Porsche 918 SpyderARND WIEGMANN/Reuters
Porsche recalled a number of its 918 Spyder supercars, the company's most expensive model, to fix a potential defect with rear-axle components.
The issue was detected as part of regular quality checks, the Stuttgart, Germany-based unit of Volkswagen AG said in an emailed statement to Bloomberg News. There were 46 cars affected.
"All customers were contacted individually by their responsible sales organization," Porsche said. The move was completed in July and no accidents or injuries were reported related to the problem.
Production of the $845,000 plug-in hybrid will be limited to 918 vehicles to underscore the exclusivity of the car and the brand. The first models were delivered in March and Porsche Chief Executive Officer Matthias Mueller said in June that he expects the 918 to be sold out by the end of the year. "We won't sell a single additional model," Mueller said. "That would be unfair."
The 918 Spyder, unveiled a year ago at the International Auto Show in Frankfurt, can reach 60 miles per hour in 2.5 seconds and gets 67 miles per gallon (3.5 litres/100 km). That tops the 51 mpg of the basic Prius hybrid from Toyota Motor Corp.
Porsche has predicted that it will deliver more than 200,000 vehicles in 2015 on demand for the $49,900 Macan compact sport-utility vehicle released this year. Deliveries rose 15 per cent to a record 162,145 in 2013 as sales of Boxster and Cayman models more than doubled.
Porsche said today that deliveries in the first eight months this year increased 12 per cent to 119,814 cars on a 23 per cent gain for the updated version of the Panamera four-door coupe. It plans to present a fresh version of the Cayenne SUV, the brand's bestselling model, at the Paris auto show next month.
If you have questions for Jason Tchir about driving or car maintenance, please write to globedrive@globeandmail.com.
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