The Porsche 918 Spyder has conquered the 20.6-kilometer lap around the Nurburgring Nordschleife in less than seven minutes. Achieving a time of six minutes and 57 seconds, the super sports car equipped with a hybrid drive shaved 14 seconds off the previous Nurburgring record for a street-legal automobile, and 17 seconds from its run last September.
The record, which was previously held for four years, was broken during the first test drive attempt in the morning of September 4. All three drivers – former European Rally Champion Walter Röhrl, Porsche test driver Timo Kluck and Porsche factory driver Marc Lieb – were quicker than the existing record with each lap driving two different 918 Spyder, and posted several lap times of less than seven minutes. Ultimately, it was Marc Lieb who posted the absolute best time, driving at an average speed of 179.5 km/h.
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The two sports cars, which both deliver an output of 887 hp, were equipped with the optional “Weissach package” to increase driving dynamics and the standard Michelin tires developed specifically for the 918 Spyder.
Update: We’ve added footage of the the full 6:57 lap.