Porsche 918 hits 350km/h in Outback
Hybrid German hypercar sprints from 60km/h to top speed in just 40 seconds – on public roadsPorsche's 918 Spyder has blasted to 350km/h on public roads in the Australian Outback as part of an audacious publicity stunt to promote its plug-in hybrid hypercar.
The unprecedented high-speed run, conducted on the derestricted section of the Stuart Highway north of Alice Springs, was achieved by a professional Porsche racing car driver which motoring.com.au understands was Craig Baird.
The 918 in question was the same car that appeared at the Australian Formula One Grand Prix in Melbourne and the same car set an unofficial production car lap record at Phillip Island last month.
Porsche said the use of radios and spotters ensured the road was completely devoid of traffic at the time, with a 911 Turbo along for the ride posting 327km/h on the same road.
The 918 drove the first 25km out of Alice Springs on electric power alone before unleashing its entire 652kW combined power output to hit 350km/h.
Porsche said it accelerated from a near-silent 60km/h to the top speed figure in just 40 seconds in "an achievement no other production car has ever managed on Australian roads".
The only version of the million-dollar limited-edition to grace Australia will return to Germany next week, following an Australia-wide ‘Porsche E-Mobility' promotional tour that also includes static display at Porsche Centre showrooms across the eastern seaboard.
The 918 Spyder – just 918 examples of which will be built — can drive for up to 30km at speeds of up to 150 km/h using only its twin electric motors that develop 210kW at 6500rpm in full-electric ‘E-Power‘ mode.
In ‘Race Hybrid‘ mode the electric motors work in conjunction with the car's motorsport-derived 4.6-litre V8 petrol engine, which cranks out 447kW at 8700rpm, to deliver maximum total power output of 652 kW at 8500rpm.
A version of the Porsche Intelligent Performance hybrid technology that powers the 918, which is claimed to return average fuel consumption of just 3.0L/100km, will power other Stuttgart supercars in future, including the next-generation 911 Carrera S E-Hybrid.
Including the Panamera S E-Hybrid and Cayenne S E-Hybrid, which pair an electric motor with a 3.0-litre supercharged petrol V6, Porsche says it is the only manufacturer to offers three different plug-in hybrid luxury vehicles.
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