Porsche 918 Spyder: A Porsche Supercar in Audi R8 Skin?
- Written by Rishi Rajan
- Published in News
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At the Frankfurt Motor Show, Porsche revealed their 918 Spyder that’s set to go into production in the latter half of next year. Porsche will only be producing 918 cars in total, making it one of the first hybrid models to go into limited production. The 2-seater 918 is based around a carbon-fibre monocoque with plastic body panels and a chassis made up of aluminum, magnesium and titanium. One of the most eye-popping features of the 918 is you can pedal it up to a top speed of 344 km/h.
When looking at it, it’s hard not to compare it to the current generation Audi R8, as both specimens are made by the same parent company. We thought it would be interesting to draw similarities between the two supercars.
Now yes, it’s easy to argue that the Porsche’s body panels are a lot curvier than the Audis, but that’s what Porsche buyers want – curves. There’s also been rumblings that the Porsche 918 has been constantly revised since its reveal in 2010, but who’s to say it didn’t start out as an R8?
In the front, the side scoops are spaced out at almost the same distance from the bottom of the car. Moreover, the placements of the front grilles are almost identical and when you look around even the placement of the fuel door is the same.
Porsche, being the more exclusive of the two, has larger wheel wells, while the Audi’s smaller wheel wells gives the impression that the car is higher off the ground.
More parallels are revealed when you compare both rears. Instantly noticeable are the slim profile taillights with the placement of air vents below each taillight cluster. Another obvious likeness is the larger engine bay right behind the driver’s seat; although we assume that the Porsche’s is longer as it has to accommodate quite a large battery.
It amazed us how similar these two vehicles are in design. If you don’t think you’ll have the money for the Porsche 918 by the time it launches, or worry you may not be one of the lucky 918 to buy it, you can always turn to your Audi dealership and get something just a bit more affordable.
