Description

Porsche 918 Spyder

by Ian Kuah

Porsche stunned the motoring world in 2010 when it unveiled the 918 Spyder. The concept car it displayed at that year’s Geneva motor show was no publicity-grabbing special but the starting point for an innovatory breed of supercar: ultra-fast, made of advanced materials, but also in tune with the environmental demands of a new century.

That the 918 was claimed to be capable of near-on 200mph was no surprise. That it would be built of carbon-fibre was no more of a shock. But the way in which it would achieve the goals of its maker was revolutionary for the time: the 918 would be a hybrid, with a massively advanced four-wheel-drive electrical drivetrain supplementing the already potent V8 petrol engine.

This book is the inside story of an extraordinary engineering adventure. Written by a marque expert and with copious testimony from those most closely involved with the 918’s design and development, it reveals how the team at Porsche rose to the challenge of creating what was at the time surely the world’s most technologically-rich motor car.

Accompanying the authoritative text is an exhaustively detailed chassis listing that gives the fullest information possible on the specification of each and every 918 Spyder made. The first time such an initiative has been undertaken for a car only just out of production, this is a major publishing ‘first’ to which future generations of historians will be indebted.

Measuring 304mm x 290mm, 918 Spyder is a beautifully designed book of 520 pages, comprising some 1200 images – including a factory photo of each of the 918 cars produced.

About the author
Dr Ian Kuah trained as an architect but his passion for cars led him to switch professions in 1983 to pursue a career as an automotive test driver, author and photographer. A 911 driver since 1978, he was one of the original contributors to 911 & Porsche WorldFlat 6 and Total 911 magazines, and has been European Editor of independent US Porsche title Excellence since 1996.

About the artist
Jeremy Dickinson, a well-known British artist with an international reputation, has been commissioned by Palawan to produce three paintings, of the Porsche 918 Spyder, the 959, and the Carrera GT. The paintings are scanned and combined on one print for the leather edition, and printed individually for the bespoke edition.

The artwork prints are only available as part of the leather and bespoke editions.

REVIEWS

“This isn’t Palawan’s usual fare, but embodies many of the qualities for which the company has become renowned … an epic effort.”OCTANE


Editions