Weeks after surprising the world with its hybrid 918 Spyder concept, Porsche is scurrying to push the two-seat roadster into production.
Executives never shied away from declaring there is a real possibility of building the 918 in limited numbers, but it seems the automaker is working towards that goal. We’ve heard from a few close sources that Porsche is working with its global dealer network to round up names of prospective buyers. The automaker will use that information to help build a business case for giving the 918 a final green light.
Apart from the timing (we just saw the car two weeks ago), what’s truly interesting about this process is it virtually mirrors the one Porsche used to push its last halo car — the Carrera GT — into production. After showing a concept at the 2000 Geneva motor show, Porsche approached dealers with a similar request. Four years later, production cars were delivered to a very select few.
As Porsche R&D chief Wolfgang Dürheimer told our own Georg Kacher, Porsche will be more than happy “if customer feedback is positive and we end up over time with about 1000 firm orders.” If such is the case, expect to see the 918 Spyder and possibly a coupe in the next few years. Pricing is still anyone’s guess, but the Dürheimer did note the car will be more expensive than the Carrera GT — which, with a sticker price of $440,000, wasn’t exactly inexpensive in its day.
Looking for more? Have a look below.
