Skip to main content

Canadian Porsche 918 Spyder Plug-in Hybrid Up in Flames at Gas Station




Porsche's top of the line 918 Spyder plug-in hybrid supercar is among one of the most exotic vehicles built at the time. At a Caledon, Ontario Esso gas station this past Sunday night, one of two of those supercars in Canada became a subject for a tales of, "When Bad Things Happen to Good Cars". An over $900,000 supercar combining a 608-horsepower 4.6-liter V-8 engine with 285-horsepower worth of electric power, the Porsche 918 Spyder can run up to 214 miles per hour but could not outrun a tragic end.  

During what was suppose to be a routine fuel filling (something that should have been a little less frequent because of the 918 Spyder's plug-in hybrid drive system), accomplished Canadian investor and member of CBC's upcoming 2014/2015 season of Dragons' Den Michael Wekerie experienced a scary situation. By Wekerie's account, gasoline overfilled and spilled over the side of the vehicle. Wekerie attempted to clean up the fuel spill off the bodywork. Despite efforts, fuel had cascaded down the Porsche 918 Spyder side panels and tickled into the mid-mounted engine causing an immediate fire.

Extensively shaped by Carbon fiber body panels, the supercar plays host to one of the most extravagant uses of plug-in hybrid technology. Unfortunately, much of that performance engineering was burnt up on the vehicle. The fire quickly ignited the rear portion of Wekerie's Porsche 918 Spyder causing a major fire. After the fire was extinguished, what remained was a half-charred Porsche 918 Spyder supercar that Michael Wekerie explained was totalled. Pleasant news in the aftermath of the incident was Michael Wekerie and all others at the station escaped injuries. While the Esso sustained some damage to the fire, an astute station attendant following procedure shut down all the pumps the instant the fire occurred.

Wekerie owned his Porsche 918 Spyder for less than a month prior to the fire that led to its nearly million-dollar demise.


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Car FYI's 2024 Canadian Automotive Guide: Ferrari

Photo Credit: Ferrari S.p.A. Product Lineup: 296 GTB, 296 GTS, Portofino M, Purosangue, Roma, Roma Spider, SF90 Spider, SF90 Stradale, SF90 XX Spider, SF90 XX Stradale Overall Brand Impression:  The devotion of the Italian artisans that has kept Ferrari as a premium sports car leader stretches right back to the company’s founder. However, while Enzo Ferrari believed in the construction of pure performance machines in disregard for creature comforts, today’s vehicles are assembled with more consideration of customers seeking luxury alongside supercar power. Despite a long resistance to engaging in the popular crossover category, Ferrari demonstrates a level of concession to the mass market in 2024 by introducing the all-new Purosangue. The Purosangue joins an exciting 2024 Ferrari lineup that also includes the introduction of the brand’s first street legal XX program vehicle. What’s New for 2024:  Every vehicle in Ferrari’s 2024 lineup is a merger of style and power. An auto brand reno
Post a Comment
Read more

Car FYI's 2024 Canadian Automotive Guide: Fiat

Photo Credit: Stellantis Product Lineup: 500e, 500x Overall Brand Impression:  When Fiat reentered North American in 2011, there were high hopes that the Italian car make’s small yet stylish products would establish a healthy niche. Although the distinctive design of the Fiat 500 can still attract admiring stares, the brand has amounted to a very tiny share of the market with the 500x crossover being the only product available in recent years. The Fiat 500 subcompact’s reintroduction to the United States and Canada in 2024 as an entirely electric model line could allow this Stellantis brand to gain new relevance among motorists. What’s New for 2024:  The subcompact Fiat 500 returns to the United States and Canada for 2024 exclusively as a battery electric vehicle. Assembled within a tidy, elegant Italian-styled package, the 2024 Fiat 500e features a powertrain consisting of a 42-kWh battery pack as well as an electric motor generating 118 horsepower and 162 lb.-ft. of torque. With a ma
Post a Comment
Read more

5 Designing Women of the Modern Automobile

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy On International Women’s Day, it was prudent for Car FYI to recognize the many contributions of women to the auto industry. As a piece of complex machinery with no discrimination of gender itself, it is disheartening to note how past praise and innovation of automobiles have centred around men. Looking back into history, Karl Benz’s wife Bertha ultimate undertook the automobile’s first major publicity trip and endurance test. She was also instrumental in the financing of the automobile patent but could not be recognized in connections to due to her standing as a married woman in German law. With regards to the other half of Mercedes-Benz, the Mercedes name was derived from a customer of Gottieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach. When it comes to vehicle design, the female influence on automobiles is a complicated story. In cases when men tried to identify with women, a laughable result was the 1955 and 1956 Dodge LaFemme that were even insultingly sexist fo
Post a Comment
Read more