The Porsche 918 Spyder is one of the greatest supercars so far this century. And back in 2015, if you ordered a brand-new one with the added Weissach package, you could essentially have it painted any color your heart desired. For one Swiss buyer preparing to hand over more than $1 million, it had to be a hand-painted psychedelic design inspired by some of the legendary Le Mans–winning Porsche 917s from the early 1970s.
Yet it came with a twist. Instead of choosing Porsche’s iconic Guards Red paint to complement the car’s complex stark-white swirls, he picked Rosso Corsa. As in the Prancing Horse’s Rosso Corsa. That’s right, a Porsche 918 painted Ferrari red. Sacrilege? We’ll let you decide. Not that it will likely matter when this Porsche 918, one of the rarest examples, is offered through RM Sotheby’s in a two-day Sotheby’s Sealed auction opening Wednesday, January 17.
The 2105 Porsche 918 “Weissach” Spyder being offered from January 17 through 19.
Benjamin Hodara, courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
“This is arguably the finest and most lavishly specified 918 Spyder in existence . . . Offered directly from its first and only owner and having been driven less than 800 km (500 miles),” states RM Sotheby’s in its auction notes. In addition to that psychedelic paint job, it’s the car’s exclusivity that undoubtedly sets it apart. Between 2014 and 2016, Porsche built just 918 examples of the 918 Spyder model. This car, No. 680, was delivered in January of 2016.
While many of the Weissach-package 918s received a vinyl wrap in one of the so-called “hippy” liveries (remember the famous “pink pig” design?), No. 680 was one of only three to have this specific livery painted, and the only one to feature that retina-searing red-and-white color scheme.
The interior is trimmed in custom red leather with contrasting white piping on the seats.
Benjamin Hodara, courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
The car’s customization also included white-painted magnesium Weissach wheels, silver brake calipers, No. 8 racing nomenclature on the doors and hood, and discreet Martini Racing badges on the lower rear fenders. The Spyder’s jaw-dropping interior is trimmed in custom red leather with contrasting white piping on the seats, and the trunk and firewall are dressed in black-quilted fabric. Even the keys are unique, painted matching red and white, and housed in red-leather pouches.
The hybrid power-train configuration delivers 887 hp and more than 940 ft lbs of torque.
Benjamin Hodara, courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
The options alone are said to have totaled more than $192,000. That’s on top of the original cost of roughly $860,000 for the vehicle. Add to that value the sheer overwhelming appeal and collectability of the 918 Spyder. Here was the spiritual successor to the iconic 959 and Carrera GT with hybrid power creating a technical masterpiece. Output comes from a 608 hp 4.6-liter V-8 with electric motors front and rear. The setup delivers a combined 887 hp and more than 940 ft lbs of torque. At its launch, independent testers recorded zero-to-60 mph acceleration in 2.2 seconds and a top speed of 214 mph, while Porsche took the 918 Spyder and set a record-breaking time of 6 minutes, 57 seconds around the Nürburgring track in Germany.
The car has less than 500 miles on the odometer.
Benjamin Hodara, courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
According to RM Sotheby’s, after the owner took delivery of the car from Porsche’s headquarters in Stuttgart, it has spent its life in the Swiss Alps—the town of Gstaad to be exact. In July of last year, with just 760 km (472 miles) on the odometer, it went to the local Gstaad Porsche Center for an oil change and four new Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires. The bill came to $15,874.
Will the car sell for close to its $2.35 million high-end estimate? Even in today’s softening supercar market, there’s a strong likelihood. In 2022, at a Bring a Trailer auction, a similar 918—with the Weissach package and 1,000 miles on it—garnered $2.025 million. And only last month, at RM Sotheby’s “The White Collection” sale in Houston, Tex., a 2015 Porsche 918 “Weissach” Spyder sold for $3.94 million. We’ll know for sure whether this car’s psychedelic paint helps fetch a dizzying price when the Sotheby’s Sealed auction ends on January 19.
Click here for more photos of this 2015 Porsche 918 “Weissach” Spyder.
The 2015 Porsche 918 “Weissach” Spyder in the Sotheby’s Sealed auction starting January 17.
Benjamin Hodara, courtesy of RM Sotheby’s