A lot of people dream of one day going to New York City. Others fantasize about driving a new Porsche, such as the 918 Spyder. Then there are those who wish they could tour The Big Apple behind the wheel of a P-car. Drive’s Mike Spinelli gets a chance to do just that with Porsche’s new e-hybrid supercar in the video below. There’s just one catch: he has to keep the 918 in all-electric mode.
He also has to make it from the northern tip of Manhattan to the end of the island on one full charge. His mind’s focused on the fact that the 918 only has a stated all-electric range of 12 miles, but he’s relaxed enough to point out local landmarks, such as the Empire State Building, and share a little of NYC’s history.
Does Spinelli make it to his destination on just electricity? Can he resist the temptation of opening up the 918’s 608-horsepower 4.6-liter V8? Click the play button to find out.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
