A small contribution to this thread.
 
I had the opportunity to test drive the 918 Spyder at the Porsche Leipzig track recently.
 
It was the first time I saw the 918 in real life and I have to admit it looks great . I was not 
a particular fan of the 918 design maybe because in the last two years you would see this car on every 
second internet page or printed magazine and almost in its final form. 
I guess in terms of media exposure this Porsche has beaten them all.
 
There were two 918 displayed and available for the test drive a 918 in White with the Weissach package 
and a "standard" 918 in Liquid Blue metallic.  It is very interesting how the metallic and the flat color 
show the shapes of the car. The metallic enhances the lines of the car and renders it more elegant while 
the white color is more sporty and (my impression) shows a bigger more bulky rear three quarter . 
Nevertheless the Liquid Blue metallic in my very humble opinion is not special enough to warranty a 
60 K Eur premium. I would definitely do a Paint To Sample but in a metallic color rather than a flat color.
 
The interior is exquisite. The finish of the carbon fibre and the aluminum parts is amazing. When you sit in it you
immediately feel your are in a Porsche albeit in a very special one. What you immediately notice is the tiny 
knob on the steering wheel (which knob seems to be taken off a 1970 radio) that sets the different engine modes (Electric only, HYbrid, Sport, Race and Race with Hot lap). This small knob, as I will highlight later, changes dramatically the 918 behaviour.
I did not touch or play with the multimedia system so cannot comment on that. 
 
Before I drove the 918 I had 10 laps with the 991 Turbo S to familiarize with the track. I think pages and pages have been written about this car and I can only say that it is all true. Impressive performance , the best Turbo I have ever
driven and the first one (after the air cooled ones) that sounds almost good. 
If i lived in Germany I would mind having one but in a speed limited country it is way too fast to be properly enjoyed.
 
Then the 918 time came . I went in the white 918 with the Weissach package with the instructor who did few laps showing the different modes of the engine. 
We started full electric: what to say, impressive torque , sounded like a taxing learjet but that was it. Very weird.
Then hybrid mode: this was when the day really started for me. In the moment the natural combustion engine kicked in with that fantastic sound from the exhausts (that are just 50-60 centimetres away from your ears) the true beast started to reveal itself.
The instructor then switched to hot lap and went for it. Just wow, amazing acceleration but even more impressive was the braking intensity. The last time I experienced this type of braking was being a passenger in a Mercedes DTM race car driven by Bernd Maylander. I just think the standard belts are not really suitable for this type of braking on the track.Before the belt would stop you , you had the feeling of being projected through the windscreen. I learnt after that you can spec the car with the 4 point belts.
 
Then it was my turn on the wheel, we went again through the different modes. When in Electric mode you need to be very gentle on the accelerator because the torque is instantaneous. The car moves swiftly , the instructor said the performance in electric mode is comparable to a Golf GTI I think he was a bit understating it , the 918 feels quite faster even in this mode than a Golf GTI. The sound as written above is similar to a taxing jet and is quite artificial almost toy like. But the possibility to drive 20 - 30 kms in E mode is something that can be appreciated
in the city driving or just when going out for an early morning drive by not waking up your neighbours (which we do sometimes when we take the Carrera GT our for a spin at 6 in the morning ). 
Then I drove in Race mode and with the gearbox in auto mode (the instructor did actually the same) 
The first feeling is that you don`t feel the weight of the car and that is beautifully balanced in the corners and during the braking. The traction out of the corners is impressive and I guess you need more skills than I have to put it in trouble. I thought that anticipating the gas out of the corners the electronics would correct it but actually nothing was happening, it just shooted out of every turn. 
It does really handle beautifully, the steering at first seems to be light or vague but then it becomes very fast and accurate. 
As for the gearbox , I did not do a single gear change myself and left in auto and it did a fantastic job in selecting the right gears. Great piece of engineering. This allowed me to concentrate on the pedals, on the steering wheel and on the track. Things were happening pretty fast so it was the right thing to do I guess.
 
If I had to ask myself what was the best part of the car I would answer the engine/powertrain and the brakes , those two are the most striking features of the 918 (for me). 
 
I can only compare it to the Carrera GT  that I have driven several times and in my opinion the 918 is an easier car to drive at speed.
The 918, also,  sounds great both inside and outside (due to the special position of the exhausts close to the driver and passenger)  while the Carrera GT has a great exhaust sound which you don`t actually hear when 
you are driving in the car (unless you have the "targa" top removed).
 
If this is a preview of the technologies that will be introduced in the future Porsche sport cars then I believe there is a lot to look forward. Well done Porsche.
Special mention to the instructors and staff  present  there:  top notch professionals .
 
Some photos 
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