The 918 Spyder is a mid-engined two-seater sports car designed by Michael Mauer. It is powered by a 4.6 litre V8 engine built on the same architecture as the one used in the RS Spyder Le Mans Prototype racing car without any engine belts.
 
The engine weighs 135 kg according to Porsche and delivers 608 PS (447 kW) at 8,500 rpm and 528 N⋅m (389 lbf⋅ft) of maximum torque. This is supplemented by two electric motors delivering an additional 279 PS (205 kW). One 154 hp (115 kW) electric motor drives the rear wheels in parallel with the engine and also serves as the main generator. This motor and engine deliver power to the rear axle via a 7-speed gearbox coupled to Porsche's own PDK double-clutch system. The front 125 PS (92 kW) electric motor directly drives the front axle; an electric clutch decouples the motor when not in use. The total system delivers 887 PS (652 kW) and 1,280 N⋅m (940 lbf⋅ft) of torque. By October 2012, the engineering design was not finalized, but Porsche provided performance figures of 0–100 km/h (62 mph) in 2.5 seconds, 0-200 km/h (120 mph) in 7.2 seconds, 0-300 km/h (190 mph) in 19.9 seconds and a tested top speed of 350 km/h (217 mph). The Porsche 918 Spyder has a power to weight ratio of 1.92 kg (4.23 lb) per horsepower, and the Weissach Package-equipped car has a power to weight ratio of 1.84 kg (4.06 lb) per horsepower.
 
In Car and Driver's independent test of the Porsche 918, C/D achieved 0-62 mph (99.2 km/h) in 2.6 seconds, 0-100 mph (160 km/h) in 4.9 seconds, 0-180 mph (290 km/h) in 17.5 seconds, and the 1/4 mile in 9.8 seconds. Motor Trend's independent test of the Porsche 918 claims that with a 2.4 seconds 0-60 mph time it was the fastest car to 60 mph that they had ever tested. It stopped from 60-0 mph in 94 feet (97–0 km/h in 29 m), and broke Motor Trend's figure 8 record at 22.2 seconds.