When Porsche released the first details on its Porsche 918 Spyder concept, it all seemed too good to be true – a combined power output of more than 500kW and fuel economy better than most diesel hatchbacks.

With the entire company backing its production, Porsche is now developing a business case for the Porsche 918 Spyder to be built in limited numbers.

Porsche is reportedly working with its dealer network to collect the names of prospective buyers which it will use as the first step toward giving the project the green light.

According to AutomobileMag, this bares a strange resemblance to the series of events which led to the production of the Porsche Carrera GT which also started life as a concept at the Geneva motor show a decade ago.

If this is a case, then it could be another four years before we see the Porsche 918 Spyder in production form, with the Carrera GT arriving four years after it appeared in concept form.

“If customer feedback is positive and we end up over time with about 1000 firm orders.” Porsche R&D chief Wolfgang Dürheimer told AutomobileMag.

Dürheimer also noted that if the Porsche 918 Spyder did reach showrooms, it would be far more expensive that the Carrera GT which carried a $440,000 price tag at the time.

With AutomobileMag