Porsche has released full details on its upcoming flagship sportscar, pricing the hybrid machine at an astronomical $845,000. Combining the original concept with Porsche's ongoing hybrid race car technology the carbon chassis 918 will get a "high revving" V8 engine making in excess of 500-hp mated to a plug-in hybrid drive system with two electric motors, adding "at least" an additional 218-hp. Those motors will be attached, one at each axle, effectively making the 918 an AWD machine.
The car will hit 60 mph in just 3.1 seconds claims Porsche with a top speed of 199 mph. Porsche is also reiterating that it will be able to lap the Nurburgring below 7:30 seconds, topping the Carrera GT by at least 2 seconds.
As for the car's hybrid performance, Porsche says it will achieve an incredible 78-mpg. (European test cycle). Official EPA fuel economy numbers won't be available until much closer to the car's on-sale date in 2013. As a plug-in hybrid, Porsche says the exotic sports car will recharged in roughly 7 hours using a conventional household outlet and will provide 16 miles of emissions-free range, up to speeds of 94 mph.
A technology teaser, Porsche has yet to release every detail of the car, but other pertinent info includes the fact the car 918 will use Porsche's 7-speed PDK transmission and the V8 engine will be larger than 4.0-liters.
With the new info comes a set of new renderings of what the production model is expected to look like, as well as confirmation that it will feature a manually removable roof that can be stored int he front luggage compartment.
Porsche is now accepting orders for the 918, with deliveries set for 2013.
