Looking to celebrate their rich roots in motorsport, buyers of Weissach Package-equipped 918 Spyders had the option of having their painted car customized with a factory-applied wrap evoking a historic Porsche livery, including a Martini livery, the ‘Salzburg’ livery (a red and white scheme matching the 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans-winning 917), and a matte black wrap. True students of motorsport history would notice that there was one very significant 917-specific livery missing from this offering, Porsche’s iconic Gulf livery. A handful of owners noticed this too and took matters into their own hands.

Five 918 Spyders were finished in Paint to Sample Gulf Blue by Porsche at the factory. One car (serial no. 137) was sold new to Italy without Gulf livery. The remaining four examples were built for the North American market; two delivered to Canada and two delivered to the United States. The two Canadian examples (serial numbers 325 and 514) were sold new to the same owner in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. One US example (serial number 543) was finished in Gulf Blue with the Salzberg livery package painted in Orange. Lastly, the car offered here (serial number 740) was delivered new to a serial Porsche collector in Atlanta, Georgia. The original owner of this car was inspired by the livery of the Porsche 917K that won the 1970 Porsche 24 Hours of Daytona, and chose to replicate the livery of that car on his new 918 Spyder.

Of the five Gulf Blue 918 Spyders, this car boasts a unique specification as it is the only US specification 918 Spyder delivered in Gulf livery, and the only Gulf Blue 918 Spyder worldwide to boast an interior trimmed in Mocha Brown leather with piping to sample in Arancia Mira. Equipped with the Weissach package, the car remains exceptionally well equipped throughout, and optional extras include the front end lift system, visible carbon fiber interior trim, fire extinguisher, PPF from the factory, the Burmeister audio system, mirrors, roof panel, and rear spoiler in visible carbon fiber, and the vehicle tracking system.

In addition to the usual options list, a host of further special-order options were specified by the original owner. Further to the Gulf livery, roundels with the number 2 feature on each door to match the aforementioned Daytona-winning 917. In addition to the seat piping, Arancia Mira was also seen as stitching on the sun visors and steering wheel, as well as the 12 o’clock marker on the steering wheel. The Weissach package-specific magnesium wheels were painted in satin platinum paint, rather than their usual finish. Furthermore, the Weissach package equipment of door pull loops and the carbon fiber boot prop were replaced with the base 918 Spyder gas struts for the boot and standard interior door handles. Finally, the car was fitted with a thicker glass rear window, the windscreen frame was painted in Gulf Blue (this is normally carbon fiber), and the car’s two keys were painted in contrasting colors of Gulf Blue and Gulf Orange to match the car’s livery, along with key pouches and the owner’s manual folio trimmed in Mocha Brown leather with Arancia Mira piping to match the interior.

As outlined on the accompanying original window sticker, the car was ordered through Hennessey Porsche North Atlanta but the original owner opted to take delivery at Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, Alabama. Prior to the construction of the Porsche Experience Center in Atlanta, this was where Porsche hosted their driver experience days in Southeastern US, and this surely would have made for a very memorable experience, allowing the owner to learn the limits of his new 918 Spyder on the safety of a closed track with a driving instructor riding alongside. Remaining with the original owner for the first five years of its life, the car’s next owner would be from Miami, and thereafter it has always called the Southeastern US home.

Having been driven just under 750 miles from new, this uniquely specified 918 will truly stand out from the crowd wherever it goes. Considered by many to be the most usable of its direct competitors (the McLaren P1 and Ferrari LaFerrari), the 918 provides truly otherworldly performance with the reliability and usability one comes to expect with any Porsche. Over a decade on from its introduction, the 918 Spyder remains just a remarkable car today as it did when it was introduced.