A close look at Porsche’s 918 RSR

Things are spinning very quickly at Porsche. Literally. The 918 RSR is hardly short of eye-catching elements but, even so, a few items make an extra-shiny bid for your attention. Here we go.

This is a race version of last year’s eye-popping 918 Spyder concept, which means that the Spyder’s zero-emissions capability is irrelevant. So the RSR downgrades the all-electric lithium ion greenery and ups the old-fashioned internally combusted power output to 556bhp at – get this – 10,300rpm. Porsche hasn’t divulged the engine’s capacity, but admits it’s an evolution of the 3.4-litre direct injection V8 from the RS Spyder endurance racer. This is a good thing, quite clearly.

Words: Jason Barlow
Photos: Ripley & Ripley

This feature was originally published in the February issue of Top Gear magazine