Porsche's secret is out

A week is a long time in the automotive world. You’ll remember seeing the Porsche 918 Spyder in the previous issue. Back then, we’d only heard rumours about the performance potential of this hybrid. Seven days later, we can give you the full rundown starting with the fact it has over 770bhp. Using a carbon-fibre chassis and a carbon-fibre reinforced plastic body, the 918 features a hybrid powertrain that consists of a  4.6-litre V8 making 570bhp. It’s been mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch tranny and two electric motors. The first sends all its power to the front wheels, while the second channels all of its aggression to the back. It’ll take under three seconds to go from 0-100kph and has a top speed of 325kph. What’s more, its lithium-ion battery pack can be fully recharged in just two hours. It has a range of 25km on electric mode and can reach 150kph without waking the V8.