Hard-Launching A Porsche 918 Spyder To 150mph Nearly Made Me Lose My Mind

As Porsche’s equanimous test driver mentioned in the video above, the 918 Spyder hypercar will hit 62mph from standing in 2.6 seconds before reaching 124mph in 7.2 seconds and 186mph in 19.9 seconds. Its top speed is achieved at 215mph, which makes the 918 Spyder one of the fastest road-going production cars ever made.

And no wonder; powering the 918 is a 4.6-litre V8 petrol engine plus two electric motors, which combine to produce an astonishing 875bhp at 8500rpm and 944lb ft of torque. The car’s power is sent to all four wheels via a seven-speed PDK dual-clutch gearbox.

During a recent Porsche driving day - including 911 Turbos and Cayman GTSs - I was asked if I’d like to experience a hot lap from the 918 passenger seat. As you’ll see in the video, I said hell yes to the experience, and as you’ll also see in the video, the car’s G-force-inducing acceleration had a profound effect on me.

Now I’ve experienced hard launches in a 611bhp/516lb ft GT2 RS and a friend’s 542bhp/463lb ft 2014 GT-R, which I was deeply impressed by. But nothing could prepare my body for the retina-detaching violence that is the 918’s relentless thrust, heightened by not being at the controls myself - you all know the feeling of thinking that a car is faster when you’re in the passenger seat, I’m sure…

The noise from the mid-mounted V8 adds to the overall experience, as does the PDK ‘box, which slips through gears almost unnoticed, helping all of the hypercar’s 875 horses to pin you back in the seat with straight-jacket-like intensity. Despite this, the car will also return up to 94mpg and emit 70g/km CO2 thanks to its ability to drive in electric mode up to speeds of 93mph. Who said hybrids had to be boring?