Porsche 918 Spyder

There was said to be some tussling going on between Porsche and Audi over which brand would provide the platform for the Volkswagen Group's future sports cars. A report in Automobilwoche declares that Porsche is the winner. No one should be surprised at Porsche, now a Group company, winning such a competition.

As expected, the Porsche supervisory board has approved the development of the 918 Spyder concept into a series production model. The 918 debuted as a concept at this year's Geneva Motor Show with a plug-in hybrid powertrain claimed to provide 78 miles per gallon.

Porsche made an impressive showing at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring this year with its 911 GT3 R Hybrid. But don't think for even one power-boosted second that its hybrid initiative was a one-time affair for the Stuttgart-based automaker. Not, at least, if the latest reports from Germany prove accurate.

It sounds as if Porsche may be dangerously close to crafting a solid business case to build the fast and frugal 918 Spyder. After stealing the show in Geneva, it was revealed that the German automaker was seriously interested in bringing the hybrid supercar concept to market, if only it were able to find enough applicants willing to plunk down their hard-earned cash.

No doubt about it, the Porsche 918 Sypder was both one of the biggest surprises of the Geneva Motor Show and one of its most memorable vehicles. No surprise, then, that the German automaker has signaled its desire to put the hybrid sportscar into production.