Porsche 918 is on its way!

By Conor Mills

28th July 2010

It's a green revolution at Porsche. The sports car giant has given the 918 hybrid hypercar the go-ahead for production – and is also set to launch a petrol-electric Panamera saloon and test three electric Boxsters.

The dramatic 918 concept was revealed at March’s Geneva Motor Show, and caused shockwaves with its claims of 94mpg economy and 70g/km CO2 emissions. Now, Porsche has confirmed it’s on the way to dealers, and will provide a successor for the Carrera GT when it arrives in around 2013.

No official details have been released about the roadgoing model’s powertrain, but the concept mated a mid-mounted 493bhp 3.4-litre V8 – from the Spyder racer – to two electric motors, which added a further 160kW (215bhp). However, the show model’s claimed 16-mile electric range will be soundly beaten by the battery-only Boxsters Porsche is to start testing from early next year.

The roadsters are powered by lithium-ion cells, and will be fitted with black box recorders to log every driver input. They will be based on the next-generation Boxster, which is due to make its debut at Geneva next year – and our spies have caught it on test.

Even though it doesn’t look much different to the existing car, every panel is new, as is the fabric roof. Under the skin, the current entry-level model’s 255bhp 2.9-litre six-cylinder engine is likely to offer more power. Yet weight savings and efficiency gains promise stronger economy, too, at nearly 35mpg.

Panamera cleans up its act too...
Hi-tech fuel saving is coming to the Panamera, too. Porsche has confirmed it will build a hybrid version of the sports saloon, using the same petrol-electric technology as the recently launched eco variant of the Cayenne.

The SUV mates a 46bhp electric motor – fed by batteries stored in the boot – to a 329bhp 3.0-litre V6 mounted up front.

But the Panamera hybrid is likely to eclipse its sister model’s 34mpg fuel economy and 192g/km CO2 emissions. Porsche’s unique hybrid system uses an additional clutch, so owners can disengage either the combustion engine or the electric motor, or combine the two, to achieve maximum efficiency. The wraps are likely to come off the petrol-electric Panamera at next March’s Geneva Motor Show.

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