Mark Webber chauffeurs Maria Sharapova in Porsche 918 Spyder

No less than ex-Formula One ace and now Porsche World Endurance Championship driver Mark Webber acted as chauffeur to French Open winner Maria Sharapova. The pair drove  to the glamorous Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Pre-Wimbledon Party in the Porsche 918 Spyder – the Stuttgart marque’s fastest, most powerful production car to date, and also one of the lowest-emitters of CO₂ of any class of car.

Porsche says that the 918 Spyder is a remarkable plug-in hybrid super sports car that can reach a top speed of 342 kph, sprint from 0 to 100kph in just over 2.5 seconds, and yet at 72 g/km produces little CO₂.

Fresh from his drive in the Le Mans 24 Hours race last weekend, Sharapova’s chauffeur for the night was Porsche factory ‘works’ driver, Mark Webber, complete in smart chauffeur attire.

Sharapova, a Porsche Ambassador, was collected from The Goring Hotel in Belgravia and driven by Webber to the prestigious event at Kensington Roof Gardens in West London. On arrival, both were met by fans and the world’s media, all of whom were just as interested in the car as they were in its occupants.

Its striking appearance certainly has the ability to turn more than a few heads, but it is what lies under the skin that really sets the 918 Spyder apart from any other super sports car. A total power output of 887 hp enables breath-taking acceleration and a top speed of over 320 kph. Combine that with sophisticated four-wheel-drive and four-wheel-steering, and it is no wonder that the 918 Spyder holds the current lap record for a production car at the famous Nürburgring race circuit of just 6 minutes 57 seconds. And yet, despite all that performance, its plug-in hybrid technology means 33 km/liter is possible, along with exceptionally low CO₂ emissions.

Being driven in the most powerful Porsche road car to date, by arguably the world’s fastest chauffeur, was an experience savoured by Sharapova. Speaking about the drive, she commented: “What a fantastic way to arrive at the party. To be in the fastest Porsche with a racing driver like Mark is amazing. And it’s great also to be driving in a city like London running only on electric power – it’s an unbelievable car!”

Webber was equally impressed by the car. The Porsche World Endurance Championship driver said: “Having just driven the Porsche 919 Hybrid race car at Le Mans last weekend, I already know that this technology can produce incredible results. The 918 Spyder is the closest thing to a road-going version, and it’s just as amazing – especially as it can be driven into London for free. And of course it’s great fun to drive Maria around in it!”

The 918 Spyder has a mid-mounted 4.6-litre V8 race engine coupled to two electric motors with lithium-ion batteries. Together they are capable of delivering micro-car levels of fuel economy, along with carbon dioxide emissions of just 72 g/km and a potential electric-only range of 28km.

Embodying the essence of Porsche – Intelligent Performance – it combines pedigree motor racing technology with everyday versatility, creating the super sports car for the future with a highly efficient and powerful hybrid drive.