The Porsche 918 Spyder recently became the first homologated road car to conquer
the 20.6-kilometre lap around the Nürburgring Nordschleife in less than seven minutes.
With a time of six minutes and 57 seconds, the super sports car equipped with a hybrid-drive
shaved 14 seconds off the previous record.
The 918 Spyder is also leading the way for future generations as the latest in the line of super sports cars. With its unique technology, it blends maximum driving dynamics with minimal fuel consumption.
By taking the Nürburgring record, Porsche’s latest sports car demonstrates the enormous
potential that lies in Porsche's pioneering plug-in hybrid concept, and is underpinning the
leading role the company enjoys when it comes to developing sporty hybrid cars.
"The radical hybridisation of the 918 Spyder from the very outset is what made this lap record
possible," says Dr. Frank Walliser, head of the 918 Spyder project. "The lap time on the
Nordschleife is and remains the toughest measure of a super sports car. Posting a time of
6m 57s, we achieved a result of which everyone is rightly proud of."
The record, which previously stood for four years, was broken during the first attempt in
the test drive on 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 the two 918 Spyder models
used, and posted lap times of less than seven minutes on numerous occasions.
Ultimately, it was Marc Lieb who posted the absolute best time of 6m 57s, driving at an average
speed of 179.5 km/h, as measured by independent organisation Wige Solutions. Marcus
Schurig, editor-in-chief of sports car magazine "sport auto", was on hand as an objective observer
of the record-breaking runs. The two sports cars, which each deliver an output of 887
bhp (652 kW), were equipped with the optional "Weissach package" to increase the driving
dynamics, and fitted with the standard Michelin tyres developed specifically for the 918
Spyder.