New Zealander Craig Baird, an ex-Porsche Cup winner, drove the 918 hybrid hypercar to a speed-limited top indicated speed of 350km/h on the Stuart Highway in the Northern Territory.
Spotters and two-way radios made sure the path was clear for the top-speed run, with the 652 kW petrol-electric hybrid up to the top of the car’s performance, in what Porsche Australia is claiming as “an achievement no other production car has ever managed on Australian roads.”
Porsche Australia also said that the car – a limited edition known as the 918 Spyder with Weissach Package – drove the 25 km from Alice Springs (in the middle of the desert) to the start of the derestricted section of the Stuart Highway under electric power.
The mid-engined sportscar is powered by a race-derived 4.6-liter naturally aspirated V8 petrol engine, which is complemented by a pair of electric motors that takes the combined power output to 652 kW and 1275 Nm of torque. A seven-speed dual-clutch transmission drives the rear wheels, while the pair of electric motors drive the front wheels.
The car weighs 1700 kg, and the 0-100 km/h time is just 2.6 seconds. The car can be plugged in to recharge its battery array, and can be driven in full electric mode for up to 30 km. It has a combined range of 680 km.
