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A Rare LeBron James Sighting in a Rare Porsche 918 Spyder

It’s not every day that you get the chance to spot LeBron James, a.k.a. King James, in traffic and it’s even less likely you do do so while he’s driving a limited-edition hybrid Porsche.
LeBron James seen driving his limited-edition Porsche 918 Spyder in Los Angeles 4 photos
Photo: Instagram / e30alex99
LeBron James seen driving his limited-edition Porsche 918 Spyder in Los AngelesLeBron James seen driving his limited-edition Porsche 918 Spyder in Los AngelesLeBron James seen driving his limited-edition Porsche 918 Spyder in Los Angeles
Self-described car enthusiast e30alex99 was lucky on both counts, which explains why a short video he made on the occasion has gone viral. He was driving down the 405 in Los Angeles, when he noticed a black Porsche 918 Spyder coming from behind.

Like most people do these days, he pulled out his phone to record this rare sighting. After all, only 918 such hybrid Porsches were made during the two-year production run, and each unit sold for over $1 million – assuming you were lucky to find one that was listed, that is. To his shock, the person at the wheel was an even bigger star than the 918 Spyder: LeBron James himself.

As King James pulled next to the person filming him, he smiled and acknowledged him with a sign, and then showed off the Porsche’s famous acceleration, speeding away. Contrary to what one might see in most of today’s viral videos, Alex the car enthusiast did not scream, didn’t yell out the window of his own car, or otherwise embarrass himself. He just laughed and continued filming.

Introduced at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show as a concept, the Porsche 918 Spyder was officially unveiled at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show, with production starting that September. In June 2015, the 918-unit production run was completed.

Powered by a twin-turbo gasoline V8 and two electric motors, the 918 Spyder has a total output of almost 900 hp, which takes it from 0 to 60 mph (96.5 kph) in a whopping 2.4 seconds. It’s a hybrid model, alright, but autonomy in electric mode is just 11.8 miles (19 km) – a joke by today’s standards.

But it remains an impressive – and impressively looking – machine, enough to wow over known car collector LeBron James. After all, he's making the sacrifice of driving it with the top down so he can fit inside.

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About the author: Elena Gorgan
Elena Gorgan profile photo

Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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