Porsche 918 Spyder
Car scale model kit in 1/24 scale manufactured by Revell (ref. REV07026, also 4009803070261, 07026 and 80-7026)

With increasing pressure on manufacturers to control their carbon emissions, the 2010s saw many manufacturers begin to incorporate a degree of hybridization and electrification into their models. Perhaps for general manufacturers this change was not so difficult, but for the brands that built their legend on performance and driving pleasure this transformation had to be approached from a very different angle.

In 2013, Porsche, Ferrari and McLaren launched their new hypercars, and in all three cases they had hybrid mechanics combining propulsion by means of a combustion engine and electricity. They each had their own strengths and the combustion engines mounted on each of them were drastically different, but one thing they all shared is that they were incredibly fast.

Porsche's 918 Spyder was the first to show up, featuring a removable targa top and extensive use of carbon fiber, and with a design heavily influenced by its previous hypercar, the Carrera GT. What really set the 918 Spyder apart from anything else Porsche had produced up to that point was the engine, a naturally aspirated 4.6-litre V8 based on the one found in the Porsche RS Spyder LeMans Prototype. Weighing just 135 kilograms, the engine produces 599 horsepower and 540 Nm of torque with a maximum rev set at 9,000 rpm. This engine was complemented by two electric motors that produce a total of 282 horsepower. The first of the electric motors, with 154 horsepower, works in parallel with the combustion engine, acting on the rear wheels at the same time that it serves as the main generator for the vehicle. The other electric motor produces 127 horsepower and sits atop the front axle to help pull the car out of corners, disengaging completely when not in use. In total, the 918 Spyder has 875 horsepower and 1,280 Nm of torque, allowing it to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.2 seconds and from 0 to 290 km/h in 17.5 seconds, with a top speed of over 350 km/h.

Between September 2013 and June 2015, Porsche manufactured, of course, 918 units of the Porsche 918 Spyder.