How did Porsche keeps its 918 Spyder concept car a secret?

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Porsche’s Stealth Debut

Porsche is committed to building the 918 Spyder Concept plug-in hybrid, the British publication Autocar reported today , citing remarks by CEO Michael Macht. The supercar can reach 62 miles per hour from a standstill in 3.2 seconds and has a top speed of 198 mph, according to the German automaker. Taken from drawing to 2010 Geneva Auto Show in less than five months, the 918 mixes a 500-horsepower gasoline V8 with two electric motors for a combined 718 hp. Porsche has calculated that it could be quicker than the old Carrera GT around the Nordschleife. Porsche has yet to commit to producing the car, but speaking to Autocar , Macht admitted that the positive reaction to the 918 had already swayed opinion within the firm. “There is no one inside Porsche who doesn't want to build the 918,” he said. “The response has been marvelous; we will ask buyers to sign letters of intent. “The 918 Spyder

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Porsche: We’ll Build 918 Spyder Hybrid If Enough Prospective Buyers Step Forward

Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have discovered that nanotubes covered with chemical fuel can produce an electrical current as they burn, yielding up to 100 times more power by weight than a conventional battery. The phenomenon, dubbed “thermopower waves,” could eventually have energy applications, say the researchers, who published their findings in Nature Materials this week. One benefit of the nanotubes is that they do not lose stored energy over time, said Michael Strano, an associate chemical engineering professor at MIT. Scientists could eventually develop a system that repeatedly replenishes the fuel around the nanotubes to continue providing electricity more efficiently than a conventional battery, Strano said. “The conventional fuel cell has been around since the 1800s but corrosive fuels, catalytic deactivation and complexity have been a hurdle,” he said. “From an engineering standpoint, thermopower waves could be a very simple alternative.” The MIT researchers have used lasers and electric sparks to start the reaction, which requires only a small amount of energy. The minuscule nanometers are coated in cyclotrimethylene trinitramine, a chemical also called RDX and used as a military explosive.

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Treated Nanotubes Said to Yield 100 Times More Power Than Conventional Battery

This year’s Geneva auto show may be remembered as the show in which Porsche and Ferrari joined the hybrid party.

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Geneva Auto Show: Last Looks

Mercedes-Benz will nearly double its investment in batteries and fuel-saving engines as part of an effort to offer electric vehicles, Daimler AG development chief Thomas Weber said this week. ———- Right, the Mercedes-Benz S500 Plug-in Hybrid Concept. ———- The Daimler luxury car unit will spend $1.4 billion in each of the next two years to develop electric-vehicle technology, Weber said in an interview with a Bloomberg reporter at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show. The company spent just $769 million annually for the past three years. Weber said the company was working on batteries that could last at least 10 years and handle driving in extreme conditions. The company also announced this week that it will develop electric cars for China with BYD Co. and that Daimler will produce lithium-ion batteries at a new factory by 2012. “Mercedes wants to be there first,” Weber said. “We're attacking; we want to be on the top position and can't wait until someone delivers a commodity.” The move comes as BMW, the luxury car leader, announced plans to debut an electric-powered vehicle by 2015. Mercedes' approach differs because it is working on developing batteries rather than engines. Weber said that as cars become more electrified,

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Mercedes to Double Investment in Electric Car Technology, Daimler R&D Chief Says

Maserati will likely develop a hybrid drivetrain option for its next generation of models as part of a campaign to improve the increasingly uncompetitive fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of its cars, Edmunds' Inside Line reported today . Maserati will almost certainly draw on the research Ferrari is doing in this area – it has just revealed an experimental 599 hybrid at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show – and can better afford the development costs of putting hybrid hardware into production, our sister site reported. Maserati and Ferrari are no longer part of the same business unit within the Fiat empire, having split in early 2006, but of all of Fiat's auto brands, it is Ferrari whose cars are conceptually closest to Maserati's in hardware terms, and Maranello is already a major supplier. Inside Line did not reveal its source. The remarks were similar to comments made this week by Ferrari Chairman Luca di Montezemolo , who said he'd like to see Ferrari offer hybrid versions across its entire lineup within the next three to four years.

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Maserati Likely Develop a Hybrid Drivetrain Option for Next-Gen Models – Inside Line

The Porsche 918 Spyder plug-in hybrid topped our contributor’s list of the 10 best cars from the Geneva auto show.

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Geneva Auto Show: 10 Best? Tough Choices

Along with the new Countryman crossover, Mini introduced a new in-car infotainment system in Geneva.

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Geneva Auto Show: Mini Connected

Volkswagen introduced the new Touareg and Touareg Hybrid at the Geneva auto show.

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Geneva Auto Show: 2011 VW Touareg and 2012 Touareg Hybrid

Volkswagen said today that it's considering offering its perennially popular Golf ( pictured ) and Jetta models as plug-in hybrids, with a choice of variably sized battery packs, in the 2013 model year. Ulrich Hackenberg, VW's chief of research and development, says the 2013 models could be offered with a choice of battery size (and therefore of zero-emission range) to suit different customer needs. The larger the battery, the bigger the up-front cost, but also the lower day-to-day costs. On an interesting, practical note, Hackenberg revealed that the plug-in Jetta would have a greater electric-only range than the Golf because it has a larger trunk. The VW Group is developing a transverse hybrid pack of modular design that will allow the drivetrain to be used across all VW's brands. The first VW hybrid to go on sale will be the Touareg, using a

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2010 Geneva Auto Show: VW Weighs Plug-in Hybrids With Choice of Battery Sizes