This Is Your Chance To Own An Almost-New, 1-Of-2 Porsche 918 Spyder

Has it really been 10 years since the fabled hypercar holy trinity of the McLaren P1, Ferrari LaFerrari and Porsche 918 Spyder were all being made? It’s hard to believe, but the hybrid-powered trio that every car show, magazine and enthusiast around the world wanted to pit against one another all entered production within a few months of each other in 2013.

It’s an ideal time, then, to reflect on this grouping that moved the hypercar game on and spurred so many debates across the car world. If you want to go a step further and own one of them for yourself, then you’re in luck: there’s a 918 Spyder coming up for auction, and it’s a rather special one.

Of the three, the 918 was always the most civilised and usable. The cabin was well-appointed, it had a modest 12-mile all-electric range and wasn’t much bigger than a contemporary Boxster. It wasn’t unfeasible that it could be used every day, despite the pairing of a racing-derived 4.6-litre V8 and two electric motors chucking out a peak combined output of 875bhp and 940lb ft of torque.

Despite that usability, the owner of this one has chosen to keep the mileage off it. Delivered new to Canada in late 2015, it’s one of approximately 230 cars specified with the Weissach Package (out of 918 in total). This was a roughly £60,000 option when new, and threw in downforce-increasing flaps at the front, drag-reducing winglets at the rear, a larger rear diffuser and magnesium BBS wheels. It also decked out the exterior with a smattering of bare carbon, and the interior with swathes of Alcantara.

Weissach-equipped cars are already the most desirable 918s on the used market, but this one goes a little further. The option pack also gave owners the choice of a couple of graphic packages that harked back to classic Porsche racing liveries.

The iconic Gulf Oil racing colours on this one isn’t one of those, though. Rather, it’s one of just two 918s to be finished in this scheme from the factory. What’s most remarkable is that there are no stickers or vinyl wraps involved – the entire livery was painted by Porsche, at a cost of $108,505 Canadian when new (approximately £55,000 at the time). The Gulf theme is continued inside with matching orange piping.

When it goes under the hammer at Gooding & Co.’s Amelia Island auction between 29 February and 1 March, it’s expected to fetch from $2.5 million to $3 million – that’s roughly between £2 million and £2.4 million. This is about twice the usual going rate for a used 918, but this one’s not really ‘used’ – it’s covered just 376 miles. Why so few miles? Well, remember we said there was one other 918 specced like this? It belongs to the same owner, and he’s keeping that one.