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Report: Porsche 918 Spyder to birth stretched 2+2 version?

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Porsche, Earnings/Financials, Specialty, Luxury

Porsche is known for its ability to spin off a litter of variants from a single model, and according to a report in Automobile the 918 Spyder (pictured here) might not be spared the house trick. Having taken too many brains and too much money for too much time, company chiefs are said to be examining ways to get more for their development euro out of the supercar, and Plan A is apparently otherwise known as Plan 984. That would be a four-seater, rear-wheel drive supercar that uses a stretched mold of the 918’s carbon fiber tub, keeping the V8 in the same mid-mounted place and costing around 350,000 euro.

That would be less than half the MSRP of its inspiration, but the details don’t sketch out a car that’s just half as good. Automobile speculates it would get something like 700 horsepower in order to best the coming 911 GT2, and about 440 pound-feet of torque. The 984 is quite a ways short of being confirmed; even though a full-size study is said to exist, it’s like the 918 would need to become a bigger sales hit for the 984 to happen.

The 984’s fortunes don’t change those of the 960, the supercoupe Porsche is building to challenge Ferrari. Its potential specs haven’t changed since the last report in January, power coming from a 5.0-liter, twin-turbo, eight-cylinder boxer engine with something like 650 hp pushing a curb weight of roughly 3,100 pounds. The means a suspected 0-to-60 mile-per-hour time of 2.5 seconds.

And there’s even more than that coming from the Stuttgart fold. You can read the rest at Automobile, and you can register your reaction to a supercar version of the Panamera in Comments.

Porsche 918 Spyder to birth stretched 2+2 version? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Aug 2013 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Watch Porsche’s 918 Spyder break a sweat while hot weather testing

Filed under: Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, Videos, Porsche

With five months left until the 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder enters production, Porsche engineers are still putting the hybrid sports coupe through a battery of last-minute tests. To give us new reasons to ogle over the car – as if we needed any more – Porsche has released a short video showing the 918 Spyder undergoing shakedown tests in the hot Nevada desert. And you can’t drive through Nevada without visiting Vegas, too, right?

Although there’s really nothing new to see in this video, it’s still fun to watch as Porsche approaches one million test miles logged on this exciting new high-performance model. One interesting part (at around the 0:37 mark) shows the car taking off under electric power and then transitioning to engine power, which results in a mix of whirs and growls as the 918 Spyder switches from a 127-horsepower electric vehicle to an 887-hp hybrid supercar. Scroll down to watch – and hear – Porsche’s latest creation in motion.

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Watch Porsche’s 918 Spyder break a sweat while hot weather testing originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Audi R8 GT Spyder almost ready to scatter toupees across race tracks

Filed under: Spy Photos, Convertible, Performance, Audi

audi r8 gt spyder

Spy Shots: Audi R8 GT Spyder – Click above for high-res image gallery

Audi keeps churning out more exciting versions of its two-door supercar, the R8. It began with the R8 V8, went power hungry with the R8 5.2 FSI V10, topless with the R8 V10 Spyder and on a track-focused diet with the R8 GT. Soon, Audi will let loose with the next iteration; the Audi R8 GT Spyder, a lightweight droptop poised to bring a more aggressive open-air motoring to R8 fans.

The Audi R8 GT Spyder is powered by the same 5.2-liter V10 found in other non-V8 R8 coupes and convertibles. The mill produces 560 horsepower and sends marching orders directly to both the car’s four tires and your ears, seeing as it’s mounted right behind them. Audi is going to build 333 of them, so get your cash in line now. The R8 GT coupe costs $196,800 so bring at least $200,000 for the convertible, just to be safe.

Audi R8 GT Spyder almost ready to scatter toupees across race tracks originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 May 2011 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi teases hard-core R8 GT Spyder

Filed under: Frankfurt Motor Show, Spy Photos, Convertible, Performance, Audi

Audi R8 GT Spyder rendering

Audi R8 GT Spyder preview sketch – Click above for image gallery

It’s onwards and upwards at a rapid pace over at Audi, which after releasing pricing and availability for the hard-core R8 GT coupe has now reportedly confirmed plans for an open-top version.

Destined to be previewed at Le Mans in June before its proper unveiling at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, the R8 GT Spyder has been teased with these preview sketches released to the British motor press.

Expect the same 560-horsepower V10 as the coupe, mated to Audi’s R-tronic six-speed automated manual transmission. But with the droptop’s interrupted aerodynamics and added weight, the R8 GT Spyder expected to top out at 193 mph – six mph shy of the coupe’s top end. The rear spoiler, front splitter, upgraded brakes and weight reduction regime (less sound isolation, thinner glass and carbon-fiber components) should carry over, as should the Alcantara interior.

Production is expected to be capped around the same as the coupe’s 333 units worldwide, likely with a slightly higher price tag. We’ll have to wait another couple of months for a closer look, but you can scope out the teaser sketches below in the meantime.

Gallery: Audi R8 GT Spyder preview renderings

[Source: Audi via Autocar, WhatCar?]

Audi teases hard-core R8 GT Spyder originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Porsche bookmarks new flagship with special 911 Turbo S “Edition 918 Spyder”

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Porsche

Porsche 911 Turbo S

Porsche 911 Turbo S “Edition 918 Spyder” – Click above for high-res image gallery

The big news from Porsche lately is the go-ahead and pricing attached to the production of the 918 Spyder. But if you read the fine print on the official announcement, you may have noticed the German automaker’s current performance flagship mentioned.

To celebrate the launch of the 918 Spyder, Porsche is offering a special edition of the 911 Turbo S. Called, appropriately enough, the 911 Turbo S “Edition 918 Spyder”, it’s essentially the same as the standard Turbo S, only with some extra decals, special colors and unique trim. The model will be available exclusively to customers ordering the 918 Spyder, can be had in either coupe or convertible, and carries the same sticker price.

So what’s the point? To keep customers who are waiting for delivery of their 918 happy in the meantime. Now that’s one heck of an appetizer if we’ve every seen one. And at $160k+ (on top of the $845k price of the 918) one very pricey option as well.

Gallery: Porsche 911 Turbo S “Edition 918 Spyder”

[Source: Porsche]

Porsche bookmarks new flagship with special 911 Turbo S “Edition 918 Spyder” originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How Porsche dealers will order the 918 Spyder

Filed under: Car Buying, Performance, Porsche, Earnings/Financials

Porsche 918 hybrid

Porsche 918 Hybrid – Click above for dealer ordering information

Getting a 918 Spyder out of Porsche’s supercar death-grip is going to take some serious doing. First of all, you have to come up with the $845,000 Porsche is asking for the car in the U.S. and Canada, not including destination charges. Once you’ve gotten over that little hurdle, you’ll need to find a Porsche dealer authorized to sell the 918.

According to Porsche, you can buy a 918 Spyder from any Porsche dealer anywhere in the world, provided they’ve signed a participation agreement with Porsche. Details are few and far between on what that agreement entails. What Porsche is saying, though, is how dealers who sign the agreement will order their cars.

Dealers who want to place an order for a 918 will have to submit an “Allocation Request Form.” Porsche will reply with an “Allocation Response Form,” which tells the dealer whether there’s a car available for them. Once that’s done, the dealer submits an order form, along with a $200,000 down payment. Porsche will respond with a confirmation and an estimated month for production.

The next step is another $200,000 deposit 12 months before the production date. The balance – $445,000 plus shipping, if you’re counting – is due when Porsche says the car is done. Porsche says the car will not be shipped until it has been paid for in full. The reason, apparently, is that it won’t be building any of the hyper-expensive 918s on speculation, and that each car needs to have an owner before it is built.

Despite all that rigamarole, we’ll bet Porsche sells out of these things quickly, even if the production shape is yet to surface. Thanks for the tip, Anon!

Gallery: Porsche 918 Hybrid dealer information

Porsche 918 Hybrid dealer information

Gallery: Porsche 918 Spyder

[Source: Porsche]

How Porsche dealers will order the 918 Spyder originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Mar 2011 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wiesmann Spyder concept spied on the floor in Geneva

Filed under: Concept Cars, Convertible, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Specialty, MISC

Wiesmann Spyder Concept

We mentioned last weekend that German niche sports car manufacturer Wiesmann was bringing a new concept to Geneva to gauge interest in a possible production version, and here it is. Color us very interested. Full details on the Wiesmann Spyder are yet to be released, but judging by the photos, it should impress.

Our team in Geneva will have more details and plenty of live photos of the Spyder concept once the exposition officially gets underway. Until then, head over to Autogespot check out one more angle of Wiesmann’s sports car.

[Source: Autogespot.com]

Wiesmann Spyder concept spied on the floor in Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 27 Feb 2011 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wiesmann promises new Spyder model for Geneva

Filed under: Concept Cars, Convertible, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, MISC

Wiesmann MF4 Roadster

Wiesmann MF4 Roadster – Click above for high-res image gallery

Niche manufacturers rarely offer more than a single model line. In Wiesmann’s case, that line consists of the GT, with its various BMW-sourced propulsion options, and its Roadster counterpart (pictured above). But like fellow German exoticar maker Gumpert, Wiesmann will roll into Geneva with a new model for our consideration: the Weismann Spyder.

Few details are available at this point, but the Wiesmann Spyder will be stripped down, lacking even doors or a windscreen. We assume it’ll be based on the current Roadster, but Weismann stresses that it has not yet approved the Spyder model for production, and is bringing it to Geneva to gauge public opinion. We’ll be watching, and you can follow the jump for the official statement.

Gallery: Wiesmann Roadster MF4

[Source: Wiesmann]

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Wiesmann promises new Spyder model for Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 20 Feb 2011 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Spyker C8 Aileron Spyder trying catch up to 99 units with ZR1 power?

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Spyker, Rumormill

2010 Spyker C8 Aileron Spyder – Click above for high-res image gallery

It’s been a while since we’ve heard anything from Spyker that didn’t have to do with its acquisition of Saab. The Dutch automaker has apparently had its hands full taking the reins in Trollhattan from General Motors – so busy in fact that it has apparently missed production targets. Like with the new C8 Aileron Spyder.

The convertible version of the stretched and updated C8 debuted about a year and a half ago in Pebble Beach, and was supposed to enter production in the first half of 2010. Well, 2010 has come and gone and apparently production still hasn’t started. But we do have some news.

According to reports from the company’s native Netherlands, Spyker is planning on keeping the C8 Aileron Spyder very exclusive, with a production run of just 99 units. That’s a mighty limited edition, but there’s more: according to the same report quoting CEO Victor Muller, Spyker will be ditching the Audi-sourced 4.2-liter V8 for the 6.2-liter supercharged LS9 from the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1.

Considering that, at 638 hp, the LS9 produces over 50% more power than the 400-horse Audi mill, the commensurate drop in the previously estimated 4.5-second sprint to 60 should be well worth the work involved in turning the blown eight around and mounting it in the middle of the Spyker. Either that, or this could all amount to nothing – but the notion that the door between GM and Spyker could be swinging both ways is certainly intriguing.

Gallery: Spyker C8 Aileron Spyder

[Source: GTSpirit.com]

Report: Spyker C8 Aileron Spyder trying catch up to 99 units with ZR1 power? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Jan 2011 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CES 2011: Audi shows off revised eTron Spyder

Filed under: Concept Cars, Convertible, Hybrid, CES, Audi, Electric, Diesel

Audi eTron Spyder

Audi eTron Spyder – Click above for high-res image gallery

Audi CEO Rupert Stadler rolled onto the stage in the same eTron Spyder we saw in Paris, but for the crowd in Sin City, Audi swapped the silver paint for a more delectable red hue.

Aside from the color change, everything else remains the same, from the 300-horsepower twin-turbo TDI V6 churning out 479 pound-feet of torque to the front-mounted battery and wrap around windshield. It’s still a looker, although we’re generally in favor of something a little more subtle…

Gallery: CES 2011: Audi eTron Spyder

Gallery: Audi eTron Spyder

Live photos copyright (C)2011 Damon Lavrinc / AOL

CES 2011: Audi shows off revised eTron Spyder originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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