Porsche 918 Spyder Clocks a Time of 7:14 on the ‘Ring
By Greg Kable
Porsche has announced an official Nürburgring lap time of 7 minutes, 14 seconds for the 918 Spyder following a series of official tests with prototypes of the advanced gasoline-electric hybrid supercar at the famed German circuit this week.
Although Porsche isn’t prepared to confirm who was driving the early version of the 918 Spyder at the time, it does say the lap time was achieved with a prototype boasting what it describes as an optional Weissach package that provides a series of yet-to-be revealed handling tweaks and on standard Michelin road tires.
“With a time of 7:14, the 918 Spyder has confirmed the potential of its future-orientated driveline concept after just a few months of testing,” said Frank Walliser, head of the 918 Spyder development.
The official lap time for the 918 Spyder is among the fastest for a road-legal car at the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife circuit, undercutting by some 18 seconds the fastest time of its predecessor, the Carrera GT, achieved back in 2004.
As well as confirming the 918 Spyder’s testing pace at the Nürburgring, Porsche has also revealed its hybrid driveline puts out 784 hp. Powering the new two-seater is a mid-mounted 4.6-liter V8 gasoline engine loosely based on that used by the Porsche RS Spyder race car and a pair of electric motors mounted within the front-axle assembly.
The 918 Spyder is planned to go into production at Porsche’s Zuffenhausen headquarters on the outskirts of Stuttgart on Sept. 18, 2013.
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