PERFORMANCE brand Porsche heralded a new era for sports car manufacturing at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2013.

The German marque lifted the wraps on its much-vaunted plug-in hybrid drive 918 Spyder and the new Type 991 Porsche 911 Turbo.

And to celebrate 50 years of the 911, a special edition coupe has been revealed - limited to 1963 cars - in the same city and show where the iconic model made its debut.

In addition, the new generation of the Panamera Gran Turismo - the first plug-in hybrid in the luxury car market - is also being displayed.

The biggest news though concerns the Spyder, which is designed for everyday use yet offers savage performance combined with the fuel consumption of a compact car.

Designed from the start to be a high-performance hybrid, the 887bhp Spyder boasts a combination of performance with the virtually silent motion of an electric vehicle.

It is able to accelerate from 0-62 mph in 2.8 seconds and offers an average standard fuel consumption of between 85 and 94mpg.

Porsche says the Spyder will take on a pioneering role similar to that of the 911 when it was first unveiled in Frankfurt.

Like that first coupe, the 911 50 Years Edition combines a distinctive silhouette with a rear-mounted, flat-six engine and rear wheel drive.

It is based on the 911 Carrera S, but has a wider body and powered by a 3.8-litre six cylinder engine producing 400bhp, the model is able to sprint from 0-62 mph in 4.5 seconds and can reach a top speed of 186mph. Fuel consumption is 29.7mpg.

The car boasts features like 20-inch matt black alloy wheels inspired by the so-called 'Fuchs' wheels, a legendary rim that was first fitted to the 911 in 1966, and styling touches reminiscent of the original 911. It costs from £92,257.

Meanwhile, the new generation 'Type 991' 911 Turbo and Turbo S models feature a new all-wheel drive chassis with active rear axle steering, adaptive aerodynamics, full-LED headlights and the brand's 560bhp, flat-six engine with twin turbocharging.

And dynamic performance has been improved via the active Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control anti-roll system, which is making its first appearance in the 911 Turbo models.