Official: The Porsche 918 Spyder Goes Green and Mean

Ok, it’s now pretty official — the new Porsche 918 Spyder plug-in hybrid is headed for production.

Originally shown as a wild concept at the Geneva Motor Show, the Spyder combines a 500 horsepower V8 with two electric motors adding a further 109 horsepower each. Together, that’s serious performance with a claimed 78 mpg. (Yeah, right!)

Run out of fuel? No problem — the battery pack alone should carry you for around 16 miles, no doubt downhill and with a tailwind. Pricing is still under wraps, but estimates hover around £500,000. Still, you’ll earn it all back in free tax, right?

Whatever your thoughts on hybrids, you’ve got to admit — it looks as hot as sin.

Official word from Porsche: “Production of the 918 Spyder in a limited series proves that we are taking the right approach with Porsche Intelligent Performance — combining supreme performance and efficient drivetrain concepts,” said Michael Macht, President and Chairman of Porsche AG. “We’ll develop the 918 Spyder in Weissach and assemble it in Zuffenhausen, reaffirming our commitment to Germany as a manufacturing base.”

Porsche says the concept can achieve CO₂ emissions of just 70 g/km and fuel consumption of 3.0 L/100 km (94.1 mpg imp) while still delivering true supercar pace. That’s efficiency and insanity rolled into one — and we can’t wait to see it hit the road.