By some twist of great fortune, a fellow Ford GT buddy and I were invited by Porsche to spend the morning at Barber Motorsports getting to know the Porsche 918. Porsche North America really went out of their way to make it a very special visit. David Donohue, a well known racer, and 2 other folks from Porsche spent the morning with us. David, as a professional driver, knew everything about the car and its inner workings. The rest of the team knew a remarkable amount as well.
After a visit to Porsche's private paddock, we got a great walk around of the car and its amazing on-board control systems. The car is stunning IMHO. To me, it looks great from every angle. I've seen a P1 up close, and I think the 918 is a more timeless design that will age far better. Not to mention the removable roof panels can quickly make it into a convertible. The design really harkens back to the Carrera GT in my eyes. The build quality is amazing. Of course, there are a dizzying array of options available, to make the $880k base hit the upper stratosphere.
After a good walk around, we were most fortunate to spend time driving it on the street, then the track. This crazy car will go 90 mph in all electric mode, silently. In hybrid mode it gets something like 60 mpg. In race mode (combined gas and electric), its acceleration was so fast, it about scared the cr-- out of me. I've been lucky to have driven a few fast cars in my day, but OMG, it's insane. At the same time, it can also be very docile on the street and is very streetable, much like the Ford GT.
After some time on the roads of Birmingham, we then did some driving on the track. It's a fabulous track full of twists and turns and elevation changes causing blind curves. To me, a smaller, but newer VIR. The 918 is insane on the track. As a near novice, behind the wheel it was not hard to keep up with the lead car, a track instructor driven Turbo S. The 918 is so planted, so fast and stable. On a few occasions, coming into a turn too quickly and lifting a bit, I knew if I was in my GT sans electronic nannies, I would have lost it. The 918 held on like a champ.
The 918 is a total dream. I was blown away by the looks, the performance, the ability to street and track drive, the fit and finish. If any of you guys are lucky enough to have ordered one, you will not be disappointed. It's hard for me to think of a car I've wanted much more.
Will post some lousy phone photos soon.
After a visit to Porsche's private paddock, we got a great walk around of the car and its amazing on-board control systems. The car is stunning IMHO. To me, it looks great from every angle. I've seen a P1 up close, and I think the 918 is a more timeless design that will age far better. Not to mention the removable roof panels can quickly make it into a convertible. The design really harkens back to the Carrera GT in my eyes. The build quality is amazing. Of course, there are a dizzying array of options available, to make the $880k base hit the upper stratosphere.
After a good walk around, we were most fortunate to spend time driving it on the street, then the track. This crazy car will go 90 mph in all electric mode, silently. In hybrid mode it gets something like 60 mpg. In race mode (combined gas and electric), its acceleration was so fast, it about scared the cr-- out of me. I've been lucky to have driven a few fast cars in my day, but OMG, it's insane. At the same time, it can also be very docile on the street and is very streetable, much like the Ford GT.
After some time on the roads of Birmingham, we then did some driving on the track. It's a fabulous track full of twists and turns and elevation changes causing blind curves. To me, a smaller, but newer VIR. The 918 is insane on the track. As a near novice, behind the wheel it was not hard to keep up with the lead car, a track instructor driven Turbo S. The 918 is so planted, so fast and stable. On a few occasions, coming into a turn too quickly and lifting a bit, I knew if I was in my GT sans electronic nannies, I would have lost it. The 918 held on like a champ.
The 918 is a total dream. I was blown away by the looks, the performance, the ability to street and track drive, the fit and finish. If any of you guys are lucky enough to have ordered one, you will not be disappointed. It's hard for me to think of a car I've wanted much more.
Will post some lousy phone photos soon.
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