Winding Road Drives The Porsche 918 Spyder At COTA

How well would a Porsche 918 Spyder handle the Circuit of the Americas?

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Just a couple of days ago, we showed video of a

at COTA. The McLaren P1 is an exercise in devastation. With 903 peak horsepower, active aerodynamics, and a properly taut suspension, the McLaren P1 is as close, if not, an arguably better experience to an F1 car on the race track. Unlike F1 cars, the McLaren P1’s engine, the 3.8-liter turbocharged V8 connected to an electric motor, isn’t exactly tied down to F1 rules and regulations about power delivery, horsepower, and gas mileage.

Photo Credit: Porsche 918 Press Kit http://press.porsche.com/media/gallery2/v/photos/models/918-Spyder/918+Spyder+at+COTA/ /

The Porsche 918 Spyder brings something different to the table. It is capable of over 20 miles on pure electric power. Instead of an emphasis on aerodynamics to get the power to the ground, Porsche decided to use an all-wheel-drive unit. A 4.6-liter V8 connected to two electric motors, combine for an output of 887 horsepower. Peak torque is listed at 944-lb.ft. This isn’t just a hypercar, it’s an earth-mover. That’s enough torque to stop the rotation on earth and move it in the opposite direction. That kind of torque would give Superman a run along the equator.

Fortunately, Winding Road was able to provide some point-of-view coverage.

I know what you might be thinking. He speaks! Rarely does Winding Road do a full on review with a narrative, but we are especially happy when they do.

The drives were done for a Ride.Drive.Give event in Texas.

"“This year was our 3rd Annual Ride.Drive.Give. event at Circuit of The Americas, and it was another great success,” said Sam Butterworth, Center for Child Protection board member and Ride.Drive.Give. event chair. “Ride.Drive.Give. is such a unique event to Austin because it allows participants who have a passion for driving to experience the thrill of speed, all while giving back to the children in their city.”"

There’s nothing quite like the sound of a naturally aspirated V8 while the tires are being pushed to the limits of adhesion. The Porsche 918 certainly looked far more manageable to drive on the circuit than the McLaren P1.

More cars: Winding Road Drives The McLaren P1 At COTA

Nothing makes me happier than seeing race cars or hypercars being pushed around on a race track. It’s even more cool to think that this event was set up as a charitable event. Do I want to move to Austin, Texas? Maybe. Right now, California isn’t so bad, especially with Buttonwillow Raceway and Laguna Seca within the state.

At least with the video, I can pretend to flog a Porsche 918 Spyder on a Friday, fleeing the workplace. Admittedly, of the hypercars, this is my favorite.

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