Porsche 918 Spyder, 2015
Chassis No.: WP0CA2A18FS800541 • Exterior: Black • Interior: Black • 855 miles • Build no. 541 from the factory • Hybrid 4.6/887 HP engine • 7-speed dual clutch transmission • All wheel drive • Front axle lift system, $10,500 option • Factory rated at 217 MPH • Carbon fiber monocoque • Aluminum double wishbone axle • Multi-link axle with electric rear wheel steering • Ceramic composite disc brakes with Acid Green calipers • Basalt Black with Martini livery added • Onyx Black leather with Acid Green contrast piping • Lightweight carbon fiber racing seats • Carbon fiber interior package, $7,500 option • Removable roof panels • 12 o’clock marker in Acid Green • Rear wing • Seat belts with Acid Green accents • 20 and 21 inch 918 Spyder wheels The Porsche 918 Spyder is a game changer that has miraculously and seamlessly merged race-car performance with stunning environmentally friendly fuel economy. An absolute technological tour de force, the 918 has spellbinding performance with a 0-60 MPH sprint in 2.2 seconds, as recorded by “Car & Driver,” as well as a quarter-mile speed of 145 MPH with an elapsed time of 9.8 seconds and a factory-rated top speed of 217 MPH, all the while achieving an incredible EPA combined city/highway fuel-economy rating of 67 MPG. Beyond the performance and environmentally friendly accolades, the 918 Spyder has dramatically changed our paradigm of hybrid automobiles. In the past, hybrid cars and high-performance cars were on the polar opposite sides of the desirability spectrum. This car is groundbreaking in that it suddenly makes sense that electric power working in concert with power derived from an internal-combustion engine makes a sweet marriage for elevated performance. The featured 918 Spyder—build 561 out of a total 918 units produced—is presented in Basalt Black paint highlighted with Acid-Green accents on the brake calipers and body badging. It has also been fitted with Martini livery paying homage to the Count Martini—the benefactor and sponsor of Porsche racing during the 1970s and ‘80s. The Onyx Black leather interior is also highlighted with Acid-Green accents on the seat belts, seats, door panels, headrests and the racy 12 o’clock marker on the steering wheel. This superb machine has been optioned with the $7,500 carbon-fiber interior package and the $10,500 front-axle lift system. With its removable roof panels, the 918 Spyder can be enjoyed either as an open-air machine or as a closed coupe. With a mere 855 original miles, this example of Porsche’s ultimate performance car looks nearly showroom new. A plug-in hybrid sports car that utilizes a 600-plus HP 4.6L direct-fuel-injected engine—based on the RS Spyder prototype race car—combined with two electric motors that bring total output to 887 HP. The rear electric motor operates in tandem with the engine and provides power to the rear transaxle; the front electric motor powers the front wheels on demand. When all three power units are activated, all of that raucous horsepower is available. The powertrain is fitted amidships in a carbon-fiber monocoque frame that is both exceedingly strong and lightweight. Power is transmitted through a 7-speed PKD transmission, and stopping power is provided by large 4-wheel ceramic-composite disc brakes. The energy-storage system is a 312-cell lithium-ion battery positioned behind the passenger cell. In addition to a plug-in charge port at the passenger-side B-pillar, the batteries also receive a significant jolt of juice by regenerative braking. The 918 Spyder can be operated in one of five modes: electric, hybrid, hybrid sport, race and hot lap. When introduced at the Frankfurt Auto Show in 2013, the automotive press was truly captivated by this world-class sports car that could provide race-car acceleration, precision handling and long-range fuel economy. Shortly after, the 918 Spyder set the fastest lap record for a street-legal production car around the famed Nürburgring 12.8-mile course at 6 minutes, 57 seconds. It was at that point that Porsche let the world know that they had redefined the meaning of performance when combined with an equal emphasis on being environmentally friendly. The merging of these two technologies into such a cohesive and integrated package elevates the status of the Porsche 918 to hypercar status. In fact, many pundits consider it to be the ultimate hypercar ever produced. It is nothing short of a game changer that moves both automotive and environmental engineering a quantum leap forward from where it stood a decade ago. https://www.mecum.com/lots/345871/2015-porsche-918-spyder/
