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Porsche 918 Spyder will come with an electric plug

Porsche 918 Spyder in a plug-in hybrid version is going into production, promising low emissions and 198 m.p.h.

Part of the Geneva Motor Show, the 918 Spyder concept offered Porsche looks and Prius mileage–more specifically, the plug-in hybrid Spyder was offering quotes of up to 78 miles per gallon–and that got most everybody interested. And now, almost five months later, Porsche is taking the concept car into full-bore reality.

Originally, the 918 Spyder boasted two 109 horsepower motors and a lithium ion battery, with a 500 horsepower V8 gas engine to back things up. Word is that the original concept powertrain won’t be significantly altered, and though no one yet knows when these will hit dealerships, we do have an idea of the price tag. You’ll want to be sitting down for this.

If the $100,000 all-electric and very sporty Tesla didn't get that message across, then maybe a plug-in hybrid Porsche will do the trick.

On Wednesday, Porsche announced it would go ahead with development of a plug-in Porsche 918 Spyder to be built in Germany. The car will be based on the 500-horsepower V8 concept car Porsche showed off at the Geneva Motor Show this spring.

Using its combustion engine and electric motor in racing mode, that two-seater, midengine Spyder had a top speed of 198 miles per hour and could go 0 to 60 in under 3.2 seconds. In economy driving mode, it was capable of 113 miles to the gallon.

The company said it decided to move forward with development because of the "overwhelming response" to its concept car.

The new plug-in Spyder will be built in a limited edition, reflecting the expectation that, while it's a very flashy car, it will be too expensive for the masses.

Although Porsche will announce pricing later, the electric Spyder is expected to cost far more than the Tesla.

The production model is set to cost as much as $650,000.