Porsche 918 Spyder Hybrid: 900 Potential Buyers Found, 100 More Needed...
(26 April 2010)
Just the Facts:
- Porsche already has 900 potential buyers for the 918 Spyder Hybrid concept.
- The automaker needs at least 1,000 interested buyers to make a business case for production.
- 918 Spyder Hybrid debuted at the Geneva auto show last month.
STUTTGART, Germany — Porsche's list has reportedly close to 900 prospective buyers on it for the 918 Spyder Hybrid and the automaker may build the car once 1,000 have stepped forward. Porsche development chief Wolfgang Durheimer told Bloomberg News that "a sound business case" would be proven if 1,000 serious buyers are waiting in the wings for the new hybrid.
The Porsche 918 Spyder Hybrid debuted at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show in March. It's a two-seater with a 500-plus-horsepower V8, based on the RS Spyder racing car's engine, teamed with electric motors that make an overall 218 hp and a lithium-ion battery. The hybrid has a seven-speed PDK double-clutch gearbox.
The racing-car-styled 918 Spyder Hybrid has a lightweight monocoque body made of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic and weighs about 3,285 pounds overall.
Inside Line says: No doubt there are many reasons to want this car.
Wolfgang Duerheimer: Porsche development chief...
“I’m confident that we will soon reach the threshold of 1,000,” Wolfgang Duerheimer said in an April 24 interview at the Beijing Auto Show. “We need 1,000 seriously interested people to make a sound business case.”
Porsche, based in Stuttgart, Germany, plans to add models with a goal of doubling yearly sales to as many as 150,000 vehicles over the medium term, and benefit from savings from a merger with Volkswagen AG. The two carmakers will conclude their talks on a future model strategy and sharing platforms in about six months, Duerheimer said.
“We’re very optimistic that we’ll be able to further expand our leading position in the sports-car segment,” he said.
Porsche expects sales in China, its third-biggest market after the US and Germany, to “clearly exceed” 10,000 vehicles this year, compared with 9,900 in 2009, Duerheimer said. The new generation of the Porsche Cayenne has “very good” prospects in China and order books for the Panamera sedan are “well stocked,” he said.
Porsche aims to double its Chinese dealerships by 2012 to more than 50 from 27 currently, he said. “We expect that the desire for motorization in China will continue unabated,” Duerheimer said.
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