Spy Shots: Porsche 918 Spyder Snagged Topless, Plus Full-Specs, Turns the 'Ring in Under 7:22

Only a few days after Porsche released an official set of images of the pre-production 918 Spyder, our spies sent in new photos of the plug-in hybrid supercar, this time testing with its top down.

The new crown jewel of the Porsche lineup features a targa top solution with a pair of detachable carbon fiber roof panels that can be stored in the front luggage compartment and a small windowpane located between the flying buttresses.

The pre-production prototype is finished in a matte black color with white stripes that harks back to historical Porsche 917 racing cars.

Surprisingly, Porsche is not keeping a lot of secrets from us having revealed initial specifications on the 918 Spyder. The spiritual successor of the 959 from the 1980s, of which only a little over 330 units were produced, and the Carrera GT from the mid-2000s (1,270 built), sports a full carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) body bolted to a carbon-fiber tub.

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Porsche Reveals Pre-Production 918 Spyder Plug-in Hybrid Super Car with More than 770HP

The wait for Porsche's most radical sports car ever, the 918 Spyder, is nearing its end with the Stuttgart based automaker having completed the development of the pre-production prototypes, the first photos of which were released today.

First seen as a concept at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, the 918 Spyder is a plug-in hybrid supercar that will enter production at the end of September 2013. Porsche said that the first customer deliveries will take place "before 2013 is out".

Previously, the Germans had announced that prices in the U.S., excluding destination and handling, will start at $845,000 (equal to €655,000), and in Europe from €645,000 (equal to $835,400) before VAT and country-specific charges.

The new 918 Spyder features a driveline that combines a mid-mounted V8 gasoline engine with a displacement of more than 4.0-liters and an output that exceeds 500-horses driving the rear wheels through a 7-speed dual clutch transmission, with two electric motors, one on each axle, with a joint output of at least 218-horses.

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