Unlike Ferrari, which tried to keep its LaFerrari range-topper a secret until the very last minute, Porsche had a more laid-back approach with its upcoming 918 Spyder flagship supercar. The German carmaker kept us updated from the early development stages of the car, releasing revealing photos, although the 918 Spyder has never been shown without light camouflage gear or racing-inspired liveries.

We suspect that the car you see in these photos is not the final production version, or at least it doesn’t reveal all of its fine details. After all, visitors of the Frankfurt Auto Show in autumn – where the 918 Spyder will have its world premiere – will to be the first to see the final production version.

Until we get to finally see the 918 Spyder in all its production glory, we’ll just have to settle for this extended photo gallery of the pre-production model. And if you feel the need to review once again its technical details, here you have them all.

To end on a personal note, I believe the 918 Spyder is the best looking of the three hypercars released this year. It has that same understated charm that the Carrera GT had, with the “form follows function” design philosophy being applied in an elegant and beautiful manner. Its proportions are harmonious and it is unmistakably a Porsche.

With the risk of being called names by Ferrari fans, I will say that the LaFerrari’s design is too cold, soulless even. It is far behind the Enzo, judging from the strong impression it made when it was introduced in 2003. As for the McLaren P1, for me the clothes iron face ruins it all.

By Dan Mihalascu

PHOTO GALLERY