Porsche 918 Spyder Tops Global Debut with New Nurburgring Record
Super sports car equipped with a hybrid drive laps the Nurburgring Nordschleife in 6:57 minutes
Atlanta. The Porsche 918 Spyder has conquered the 12.8-mile (20.6-kilometer) lap around the Nurburgring Nordschleife in less than seven minutes. Achieving a time of six minutes and 57 seconds, the super sports car equipped with a hybrid drive shaved 14 seconds off the previous Nurburgring record for a street-legal automobile, and 17 seconds from its run last September.
Wolfgang Hatz, member of the Porsche AG Board of Management in charge of Research and Development, commented: “We promised a great deal with the 918 Spyder, namely to redefine performance, efficiency and driving pleasure. We have kept our word.”
As befits Porsche, the 918 Spyder is also paving the way for future generations of super sports cars. It is currently making its global debut at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt. With its unique spread, the model blends maximum driving dynamics with minimal fuel consumption. By setting a new Nurburgring record, the 918 sports car is demonstrating both the enormous potential that lies in Porsche’s pioneering plug-in hybrid concept and the leading role the company enjoys when it comes to developing sporty hybrid vehicles.
“The radical hybridization of the 918 Spyder from the very outset is what made this record possible,” says Dr. Frank Walliser, head of the 918 Spyder project. “The Nordschleife is and remains the toughest measure of a super sports car. Posting a time of 6:57 minutes, we have achieved a result of which the development team and everybody at Porsche can be rightly proud.”
The record, which was previously held for four years, was broken during the first test drive attempt in the morning of September 4. All three drivers – former European Rally Champion Walter Röhrl, Porsche test driver Timo Kluck and Porsche factory driver Marc Lieb – were quicker than the existing record with each lap driving two different 918 Spyder, and posted several lap times of less than seven minutes. Ultimately, it was Marc Lieb who posted the absolute best time of 6:57 minutes, driving at an average speed of 111.5 mph (179.5 km/h), as measured by Wige Solutions. Marcus Schurig, editor-in-chief of the sports car magazine “Sport Auto,” was on hand as an independent observer of the record-breaking runs. The two sports cars, which both deliver an output of 887 hp (652 kW), were equipped with the optional “Weissach package” to increase driving dynamics and the standard Michelin tires developed specifically for the 918 Spyder.
About Porsche Cars North America
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA), based in Atlanta, Ga. is the exclusive U.S. importer of Porsche sports cars, the Cayenne SUV and Panamera sports sedan. Established in 1984, it is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Porsche AG, which is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, and employs approximately 220 people who provide parts, service, marketing and training for 189 dealers. They, in turn, work to provide Porsche customers with a best-in-class experience that is in keeping with the brand’s 63-year history and leadership in the advancement of vehicle performance, safety and efficiency.
At the core of this success is Porsche’s proud racing heritage that boasts some 30,000 motorsport wins to date.
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Note: Photos and video footage are available to accredited journalists on the Porsche Press Database at http://press.porsche.com/
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