A couple months ago we shared with you a video of Porsche LMP1 driver Mark Webber taking tennis-ace Maria Sharapova for a spin in the Porsche 918 Spyder. The racer is continuing to enjoy the perks of working with Porsche after recently chauffeuring Sharapova in the 918 Spyder for a pre-Wimbledon party in the U.K.
Webber had the thrill of taking Sharapova, who is a Porsche ambassador, from The Goring Hotel to the Kensington Roof Gardens in the incredible hybrid hypercar!
In case you didn’t know, the Porsche 918 Spyder comes fitted with a mid-mounted 4.6-litre V8 engine producing 608 hp independently – the highest specific power of any naturally aspirated Porsche engine. The V8 is then supplemented by a further two electric motors mounted on each axle.
The electric motors can either drive the wheels independently or work together with the engine to boost performance. Each motor produces enough power to boost the total figure of 887 hp. A seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) controls power delivery to the rear wheels.
The 918 Spyder has been greatly influenced by its affiliations with motorsport. A number of the developments to the Porsche race car for the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2014 were used in the 918 Spyder – and vice versa. It features a carbon fibre monocoque and a multi-link chassis. The chassis is aided by Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) adaptive shock-absorber system and rear-axle steering.
The Porsche 918 Spyder gets five operating modes, which can be activated via a map switch in the steering wheel, just like in race cars.
