efficient, yet still very fast.

 

I don't think Porsche has been really clear on what kind of customer they are trying to go after. At one point it seemed that they were marketing it as the "next CGT" with an major added benefit that it will truly be the way forward for "green" supercars (or socially responsible) supercars of the future and thus going after the same buyer as Audi's all electric version of the R8...i think the e-tron.

Regardless, I think this is a potential bad sign for any other Porsche model besides the 918, the GT2 RS for example. Or any next-gen models of the Turbo, Turbo S, GT3 RS, GT2 RS, etc... Will Porsche market the 918 as something more special than any other model, or the ultimate performance Porsche road car? As it stands by Porsche's own numbers the GT2 RS is quite a bit faster around the 'Ring than the future 918. Will Porsche ultimately make the 918 faster around the 'Ring than any in the current line-up, or simply "dumb-down" their next-gen models if the 918 doesn't even match the 2011 GT2 RS, or will Porsche market it as something different, unique or the future of the supercar?

Either way it's a tough road for them to go down. I just hope it doesn't confuse the buyer or "dumb-down" any future performance models - kind of like GM did/does with the Corvette/Camaro conundrum.

 

^^ Like I said, the 918's purpose is TOTALLY different than the GT2 RS's purpose. In this case, a 'ring time doesn't matter. You KNOW the next gen 911 WILL BE faster. Porsche doesn't "dumb down" their cars, they make them better.

 

Zeus you are thinking to rationaly and rationality is boring...Porsche is going out on a limb here and producing a supercar that is ground breaking.

I bet it will be mental fast and offer a unique supercar buying experience, the technology in this is not just another forgotten gadget. This is the future of supercars and I dont think as of this moment any company but porsche can pull it off.

Forget the Price supercars are not meant to be affordable to the person who has to look at the price IMO if you want a decent supercar get a 458 or something along those lines. Remember the more you make the less exclusive it is which can also hurt the cars potential buyers...its a fine line but either way people have shown alot of interest and this car isnt going to disapoint.

This car will rock Im sure and Porsche is not out to swindle your cash they are pretty reasonable with there prices and people buy em up like hot cakes even though they sell like 11 different variants of the same car LOL.

 

^^ Nicely put...


Actually they sell 17 variants of the 911.

 

You want to talk rationality? Sure…explain to me in this day & age why the young in this country are more interested in what their new cell phone can do, or their latest gadget can do, than having actual physical relationships with other human beings, or by taking personal responsibility by being directly involved in their own futures’ through the political process? Why? Because everyone these days seems too concerned with the latest tech & gadgets, and not enough on real, quantifiable substance. Like better building materials, and fusing true reliability with true craftsmanship.

Future history will surely prove if the Hybrid powertrains of today’s cars were the beginning of something big, or a forced political fad & blip on the radar screen in an endless sea of technological change. Personally I think the whole hybrid issue is BS, and purely based on politics and not on scientific progress or market economics, but that’s just me. Automotive history thus far is littered with “future tech” that now resides in many junk yards and in the forgotten minds of engineers long retired or passed on. And computer tech? Huh…don’t get me started.

Perhaps you’re right that the price of supercars are not meant to be affordable to the person who is concerned about price, but neither is gas mileage. Perhaps a handful of future 918 buyers would ultimately drive their cars on a daily basis, but I suspect most will be used in a more respectful fashion than the daily grind. I can’t imagine anyone would want to watch their pride and joy deteriorate over years of commuting regardless of where they reside.

I think the one thing Porsche truly doesn’t understand is manufacturing exclusivity. Ferrari does. Porsche does not. Could Porsche have made the GT2 RS a little more special, and made in fewer numbers than 500 – IF it reaches 500? Yep. CGT? Yep.

Can anyone else pull it off? Yes. Keep an eye on…just about everybody. You don’t honestly think that the 918 attains that 78 mpg figure while producing 700+bhp do you? No. How long will those Lithium-Ion batteries last, really? Or better yet, how long will they provide those 2 electric motors with 109hp each? The hippie in the Prius next to you doesn’t care how much battery power he loses over time, until it affects his gas mileage. So, how long will they produce close to max KWH, 40K miles, 80K, 120K? Hmm…do you own any power tools? Do ICE engines produce factory spec BHP at 100K miles? No. But more so than a battery will, even if you barely use it. Check the expiration dates on your Duracells & Energizers in your cabinet to be sure.

The 918 will be epic and unique, of course. Three-quarters of a million dollars epic, to those who can or even can’t (insert “street cred” here) afford it? Time will tell…

Don’t get me wrong, I bet it will have some very unique features & surprises not found in other cars of this caliber, and I think it’s a drop-dead gorgeous car. But I suspect that’s the true reason most will buy it, not because it can achieve great MPG.

 

I'm glad Porsche is building another supercar.....I'm saddened that it hasn't got me excited like the CGT has thus far

 

^^ I agree Zeus.

Do you really need a hybrid? No. Like Top Gear said, more environmental damage goes into building a Prius than does an entire life of a Land Rover Discovery.

I saw a test where someone got a new 911 Carrera to get better mileage than a Prius, just to prove that it's worthless junk. I don't get how 20 years ago, no one cared about the environment, yet Japan was making cars that got 40-50 mpgs, now, all we care about is mpgs, and the cars are getting 25. It makes no sense, because none of it is true. I'm tired of all of this green stuff, and 'saving the planet', it's so annoying. Do you really think Porsche wants to build a hippie supercar, no, but they have to to keep up with the rest of the world. If Porsche had it their way, the 918 Spyder would probably not have all of this tech. I really miss the Carrera GT, it was a proper supercar, not concerned with the environment. Hybrids are ruining cars today. Porsche really does care about efficiency, but not at the cost of the experience.

This goes out to everyone who says hybrids are nice, remember, once that crappy Prius falls apart, what are you going to do with the batter, put it in a landfill and let it poison your precious Earth? Stop buying into what the media says, it will only waste your time money, and fun.

If you want better gas mileage, don't get a hybrid, get a very light car. Why can't all manufacturers make cars that weigh 3,000 or less? Nope they have to make luxury things that weigh two and a half tons, and half of the features are useless. Shedding weight makes everything better. It makes the car faster, and more efficient.

 

whoa buddy lol i didnt mean it so literally reading that is gonna give me headache keke

In this day and age if i can define it by using a reference is microsoft windows, its formatted to be convenient, quick and easy. Personality is growing more scarce nowadays so whats the point of knowing somebody who is molded out of the same cupboard? Gadjets are cool I mean it takes away from the mundane same old but rarely do you find a whole new format of toy. As we all know politics is a very Huge mechanical machine and at the end of the day the lil people are just caught up in the cogs so whast the point, infact you could write a song and do alot more change then trying to advocate somthing so why bother I think thast the menatlity for most people.

You have a valid critiscm on Hybrid technology and maybe your right, PDK which was a pretty cool idea but had its critiscms...but this idea porsche has is pretty sick and I dont think they will just put it in a car without backing it.

Your right about Porsche being a lil watered down nowadays but this comes with success, at the end of the day the responsibilty of a cars manufacture is to sell as many cars as they can. They are an affordable sports car to the somewhat wealthy, hell I bought a 07 turbo at age 25 and Im wealthy by no means.

Of course any company can pull it off but at what expense? Porsche has the the proper facilities/funds to cover there bases securely. Its comes as no suprise they are the 1st to boldly head in this direction with an actual supercar. Of course people are not really into the MPG and really its almost a joke cause anyone who drives it like that should just buy a prius lol :P But I suspect this is where you can buy one and say to the Lambo guy infront of his girlfriend "YES my car has as much horsepower as your car but mind is good for the earth" and the girl will be like" AWWWWWW." LOL So if you wanna get coarse its can be a new form of bragging rights. : P

ANd I like the direction Porsche is going with there Hyrbid tech who fuking cares if its does alil better MPG, especially if its a sports car. Cows do more damage to the earth enviroment then cars so stop eating so much beef god sakes...we all need to get around dont we? But do we really need to eat meat with every meal? But porsche is saying you can have even better perfomance if not same with this tech so we're gonan put it in. Also it gives the option to do really good MPG if you want it too, and lets not be kidding this is a show car thats gonna be driven downtown to show off so might as well put it in that fuel save setting half the time anyways.