Porsche 918 Spyder smashes Nurburgring lap record

The production spec 918 Spyder broke the lap record on September 4, with Porsche factory race driver Marc Lieb behind the wheel lapping the 20.8km Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit in 6 minutes and 57 seconds.

The lap was significantly quicker than the previous record of 7 minutes and 11 seconds recorded by the Gumpert Apollo Sport in 2009.

Porsche test driver Timo Kluck and European rally legend Walter Röhrl also drove the 918 plug-in hybrid and likewise managed to beat the previous record, but it was Lieb who had the best time, with an average speed of around 179km/h.

The record-breaking Porsche 918 Spyder wasn’t the standard edition, but a track-oriented Weissach Package model equipped with lightweight magnesium wheels that reduces the car’s overall weight by 35 kilograms.

The option pack also includes additional aerodynamics, six-point racing harnesses and limited edition colours inspired by legendary Porsche racers.