2015 Porsche 918 Spyder Weissach Package

Chassis No. WP0CA2A12FS800485
The 918 Spyder embodies the essence of the Porsche idea: it combines pedigree motor racing technology with excellent everyday versatility, and maximum performance with minimum consumption….In short, the 918 Spyder will act as the gene pool for the Porsche sports cars of the future.
- Porsche Press Release, May 2013
At the start of the 2010s, the three titans of the supercar market - Porsche, Ferrari, and McLaren - all committed to developing their own interpretations of hybrid-electric hypercars. The triumvirate were developed against the 21st century backdrop of increasing global environmental awareness and public scrutiny of the motor industry and the focus of manufacturer development needed to shift to achieving ultimate performance as efficiently and sustainably as possible. Remarkably, all unveiled their new models - the 918 Spyder, LaFerrari and P1 respectively - within the same calendar year, 2013, with each offering a unique perspective on the harvesting and deployment of hybrid energy.
Perhaps predictably, Ferrari positioned the LaFerrari as the car closest in philosophy to a conventional non-hybrid vehicle; the power of its 6.3 liter V12 engine supplemented by a Formula One-inspired Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) controlled automatically by the car's ECU. Conversely, the 918 Spyder and P1 embraced plug-in hybrid technology, with both employing conventional electric motors capable of being charged either from the car's engine while running, or from an external plug-in source. Furthermore, in the case of both the Porsche and the McLaren, their V8 engines and electric motors could operate either in conjunction with one another or independently. Significantly, this ensured that both were able to function for short periods on electrical energy alone.
A carbon fiber monocoque chassis formed the basis of the 918, to which a normally aspirated 4.6 liter V8 engine derived from the ultra-successful Porsche RS Spyder LMP2 program was then fitted. Significantly, the prolific output of the 918's engine alone exceeded that of its illustrious predecessor, the V10 powered Carrera GT - even before the additional 280 horsepower generated from its two axle-mounted electric motors was factored in. Yet more impressive than a combined power output of 887 horsepower was the corresponding maximum torque figure of 944 lb-ft; a figure almost 50 per cent greater than that recorded by either the McLaren or the Ferrari.
The hybrid technology employed by the 918 offered greater flexibility than any other hypercar-based system; a situation which remains unchanged even with the passage of almost a decade. Ingeniously, five distinct driving modes were offered: E-Power, Hybrid, Sport Hybrid, Race Hybrid and Hot Lap, with each offering a different relative apportionment of electric and conventional power according to any given situation.
In the case of the E-Power mode, the 918 was able to travel for a range of 12 miles using purely electric power, while still retaining the ability to reach 60 miles per hour in less than seven seconds, and a top speed of 93 miles per hour. Conversely, the Hot Lap setting, as the name suggests, deployed maximum power from the V8 engine and both electric motors, enabling 60 mph to be achieved in under three seconds, en route to a top speed of 211 mph. Additionally, the 918 recorded sector-leading overall fuel consumption and CO2 emissions - not to mention a highly impressive range of 420 miles in Hybrid mode - thereby underlining the seriousness with which Porsche had grasped their environmental responsibilities.
Although it was the 918's state-of-the-art hybrid technology which justifiably attracted the most plaudits, the car remained highly accomplished in other major areas as well. Its seven-speed dual-clutch PDK transmission - a system developed over almost 30 years by Porsche, initially on the 962 race car - employed one clutch for even numbered gears and another for odd; the resulting shift times and torque delivery being unsurpassed by any other car in Porsche's class.
The 918 was also fitted with four-wheel steering and an intelligent four-wheel drive system, the latter not only optimising torque allocation between front and rear wheels but also transitioning to two-wheel drive above speeds of 165 mph to enable the car's formidable performance to be fully exploited. Naturally, a highly advanced ABS braking system - incorporating six-piston brake calipers at the front and four-piston at the rear, all of which operated on giant, ventilated carbon-ceramic brake discs - ensured that the 918 coped with deceleration as effectively as it did acceleration and cornering.
Fittingly, just 918 Spyders were produced between September 2013 and June 2015. Each was individually numbered; the stunning example which Broad Arrow Auctions are proud to offer here being allocated limitation number 485 in this sequence. Finished in the classic Porsche color scheme of GT Silver Metallic with corresponding Garnet Red leather with Silver piping interior, it was originally specified with the desirable $84,000 high performance Weissach Package which included weight saving and aerodynamics modifications such as lightweight magnesium wheels, an extended rear diffuser and drag reducing rear winglets. In keeping with the track focused nature of the Weissach Package, the windscreen frame, roof panel, wing mirrors and rear wing of number 485 are all finished in gloss carbon fiber; a weight saving measure which - in conjunction with the variant's lighter wheels - contributed to the loss of some 41 kilograms relative to the standard specification car. According to the 2018 Palawan Press 918 Spyder book, number 485 is specified with numerous additional options including the ever useful front axle lift system and wonderfully euphonious Burmester High-End Surround Sound system.
Remarkably, number 485 has covered a mere 1,042 miles from new, which surely renders it one of the lowest mileage 918 Spyders available today. Recently serviced in February 2022 by Porsche Orlando at a cost of almost $18,000, work included 4-year service, major service, fitment of new Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, and warranty items. The invoice for the work performed is available for review. Fastidiously maintained and stored during its present ownership it is accompanied by its original Porsche factory car cover, two painted keys, owner's manuals and electrical charging accessories.
Undeniably 2013 will go down as one of the all-time great automotive vintages, offering as it did three of the fastest and most technically advanced hypercars ever seen. In the 918 Spyder, Porsche arguably delivered the most accomplished and versatile of the ultra-exclusive trio, not to mention the most complete flagship or, appropriately, Halo road car ever to emerge from Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen. A technical tour de force, equally as capable of 30 mph all-electric urban travel as it was of 200 mph Hot Lap track performance, it also represented a car of ergonomic near-perfection, remarkable everyday practicality, superlative build quality and impeccable environmental credentials. For these reasons - and myriad others - no serious Porsche or contemporary supercar collection should be without one.