Porsche 918 Spyder - Vossen Wheels
During SEMA Week 2017, we debuted the Champion Motorsport x Vossen Forged RS74 lightweight wheel. Champion and Vossen agreed that the perfect vehicle to debut this new wheel on was Porsche鈥檚 flagship hypercar, the 918 Spyder. We decided what better location to shoot this sensational combination that at the Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas. Host of our 鈥淓ngineered Art鈥?Private Event, the MO Las Vegas was happy to accomodate us for our video & photo shoot. The Satin Black 918 with the combination of the Patina Gold RS74 gives this hyper-car even more of an exotic look. The trademark Porsche green hybrid accents throughout complete things. Designed to be lightweight with superior strength the RS74 Forged Wheel is the perfect wheel upgrade for late model Porsche鈥檚. Champion MotorSport鈥檚 award winning race heritage was critical to develop a wheel appropriate for the Porsche Enthusiast. The RS74 is offered as a centerlock or as a 5 lug forged wheel. Note an original styling element of the RS74 is showing the exposed centering pins. This allows us to offer deeper cuts in the Forged 6061-T6 aluminum. The RS74 has less weight with a distinct look without sacrificing strength. The RS74 is available for many late model Porsche鈥檚 in 20 and 21鈥?Sizes. The RS74 is also offered in Vossen鈥檚 vast array of wheel finishes and color options.
On the move, the engine is more tuneful; at low revs, there鈥檚 a lovely growl that resonates through the carbon-fiber seat. It feels special then, even before you鈥檝e thought about pinning the gas pedal to its stop. The R鈥檚 natural athleticism builds the anticipation still further. It really does feel like a car carrying little mass. Steering requires minimal effort and the car feels super-responsive; every tiny input produces an instant, precise reaction and you feel you need to calm your driving style so as to not overexcite the car. Compared to the weighty and locked-down feel of a GT3 RS, the 911 R feels narrow, short, and hyper alert. What of the much feted new manual gearbox? It鈥檚 deliciously mechanical and accurate. Of course, with such a high-compression engine, it requires finesse to produce smooth shifts, but the reward is worth a million flicks of a paddle. It also helps to uncover the true character of this remarkable engine. In the GT3 RS, the PDK seems to demand you seek out the last few hundred rpm and live in that manic zone.
The lightweight, alert impression given at low speeds remains as you start to extend the engine and work the simply fabulous carbon-ceramic brakes. Where the GT3 RS seems to get lower and wider the faster you go鈥攖he invisible hand of downforce doing its thing鈥攖he 911 R flows over the surface. The steering is perhaps too light, but it fits with the way the car breathes on the road and communicates every move. These are classic 911 traits played out more progressively, but at much higher speeds. In fact, if you seek the 911 R鈥檚 ultimate limits, you鈥檒l find it鈥檚 an incredibly capable car. There鈥檚 unflappable composure and despite the deliberate decision to step away from RS-style downforce as the mechanical grip generated is huge. Go really hard and you鈥檒l discover it鈥檚 more prone to understeer than the wider-tracked RS and more progressive if you snap the throttle shut. Do that and though the R will then transition into oversteer, it鈥檚 not as quick to flick sideways, and the angle will be less lurid than in an unsympathetically-driven RS.
The black and white of understeer and oversteer don鈥檛 seem hugely important on the road in the R, though. What matters is that the chassis telegraphs its every move, and that it feels light, agile, and absolutely under the control of the driver. This is the color and texture that enriches the driving experience. I鈥檇 say an RS is more impressive still at maximum attack as it changes direction so accurately and has a real biting edge that ups the stakes, but at slightly lower speeds, the R just feels more alive. Looking to the past for inspiration was, it turns out, a pretty inspired decision. Can the 918 Spyder conjure up such pure driving enjoyment? A real sense of excitement even at lower speeds? Erm. Well. Yes. The 918 Spyder can do pretty much anything. It鈥檚 completely outrageous, wildly fast, and almost bewilderingly effective 鈥?but it鈥檚 also full of feedback and sensation. Yes, you could drive it for a lifetime on the road and never once exceed its sky-high limits, but you鈥檇 feel immersed in what it鈥檚 doing even at crawling pace.