Between the useless advice memes and pointless status updates regarding comments made by that rude barista (if you see her every day, maybe you should go to another coffee shop?), there are actually some interesting things to be found on social media.->ke5122 For example, Porsche->ke1 recently held a contest to celebrate eclipsing 10 million fans on Facebook. One of those fans, 27-year-old Austrian Ingo Georges Vandenberghe, was lucky enough to win, netting him the oh-so-sweet prize of a 1,000-km (621-mile) road trip around England and Wales inside the cockpit of a 918 Spyder.->ke3629

The hybrid->ke147 hypercar->ke177 was joined by two other electrified offerings from Stuttgart in the form of a 2015 Cayenne S E-Hybrid and Panamera S E-Hybrid, demonstrating the long-range capability of these performance vehicles in sip mode. The journey began April 27 in central London, first heading to Oxford, then Wales and the Cotswolds, finally ending at the Porsche Experience Centre at the UK’s preeminent racing track, Silverstone,->ke1009 on April 30. Once in the proper environment, Vandenberghe got the chance to experience the 918’s full potential as it was unleashed around the famous British circuit.

The 918 was wrapped in a special material to encourage Porsche fans and owners to sign the car at its various stopping points. You can check out highlights from the trip in the near future at www.porsche.com/10m. 

Continue reading to learn more about Porsche's road trip prize.

Why it matters

While few would scoff at the chance to ride in a 918, I sure hope Vandenberghe got at least once brief stint behind the wheel. Either way, if more automakers put on contests like this, the better it’ll be for everyone. Brands get to raise their visibility while fans can get up and close and personal with the vehicles they adore (but for some reason, I can’t really see Ferrari->ke252 doing something like this).

Of course, it is a bit strange that one of the fastest cars on Earth is being used for an eco run, but I guess that’s what the world has come to -- not a bad thing at all. (Who says you can't have your cake and eat it, too?)

Porsche 918 Spyder

Combining cutting-edge technology with breakneck acceleration, the 918 is Porsche’s ultimate road-going speed weapon. It uses a carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics monocoque for supreme stiffness and light weight, enabling a roof-free experience without any loss in torsional rigidity. High-grade interior materials and an 11-speaker premium sound system keep the passenger entertained, while the driver gets to enjoy a 4.6-liter V-8 paired with two electric motors for a total combined output of 887 horsepower and 940 pound-feet of torque. A sprint to 60 takes less than three seconds, and top speed is 211 mph. Fuel economy, however, is an extremely reasonable (read: ridiculous) 85 mpg.

Read our full review here.