Between 1973 and 1978, Porsche race teams were sponsored by Martini, favorite tipple of fictional British spy James Bond.
Now the pairing is set to make a comeback with a special edition of Porsche’s highly-anticipated 2014 918 Spyder plug-in hybrid.
Still a year away from launch, the latest 918 Spyder prototype, complete with vintage Martini Racing livery, is undergoing extensive testing at the 12.92-mile Nordschleife of the Nürburgring race course in Germany.
Its goal? To set a lap time of less than seven minutes and 22 seconds.
Built around a carbon fiber reinforced plastics monocoque, the two-seat Spyder is powered by a 570 horsepower, 4.6-liter V-8 engine and twin electric motors to provide a total system output of 770 horsepower.
2014 Porsche 918 Spyder in vintage Martini Racing livery
With the engine mid-mounted, Porsche has placed one electric motor on the front axle, and one on the rear. Rated at 80-kilowatts and 90-kilowatts respectively, the motors help the 918 Spyder achieve a 0-62 mph time of less than three seconds.
Porsche currently claims a top speed of over 200 mph, while the pair of electric motors alone can carry the car to a top speed of 93 mph.
Porsche predicts the super-sexy Spyder will have lower emissions than a 2012 Toyota Prius, and an all-electric range of 15 miles thanks to a 6.8 kilowatt-hour battery.
As for the Martini design?
Porsche says the newly-signed deal with Martini means customers of its first ever plug-in hybrid sportscar will be able to specify the retro-styled exclusive design when the car launches some time towards the end of 2013.
Of course, Porsche hasn’t detailed final specification or pricing yet. The former hasn’t been finalized, while the latter would be too vulgar for a Martini drinker to ask, would it not?
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