“This is most definitely not a Prius.” So says ex-Autoblog staffer Damon Lavrinc in a story written for Wired. The non-Prius-esque vehicle to which he’s referring? The Porsche 918.
We know all about the concept and how it stole the show at the at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. We know that interest in the plug-in hybrid supercar was so strong that Porsche pulled out all the stops to get the vehicle into its production plans as soon as possible. We know it will cost $845,000 and be able to hit 60 miles per hour in a scant 3.1 seconds. What we hadn’t known until now, though, is how far along into its development Porsche’s team of engineers had gotten.
It seems there are currently three 918 development mules in existence, and Lavrinc got to ride shotgun at the Nardo Test Track in one of them. Though it was limited to half its available power – full power being a generous 770 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque with an overboost offering up to 700 lb-ft for short periods – it was still an exciting ride, and it’s telling that Porsche was confident enough in its Franken-mule to allow anyone to go on record this far ahead of September 18, 2013, the car’s official launch date.
We suggest you head on over to Wired to peruse the full article, and feel free to mosey on back to let us know what you think of the 918’s potential.
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