When we talked about the Porsche 918 Spyder being some sort of a hypercar puzzle yesterday, we were kidding. Nevertheless, it seems that such situations can actually occur, as it was the case with the 918 example in the footage below, whose exhaust pipes may confuse track personnel.
The high-breed machine was waiting to enter a track and enjoy some petrol-electric moments, having to undergo an audio control first. This is a routine to make sure the vehicles that enter the circuit don't exceed the local sound limit.
Sometimes the measurements are also done along the course of the track, with the cars at full speed and the reason for all these rules is simple - avoiding troubling the people who live in the proximity of the track.
Since Porsche is the most motorsport-addicted company on the market, its engineers strive to reduce exhaust pressure as if their own bodies were breathing through the system. On the 918 Spyder, the exhaust outlets are placed on the engine cover. To the best of our knowledge, this Porsche is the only production car in the world to have such a feature and... it shows.
To be more specific, the track employees who took care of the measurements started scanning the rear apron in their quest to probe the tailpipes. And with that massive diffuser at the back of the 918, they had some serious searching to do. The aural testers are finally tipped on the actual position of the tailpipes, but not after few chuckles arise. Oh well, at least they'll be prepared in case that car, or one of the other 917 units sold, ever returns.
In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News