Porsche 918 Spyder Sets New Nurburgring Record

The Porsche 918 Spyder completed the 12.8-mile lap around the Nurburgring Nordschleife in six minutes and 57 seconds, shaving 14 seconds off the previous record for a street-legal automobile, and 17 seconds from its run last September.

Porsche 918 Spyder (Photo courtesy of Porsche)

"We promised a great deal with the 918 Spyder, namely to redefine performance, efficiency and driving pleasure. We have kept our word," said Wolfgang Hatz, member of the Porsche AG Board of Management in charge of Research and Development.

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," said 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.