To a lot of people, Martini racing has always been a big sponsor for Porsche, especially the 911 and the 917. Most recently, they have added the 918 hybrid supercar to their livery. There were some spy shots of that vehicle at Nurburgring, but Porsche has since released the official photos of it.
Martini Racing, in combination with their owner (Bacardi & Company of Switzerland) has been in the racing arena since 1969, entering the Porsche 970 in several races. In 1971, it was the 917LH that won the Le Mans 24 Hours. Later, in 1973, Martini struck up a factory partnership with Porsche. That partnership lasted through 1978, with racing victories at the Targa Florio in 1973, the Sports Car World Championship in 1976 and Le Mans in 1976 and 1977.
With the great history between Martine and Porsche, there is hope that adding the 918 to the livery will show the Porsche quality that we have all come to know. The Martini colors of red, white and two shades of blue have already adorned the notorious vehicles such as the Porsche 908, 917, 935, 936 and the 911 RS and RSR models.
The motorsport world is hoping that Porsche brings in the 918 in their standard RSR form. That hybrid model of the Spyder is hoped to bring a new era to the Porsche racing line as well as to the private sector.
The 918 Spyder is a hybrid that combines a high-performance internal combustion engine with electric drives at the front and rear axles for efficiency and driving performance. A carbon fiber polymer reinforced monocoque lightens the weight of the car and also lends to its precision and rigidity. It also has variable aerodynamics, top exhaust system and an adaptive rear axle that makes the 918 the race car of the future.