“Speed and efficiency were also the reasons Porsche Cars North America decided to move its 918 Spyder through Colonel’s Island Terminal in Brunswick,” said Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Curtis Foltz. “I hope I get a chance to drive one of these high performance cars one day.”
Company officials said the terminal’s proximity to East Coast markets made it the best option to reach buyers in states ranging from Florida and Georgia through North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.
The carmaker plans to produce up to 918 of this special model at its manufacturing line at Porsche AG’s Zuffenhausen Plant in Stuttgart, Germany. The number of units for the U.S. market will depend on worldwide demand and availability. The Port of Brunswick accounts for approximately 23 percent of the nationwide vehicle imports for all Porsche models.
“Porsche Cars North America has been doing business in Brunswick since April 2002,” said Justin Newell, Porsche’s manager of vehicle logistics and port operations. “The GPA has been very supportive of Porsche’s parts and vehicle import business over the past 12 years. Atlantic Vehicle Processors (AVP) a Wallenius Wilhelmsen Vehicle Services Americas company, has been the port processor and a valuable partner for Porsche since December 2004.”
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. sold 42,323 vehicles in 2013 and Porsche AG sold 162,145 vehicles worldwide in 2013, a new company record.
Newell described the 918 Spyder as the continuation of the traditional Porsche DNA in a ground-breaking sports car concept.
Designed from the start to be a high-performance hybrid, the 918 Spyder boasts an unprecedented combination of performance (offering the 887-hp output of a super sports car) and the virtually silent propulsion of an electric vehicle.
In addition to its impressive acceleration and fuel economy, the 918 Spyder also allows a combustion engine to be combined with an electric motor-based drive to further optimize the dynamic performance of the vehicle – and to provide up to 20 miles of pure electric range.
The 918 Spyder broke the production car lap record in September 2013 with a lap time of 6:57 on the famed 12.8-mile Nürburgring north loop in Germany.