Preh Outfits Porsche's 918 Spyder Concept Car with New Center Control System

BAD NEUSTADT, GERMANY – July 2, 2010: Preh, a leading supplier of automotive driver controls, sensors and electronic control units, has outfitted the new must-see Porsche 918 Spyder concept vehicle with an innovative center console control system. The super-high-performance, mid-sized sports car with hybrid drive wowed attendees at this year’s Geneva Auto Show in March.

Conceived especially for the Porsche prototype, the system had to satisfy the highest demands of design and functions. The center console’s controls are multifunctional: they can be used to operate both the air conditioning system and multimedia devices, for example. The Preh system features a high-gloss black panel surface and has not only a touchscreen display, but also two retractable turnable/pressable control knobs.

As if the car’s 500-horsepower V8 wasn’t enough, the plug-in 918’s two electric engines are mounted at the front and rear axles that add 218 horsepower, equating to a 0-62 run of 3.2 seconds and 78 mpg.

A further exclusive is the Range Manager, which uses the navigation system’s map to indicate how far the car can travel, and whether a destination can be reached on electric power alone. Drivers are also alerted to improvements in range, using the full potential of the hybrid powertrain.

Wolfgang Küchler, head of advanced development at Preh, says, “When we saw the 918 Spyder for the first time, we were excited that we were able to contribute to this unique and revolutionary vehicle. And we had full confidence that our control system experts would rise to the occasion in implementing Porsche’s demanding concepts.”