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It’s been close to four years since the 918 concept first made an appearance at the Geneva Motor Show. And what happened in those four years are coming to fruition this coming auto year. The 918 Porsche is finally surfacing to a dealership near you after years of research, approvals and appearances on video games. Yes, that 918 Porsche Spyder you drove in the video game, Need for Speed, is one you can drive in real life.

Now that we know that the 918 Spyder is coming soon, we willl discuss reasons why you should purchase one.

Power

They say “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” In the case of the 918 Spyder, absolute power goes really fast. Armed with a 4.6 liter V8 engine that maxes 608 horsepower, the Spyder has a comparable engine to the Porsche Panamera. It is a larger size engine than the 911 but  compared to the larger Panamera, expect the 918 Spyder to have just a little more push than the luxury sedan.

Electric power

The 918 Spyder is also being touted as a plug-in hybrid. The battery powered motors are placed on the front and on the rear axles of the automobile, giving it an extra 281hp. While the concept of electric hybrid power is nothing new to supercars, it is to Porsche and to place one on a high trim model like the 918 Spyder and the 911 is a departure from the normal for the company. But like many automobile companies of today, Porsche is also committed to cutting down carbon dioxide emissions as well as their carbon footprint.

“Racing inspired” Hybrid

Built on the racing RS engine, the Spyder continue with the same race tuning as its sporting model. The same engine displacement, exhaust placement and tuning is shared in this street legal model. Enter the hybrid, with this electric based engine, expect a quieter and smoother ride expected from a hybrid.

Other specific you may want to know. Top speed: 211mph. Battery charging time from normal home socket: 7 hours. Maximum rpm: 9,150 rpm. As for price, it will be estimated at the same price as the 911S at $100k-$200k range. This model is set to compete with other luxury hybrid coupes and could provide consumers as a racing alternative to the 911.

Image credit: cmonville on Flickr