845-Mile Porsche 918 Spyder Sells For Record $6.05 Million

It’s been over 12 years since the Porsche 918 Spyder with the Weissach Package became the first street-legal car to lap the famous Nürburgring in under seven minutes. The plug-in hybrid supercar set new performance and technical benchmarks for the German automaker, and when you consider its rarity (fewer than 1,000 examples were produced), its steadily rising values are no surprise. Even so, the Pure Orange 918 Spyder you see here just set a tremendous world record for the car, selling for $6.05 million and far surpassing the previous record of $3.93 million. It figures, then, that this is a rather special example of the electrified Porsche.

One-of-One Paint Job

You’ll never lose this 918 Spyder in the parking lot, thanks to its vivid Pure Orange paintwork. This paint-to-sample option cost a staggering $21,000 when the car was purchased new in 2014 and is the only 918 Spyder in this finish. 

The desirable Weissach Package is also equipped, shaving about 90 pounds off the standard car’s weight. It includes key components manufactured from carbon fiber, including the windscreen frame and rearview mirrors. Magnesium wheels and an extended rear diffuser also form part of this upgrade. A front axle lift system for $10,500 is also added. The interior piping dispenses with the usual Acid Green and is matched to the Pure Orange exterior, too. This orange 918 sold for $964,875 in 2014, including all options and the destination charge.

With just 845 miles covered, this 2015 918 Spyder has barely had the opportunity to stretch its legs. The attractive spec and ultra-low miles contributed to the record sale of $6,050,000 at Mecum’s Kissimmee auction this past Friday. This jaw-dropping figure is double some of the previous high bids we’ve seen for 918 Spyders, and over $2 million more than the previous record. 

Related: Every Porsche 918 Spyder Took 100 Hours to Build – Here’s What That Looks Like

A Groundbreaking Era For Hybrids

Back in 2013 when the 918 Spyder went into production, hybrids were still very much fuel-saving alternatives to conventional powertrains. But, together with the Ferrari LaFerrari and McLaren P1 introduced at around the same time, the Porsche showed how combining electric motors with a gas engine could be used to boost performance to unprecedented levels. In the case of the 918 Spyder, the 4.6-liter naturally aspirated V8 engine was combined with front and rear electric motors; one motor joins the V8 in powering the rear wheels, while the other electric motor powers the front ones. 

It was a deadly combination, with the Spyder producing 887 horsepower and 944 lb-ft of torque. Independent tests confirmed 0-60 times of below 2.5 seconds, and it flew way past 200 mph at the top end. Even today, the 918 Spyder’s performance matches up to the very best; it’s roughly as quick to 60 as the modern Lamborghini Revuelto, a 1,001-hp PHEV.

Now that one 918 Spyder has crossed the $6-million mark, the effect of this sale could spill over to used values of other pristine, low-mileage examples. For now, though, this is the most valuable 918 Spyder on the planet.