As the standard against which all performance models are judged, the lap record for Germany’s storied 12.8-mile Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit is under constant assault. In addition to providing the official track statistician with job security, record-chasing runs are a universally accepted, objective measure of a car’s performance, and shaving seconds gives automakers reasons to grab some headlines. Of course, many try to set a new standard, but most fail. Porsche’s hybridized 918 Spyder is not among the failures.
Not only did the 918’s record-toppling 6 minute, 57 second lap obliterate its own previous low of 7 minutes, 14 seconds, but the team—comprised of rally ace Walter Röhrl, company test driver Timo Kluck, and factory racer Marc Lieb—bettered it on the first try. The time is just nine seconds slower than the lap turned in by the Radical SR8LM, although that’s a production car only in the absolute loosest sense of the term. The Porsche 918 is street-legal worldwide, which is enough for us to say it holds the mark. The Gumpert Apollo Sport is now the second quickest by this standard, having posted a 7:11 in 2009.
Lieb was behind the wheel for the quickest lap, posting an average speed of 111.53 mph. Two 887-hp 918s were prepped to run, both equipped with the optional weight-shaving (and crazy expensive—it costs $84K) Weissach package. The tires fitted were the 918’s standard-issue Michelins, which were developed specifically for the car.
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The 918 Spyder just made its global production-spec debut at the Frankfurt auto show. Of the run, Porsche R&D head Wolfgang Hatz said, “We promised a great deal with the 918 Spyder, namely to redefine . . . performance. We have kept our word.” Uh, yeah.
Porsche also whipped up a celebratory YouTube clip, which you can watch here:
Source: CarAndDriver
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