With the rate of progress in the automotive industry, it’s easy to forget about the trio of hypercars that came out a few years ago. For anyone that needs a reminder on just how fast the Porshce 918 Spyder is, here’s a video of the hypercar hitting a top speed of 218 mph or 350km/h.
Johnny Bohmer Proving Grounds got hold of a 918 Spyder with the Weissach Package and mashed the go-fast pedal until the hypercar reached its top speed. The 918 Spyder is a high-tech, high-performance vehicle, but the Weissach Package turns the notch up by cutting weight off of the vehicle.
The regular 918 Spyder weighs 3,715 pounds (1,685 kg). Owners that opted for the Weissach Package brought that figure down to 3,616 pounds (1,640kg). That doesn’t sound like much, but it made the vehicle quicker to 62 and 124 mph (100 and 200km/h respectively). Top speed, though, for both variants is claimed to be above 213 mph.
Incredibly, the video shows the 918 Spyder with the Weissach package hit 218 mph (350km/h)over a 2.3-mile straight. The run was completed earlier in February and was made in Merritt Island, Fla. That top speed figure is faster than what Porsche claims the vehicle’s capable of. Even more impressively, the hypercar hits that figure in less than 50 seconds.
According to Jalopnik, Johnny Bohmer, the brave individual behind the wheel of the Porsche, claims the run was the world’s fastest recorded speed for a 918 Spyder.
Car speedometers, though, are known to be a little off. Knowing that, Bohmer reportedly used a Garmin GPS unit to get a more accurate measurement of the car’s speed. An individual from the International Mile Racing Association was also on hand to time the run.
The 918 Spyder may not be the star of the automotive industry anymore, but it’s still an incredible masterpiece.