Spyder lures web gamers

The petrol-electric supercar from Porsche has caught the attention of a surprise group at the Geneva motor show - the online gaming community.

Gamers have besieged the roped-off Porsche hybrid for a closer look at the cockpit, believing it contains the prototype of a new go-fast video game. But the 918 Spyder hybrid on display has a blacked-out instrument display - unlike official online pictures that show a fully operational cockpit, including an intriguing satellite-navigation display on the centre console.

On closer look it shows a map and picture of Germany's famous Nurburgring, a circuit that Porsche claims the 918 Spyder will be able to lap in record time.

Gamers poring over the images say Porsche has used the track selection screen from Sony's Gran Turismo PSP to illustrate the Nurburgring.

This fuelled rumours that the German carmaker is set to make its debut in the multimillion-selling Gran Turismo franchise, joining already confirmed makers such as Ferrari, Lamborghini and Bugatti.

But a pinpoint study by British magazine AutoExpress shows the picture of the track next to the map is from Gran Turismo's arch-rival on the Xbox, Forza Motorsport. The front corner of a Ferrari FXX even appears in the picture.

The gamers conclude that either Porsche and Sony have buried a super-subtle teaser of their new joint venture in the launch of the 918 Spyder, or somebody has created an image from a set of random pictures.

Porsche claims the 918 Spyder will lap the Nurburgring circuit in less than 7 minutes 30 seconds, although it isn't saying if the car has been tested there. It claims it sprints from zero to 100km/h in 3.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 320km/h.

The prototype combines a mid-mounted 375kW V8 engine with an electric motor for both the front and rear axles. The V8 comes from the 3.4-litre racing engine in the RS Spyder track car. It spins to 9200rpm and with the aid of 160kW from both electric motors, develops total output of more than 530kW, or 710bhp.

Power goes to the wheels via Porsche's (PDK) seven-speed double-clutch automated manual transmission. It also feeds electric power to the rear axle, while the second motor powers the front wheels through a fixed transmission ratio.

The energy reservoir is a liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery behind the passenger cell. It converts kinetic energy into electricity to charge itself on the road, or it can be plugged into a household circuit.

A button on the steering wheel offers four different running modes. E-Drive is for electric power alone, up to 25km. In Hybrid, the 918 Spyder uses both the electric motors and the V8 engine for claimed fuel economy of around 3 litres/100km, or 94mpg. Sport Hybrid focuses on performance, with power going mostly to the rear wheels. Race Hybrid deals with pure high-performance dynamics.

Ferrari took the covers off its hybrid supercar, painted earthy green and in the shape of the 599-based HY-KERS "vettura laboratorio", or experimental vehicle.

The carmaker said the green machine cuts average fuel consumption by up to 35 per cent and CO2 exhaust emissions by more than 25 per cent. It expects its first hybrid road car to be at least five years away. The concept was unveiled alongside a new stop/start system for the California coupe-convertible, which goes into production this month.