Porsche 918 Spyder poised for Nurburgring 24-hr entry in 2011

Following recent successes with the 911 GT3 R Hybrid racer, Porsche has announced its intention to bring the 918 Spyder hybrid car to the 24-hour race at the Nurburgring Nordschleife next year (2011).

Porsche engineers are working on the car to get its top speed up to the 320 km/h mark. Porsche says the 918 Spyder can do a lap around the Nordschleife track, otherwise known as the Green Hell, in under 7 minutes and 30 seconds.

The 918 Spyder hybrid concept was premiered at the Geneva motor show this past March. It features a V8 engine with 368 kW (500 PS / 493 hp) in addition to three electric motors churning out a total of 160 kW (218 PS / 215 hp). That all adds up to 528 kW (718 PS / 708 hp). Porsche says it is seriously considering taking the 918 Spyder to production, which would make it the most powerful road car it has ever produced.

The electric all-wheel drive set-up provides the 1490 kg (3285 lbs) 918 Spyder with torque vectoring to keep it highly nimble. The 918 also features Porsche's PDK dual-clutch gearbox and an electric boost function.

Oh, yes but how much fuel do those 718 horses need?

With a fuel rating of 3.0 liters/100 km fuel and a CO2 emissions figure of only 70g/km, the 918 Spyder is looking like it has a future at Porsche (assuming those figures are honest).