Picture of the Week: Porsche 918 Spyder tests at Nardò

The Porsche Engineering Group will take over the Nardò Technical Centre automotive proving ground in Apulia, southern Italy, next month. This facility covers more than 700 hectares and includes a 6.2km-long handling circuit, a 12.5km oval circuit and facilities to simulate different road surfaces and driving conditions.

“The Nardò proving ground with its high-speed and vehicle handling circuit ideally complements our facilities in Weissach", says Matthias Müller, President and CEO of Porsche AG. The Porsche Engineering Group will optimise the facilities and continue to make them available to clients; thanks to the mild climate in the province of Lecce, Nardò can be used throughout the year in three shifts around the clock, seven days a week.

“With its rich array of facilities, from dynamic surfaces to acoustic and off-road sections coupled with the numerous workshops, our clients can continue to make extensive use of Nardò for their vehicle trials in the future as well,” said Malte Radmann, CEO of Porsche Engineering.

Porsche has been carrying testing of the 918 Spyder plug-in hybrid (pictured) at Nardò. This technology demonstrator vehicle is trialling features such as a carbonfibre-reinforced body structure, adaptive aerodynamics, adaptive rear-axle steering and upward-venting exhaust 'top pipes', as well as a powertrain which produces a combined output of over 770hp. Its 4.6-litre eight-cylinder engine works with a hybrid module and electric motor, and it is capable of 25km in all-electric 'e-power' mode - whilst also having 'hybrid', 'sport hybrid', 'race hybrid' and 'hot lap' modes of operation.