The smart cookies at Porsche

You’ve got to take your hat off to Porsche, it knows a thing or two about marketing a car. On the day dealers open the order book for the 918 Spyder (pictured), they also announce they offering every customer putting down a deposit on that car the chance to buy a limited edition version of the 911. This latter car is actually badged the 911 ‘Edition 918 Spyder’. Production is limited to 918 units – exactly the same number as there will be examples of the 918 – and it gets a few unique features and detailing over the 911 Turbo S on which it’s based. The cynic in me sees this as Porsche just trying to squeeze another £125,000 out of the people who are ordering the 918 Spyder because they think they should have both cars, rather than just the one they want. I wonder what the percentage take-up will be, and what will happen to the rest? Customer deliveries of the Spyder will start in November 2013 – as a LHD model only – once each has paid £670,000. The rear wheels are driven by a plug-in hybrid drivetrain with combines a 500+bhp V8 petrol engine with two electric motors delivering another 218bhp. The result is a car that will hit 62mph in 3.2 secs, but return 94mpg fuel economy and only 70g/km of CO₂ emissions.