Following suit from the 959 and Carrera GT, the 918 Spyder pioneered the very best technology available to Porsche at the time to produce an automobile that was world-beating in every respect. Like the Carrera GT, the 918 Spyder’s chassis was constructed almost entirely of carbon fiber-reinfoced plastic composite. Based on the engine in the RS Spyder LMP2 Le Mans prototype racing engines, the 918 Spyder’s naturally aspirated 90-degree V-8 can rev to an ear-piercing 9,000 rpm, thanks to its flat-plane crankshaft, titanium connection rod, four valves per cylinder and dry-sump lubrication. Porsche’s patented Variocam intake system and direct fuel injection give the engine an output of 608 bhp, meaning an incredible 133 bhp per litre of displacement. One of the most distinguishable features of the car and its powerplant is its top-exiting exhaust, which helps to reduce the powertrain’s operating temperature.

Further to that, the 918 Spyder is powered by not one, but two electric motors, with one mated to the V-8 and another providing drive to the front axle. These bring an additional 284 bhp, making for a total output of 887 bhp and 944 foot-pounds of torque. Porsche’s tried and true PDK seven-speed transmission manages the car’s awesome power, and its delivery can be further refined through five driving modes, ranging from full electric to ‘Hot Lap’, which utilizes every ounce of available performance from the powertrain. Sixty miles per hour can be reached from a standstill in less than 2.5 seconds, a time faster than both the McLaren P1 and the Ferrari LaFerrari, leading towards a top speed of 211 mph. Comparing performance figures between ‘the big three’ showed that not only was the 918 the fastest to 60 mph, it also boasted the furthest electric-only range, lowest carbon dioxide emissions and lowest fuel consumption.

Of course, the brakes utilized to bring the car to a halt are just as mighty as the 918 Spyder’s gargantuan power train. Massive carbon-ceramic discs sitting behind the car’s lightweight alloy wheels measure at 410 mm in diameter at the front with six piston callipers and 390 mm in diameter at the rear with four piston callipers. Assisting the car’s handling and downforce are a handful of active aerodynamic features. This includes an adjustable rear wing, a pair of under-floor flaps in the nose and further adjustable flaps in the headlamp area. These can all be adjusted to provide either maximum efficiency or additional downforce, directly linked to the car’s driving modes.

Delivered new to Austria, this 918 Spyder is finished in White with contrasting black leather interior and Acid Green piping. It is equipped with a variety of factory options, including the Weissach pack rear aeroblades, Front Axle Lift System, Burmester stereo and seatbelts in Acid Green. Still with its original owner, the car has been driven less than 900 km and remains in wonderful condition both inside and out. The car’s most recent service was undertaken at Porsche in Stuttgart in November of 2017, where the car received a two-year service.

Pioneering hybrid technology for the Porsche brand and showing that an electric powertrain can provide quantifiable benefits in both performance and efficiency when coupled with a high-performance combustion engine, the 918 is Porsche engineering at its best: pushing the limits of what is possible in an effort to develop cutting-edge technology for the next generation. Arguably the most comfortable and usable of the lauded hybrid hypercar trio, the 918 Spyder was truly a landmark car for Porsche in all regards. Spearheading the company’s pursuit of hybrid-electric technology, which has now trickled down across two models in their line-up, the 918 proved that hybrid-electric automobiles could enhance performance in ways previously not thought possible. Like the 959, the technologies pioneered in the 918 Spyder will continue to trickle down through not only Porsche’s family tree, but will continue to influence the automotive industry on the whole.

For any enthusiast or collector, sliding behind the wheel of a 918 will offer an experience like nothing else, catapulting the driver into the 21st century. Offered today from its original owner with less than 900 km from new on its odometer and in virtually as-new condition, it begs to be driven and enjoyed on the open road as an example of the very best in performance and efficiency that automotive engineering has to offer.