Porsche officially announces prices for flagship hybrid supercar

The eagerly anticipated Porsche 918 Spyder which combines V8 performance with electric-powered environmental responsibility will retail for $845,000 when it officially goes on sale next year.

Designed to evoke memories of its Le Mans-winning 917 racecar while acting as a new benchmark as to what is possible in terms of power, fuel efficiency and environmental responsibility even in an out-and-out supercar, the Porsche 918 Spyder will set new standards in engineering, performance and price when it finally goes on sale in 2014.

The world's first hybrid super race car, the 918 Spyder uses a 4.6-litre V8 engine coupled with two electric motors -- a 90KW module on the rear axle and an 80KW module on the front axle which, when working in conjunction with the V8, deliver 770 horsepower. This division of weight and power ensures optimum handling and road-holding (the wheels that need the most traction at any moment will get the majority of power) whatever the conditions, while achieving fuel consumption figures of approximately 76 mpg. In terms of straight-line speed, the 918 can go from 0-100kpm in an astonishing 2.9 seconds (almost as fast as a Bugatti Veyron) and, where conditions allow, on to a top speed of 210mph (337kph).

But this performance comes at a price. The entry-level model will retail at $845,000 while the 918 Spyder Weissach Package (Porsche is yet to specify what said package entails) will cost $929,000 when it goes on sale in 2014. But potential owners beware; the car is called the 918 because only 918 examples will ever be made.