700HP from the 4.6 in the 918 would be a big stretch.

The bottom end is already quite gutless if you ask me. But even with saying that, the bottom end power is still there without the electric help. If I drive on Sport mode, it's basically engine power and I know exactly where on the throttle the e-motors kick in, lots of time I stay off that part and just use the gas engine, and the acceleration is nothing short of explosive, With electric help it is mind boggling. The hybrid helper in the car is just, amazing, the weight basically disappears. I have had quite a few racers that took my car on my track, they were astonished at how the car can handles, they only asked about the weight AFTER the drive and that amazes them even more, no one ever question about the weight of the car, it is only an issue with journalists that needed to find something to write about, 

Someone did a back to back between my 918 and a P1, his first comment is that the P1 is way under tire and the power cannot be put down at all, the 918 seems to have limitless grip on the other hand. I won't name names however.

If Porsche really wanted do it, the 918 could have had a 650 HP engine, perhaps 200kg less weight, but the resulting car would be barely better than the CGT, not the thing they want as a halo car after 10 years. That's why the current 918 was born, to separate it completely from the CGT performance-wise, and they did, the CGT can't even hope to keep pace with the 918.

Only thing that's holding the 918 back is the tires, without the ECO certification Porsche so clamoured with, it will be a lot quicker. 

But then again, who else can produce a ECO friendly car with such performance.

Porsche tuned the 918 engine for the top end, they knew the hybrid system will take care of the low and middle end, and when the hubris system gives up, that's where the gas engine take over, which is exactly how real world experience tells us, electric car have amazing bottom end and acceptable middle and horrible top end, Porsche tuned the gas engine to take care of that. 

There is only one sweet spot for electric cars, that's the bottom end, and for North American purposes, that;'s quite enough, as North Americans don't care for top end power, they only pay attention to bottom end numbers. 

 

 


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