The Porsche 918 Spyder’s lap around the storied Nurburgring course created history. Only a professional driver and the Weissach Package were used, and the time it engraved was astounding—6 minutes and 57 seconds. It raised the standard for the next McLaren P1 and Ferrari LaFerrari while setting a new record for street-legal automobiles. Fortunately for all of us car enthusiasts, the 918 Spyder is now offered to the general public with the Weissach Package. The 918 is Porsche’s Frankenstein monster. It was the first of the “big three” hybrid supercars to hit the market, and its technological advancements quickly won over the world. A 4.6-liter V8 engine and two electric motors work together to produce 887 horsepower. With this power, the hybrid can accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour in only 2.5 seconds and from 0 to 100 miles per hour in just 4.9.
A racecar that might convince onlookers it was constructed from nine different machines and a bolt of lightning is the result of the combination of physical strength and electrical power. The 918 dominates every curve and rockets down the straightaways, making even the most difficult racetracks in the world seem simple enough for an unskilled driver to handle. However, you could find it difficult to comprehend the supercar. How was it possible to make a hybrid supercar accelerate more quickly than a conventional supercar? The answer lies in the motors. A 129-horsepower electric motor is installed comfortably on the front axle, and a 156-horsepower electric motor is mounted on the rear axle. This provides the driver with flawless acceleration control and perfectly distributed power to all four wheels. In simple terms, even when the V8 engine is idled low, you will never lose power. The 918 is projected around every turn gently thanks to the energy being directed straight to the wheels. The V8 engine is a different matter. Porsche developed a beast that could maintain high revs like an F1 racing without violating regulations for street-legality.
Low on the chassis for a precise center of gravity, the 300-pound high-revving engine weighs little and is mounted light. With no money spared for performance, dry-sump lubrication using a separate oil tank, aluminum pumps, and titanium connecting rods results in an even lighter ride. The hybrid’s cabin is uncluttered and perfectly crafted to retain your focus on the present. The 918 cabin delivers exceptional excellence in every aspect. A seven-inch display in the center console, a multifunction steering wheel, and a Porsche app for your smartphone that tracks data crucial to your next drive, such as the battery charge, are all provided for the driver. The world was unable to imagine Porsche having anything more to offer after bringing so much to the table. At that time, it was announced that the 918 Spyder would be offered with the Weissach Package, giving customers access to the famed Nurburgring track performance. A weight-saving component called the Weissach Package reduces the supercar’s overall weight by 90 pounds, bringing it down to 3,602 pounds. This makes it faster than the Ferrari LaFerrari by 0.1 seconds from 0 to 60 mph. Although the highest speed is still electronically limited at 214 mph, that’s acceptable because this monster was created to tackle the loops and curves of a track rather than to travel in a straight line. Without a doubt, the 918 Spyder with the Weissach Package is the most innovative vehicle to ever leave Germany.
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The Weissach Package Lightens Up Your Bank Account and the 2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS
The first-ever Weissach package option for the 911 GT3 RS will make the already-light sports vehicle even lighter while also making your cash lighter. This high-performance treatment has previously been offered on other Porsches. Over and beyond the $188,550 basic price of the 520-hp GT3 RS, the option will cost $18,000. For the ultra-cool magnesium wheels seen only on Weissach package cars, add additional $13,000 if you want the lightest possible combination of features.
The combined additions reducing the 911 GT3 RS’s curb weight by 38 pounds will undoubtedly excite Porsche-obsessed car enthusiasts who have a grudge against unnecessary weight. Porsche claims that the new GT3 RS weighs only 3153 pounds with both options. Additionally, the cost of each mass redactor is uneven: While the Weissach kit’s plethora of carbon-fiber parts save weight by roughly 13 pounds but cost $5K extra, the magnesium rims save 25 pounds.
In addition to not having to make sense (if you don’t get it, don’t spend $220,000 on one), those costs are also reasonable when compared to other Porsche alternatives. Even a basic Macan crossover or the 718 Boxster roadster can easily have its sticker price increase by more over $30,000. And unlike color-coordinated key fobs or leather-lined air vents, the Weissach package’s modifications ought to enhance the GT3 RS’s already lofty performance promise.
For instance, the Weissach version swaps out the normal GT3 RS’s gorgeous, lightweight magnesium roof panel for an even nicer, 1.1-pound lighter carbon-fiber panel. It is important to note that by removing that weight from the car’s tallest portion, the center of gravity should be slightly lowered. The carbon-fiber hood and wing are left unpainted, as well as the carbon roof (which are of the same material but painted on the non-Weissach RS).
Porsche’s quest for pounds even led them to swap the shift paddles and some steering-wheel trim for carbon fiber, as well as replace the anti-roll bars and the connecting hardware with carbon fiber components (saving 11.9 pounds) (saving 0.5 pound). Wondering how to distinguish a Weissach GT3 RS from, say, a 911 GT2 RS with two turbochargers and 700 horsepower? Easy. Simply look for the exposed carbon fiber parts, the enormous PORSCHE branding on the wing, and the Weissach badging on the headrests and the dashboard above the glove box. Oh, and keep an ear out for the flat-six with a 9000 rpm natural aspiration.
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Specifications
To continue their improvements for the 911’s 991 generation, Porsche unveiled a facelifted GT3 RS variant in February 2018. (991.2). A new engine with a 9,000 rpm redline, 20 horsepower, and 7.4 lb-ft more torque than the preceding GT3 RS, similar to the GT3 and RSR versions, is one of the modifications. The GT3 RS features ball joints on all suspension components, front helper springs, lightweight glass for the back and rear-side windows, a newly developed tire compound, updated front fascia (similar to the 991.2 GT3), side skirts, and a rear wing (similar to the GT2 RS) for greater downforce. This car can be ordered with a Weissach package that adds more carbon fiber body and interior components, magnesium wheels, and firmer suspension settings.
The 991.2 GT3 RS recorded a lap time of 6:56.4 on April 18, 2018 at the iconic Nurburgring Nordscheleife race track. Porsche did not anticipate the car to lap the ‘Ring that rapidly; they expected a 10-15 second lap increase over the 991.1 RS. The first Porsche production vehicle to do so was the 918 Spyder, and this is the third to do so.
The initial shipment of Weissach GT3RS vehicles had stock GT3RS hoods because of a manufacture delay. To minimize weight, the Weissach package has a hood made entirely of carbon fiber. November of this year is when ours is scheduled to arrive. The Weissach package lightens the car’s overall weight by 18 kg.
Did you realize? In its normal configuration, the 911 GT3 RS produces 750 lbs of downforce at 193 mph, but when the rear wing is set to full attack, both downforce and top speed are raised to 992 lbs at 211 mph.
The 911 GT3 RS Is Powered to the Max by the Weissach Package
Do you know how to recognize a Weissach Package vehicle? Examine the hood. Although the Weissach Pack cars receive a clear gloss finish, every GT3 RS has a carbon fiber bonnet.
The optional magnesium wheels offer significant performance advantages in addition to their stylish appeal. This is due to the fact that they are substantially lighter than the usual alloys on the RS, which helped to reduce the spinning mass by 25 pounds. If you check the box for the $18,000 Weissach Package, it’s yours for $13,000.
The Porsche GT3 RS weights 3153 pounds with the Weissach Package and magnesium wheels installed. That’s because the roof, sway bars, and end links are made of carbon fiber.
For this vehicle, Porsche reintroduced the “GT3 RS” door script. We like it, but if you don’t, you may have it taken out.
Porsche Motorsport may have reinstated the manual transmission for the GT3, but all of its “RS” vehicles will only be PDK-equipped. Porsche believes that PDK makes more sense since these cars are intended for track-day enthusiasts. It’s a fantastic gearbox in any case.
Carbon fiber is also included in the Weissach Package for the shift paddles and steering wheel trim.
This pack bears the name of Porsche’s illustrious test track, whose map can be seen on the badge. The headrests also include same design sewn there.
The GT3 RS is powered by a 4.0-liter flat-six engine that produces 520 horsepower, but you can’t see it here. It is the most potent 911 manufactured with a naturally aspirated engine. Additionally, it has a fantastic 9000 rpm top speed.
The Weissach Package adds a titanium roll cage to GT3 RS models sold in Europe. Because of US regulations, we won’t get it here.
If you want a GT3 RS with these wheels, you’ll have to wait until later this year. Porsche grossly miscalculated the demand for the Weissach Package on the GT2 RS, and BBS is having trouble keeping up with demand.
The preceding GT3 RS used this fender vent for the first time. It aids in lowering wheel arch pressure, preventing front-end lift.
Instead of the lighter carbon-ceramic brakes that are available as an option, this GT3 RS comes standard with steel brakes. Although carbon brakes reduce unsprung mass, some track junkies prefer the more affordable replacement prices of traditional brakes.
The Porsche 918 Weissach package is what?
Porsche offers a weight-saving and aerodynamics package for the 918 Spyder called the Weissach Package. In the US, the factory option cost $84,000. Magnesium wheels, an enlarged rear diffuser, and Alcantara-covered interior components were all included in the package. Carbon fiber was also used to create the windscreen structure, roof, rear wings, and rearview mirrors. The Weissachs were a wise purchase.
What does Porsche mean by Weissach?
Porsche’s think tank is called Weissach. Since 1971, here, with direct routes between the various specialized departments, cars have been created, tested, and prepared for series production from the very first sketch to the finished prototype. The Weissach Development Center handles every facet, including design and concept development, modelmaking and early prototypes, testing of aerodynamics, acoustics, and electronics, development of drive systems, steering, and chassis systems, as well as safety analyses and testing. It houses the Porsche motorsport division and has its own test track. Here, Porsche mixes old-world craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology. 80 percent of the 6,500 workers that currently work here are employed in development.