A video posted to YouTube shows the rear end of the car engulfed in flames next to an Esso fuel pump in Caledon, Ontario, presumably resulting in a total loss but with no reported injuries.
Witnesses reportedly claim the fire started after the fuel began to overflow from the filler neck and splash on the hot exhaust, according to a CBC report. The claims have not been officially confirmed, however.
The particular example is said to have been purchased for $900,000 by Michael Wekerle, a financial executive also known for his role as a judge on the CBC television series Dragons’ Den.
Porsche has only planned to build 918 examples of the hybrid sports car, which pairs a 4.6-liter V8 engine with two electric motors for a combined output of 887 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque. It promises to launch from zero to 62 mph in 2.8 seconds, eventually topping out at 211 mph.
“We are aware of media reports of a burning 918 Spyder at a gas station in the Toronto area,” Porsche Canada’s PR manager, Patrick Saint-Pierre, said in a statement to Caledon Enterprise. “Porsche is prepared to bring its technical resources to help all authorities who are investigating the matter.”
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