New Porsche in Detroit

Any new model from Porsche is an exciting event, but a whole new vehicle really gets most performance car hot under the collar. This mid-engined coupé is a test bed – company top brass called it a ‘racing laboratory’ – that demonstrates what happens when the technology from the 911 GT3 R Hybrid race car is mated to the design of the 918 Spyder concept, from last year’s Geneva Motor Show. I’m sure you’ll agree it’s a heady cocktail, and colour scheme of the iconic 917 track car only adds to the pleasure. The newcomer was unveiled at this week’s Detroit Motor Show and is called the Porsche 918 RSR. The V8 engine is a development of the direct injection unit from the RS Spyder race car, but tuned to give 563bhp at 10,300 rpm. The electric motors on the two front wheels each contribute another 102bhp, giving a grand total of 767bhp. The additional power, which is generated during braking, is stored in an optimised flywheel accumulator.