Mark Webber gifts himself a Porsche 918 Spyder for birthday

When it comes to Mark Webber, the Australian motor racing great decided to shout himself the stunning 39th birthday gift of a Porsche 918 Spyder. Bearing the number 605, it is a one-off custom model of the hybrid hypercar made to Webber’s tastes, according to Porsche.

The breath-taking car features red and white exterior paintwork in a “Salzburg Design”, plus a black interior with white piping. Even a non-custom model of the car costs $1.5 million Australian - before the $300,000 Luxury Car Tax that has essentially prohibited their sale Down Under.

Webber is obviously no stranger to high-powered Porsches, given he is driving for the manufacturer at this stage of his career in the LMP1 division of the World Endurance Championship. The former F1 Grand Prix winner will be back behind the wheel of his Porsche 919 Hybrid this weekend at the FIA WEC 6 Hours of Nürburgring event.

“I always loved racing at the Nürburgring in Formula 1,” Webber said. “It will be interesting to do so in the 919 Hybrid and see how it performs compared to the F1. In the Eifel mountains, the weather is often unpredictable, you have to fly by the seat of your pants and make snap decisions to react quickly to ever-changing and tricky track conditions.

“It’s also Porsche’s race at home and I think support from the team will be over the top. German fans have always been very passionate about motorsports and a lot will be going on around the circuit, with parties and barbecues.” Webber finished second at the fabled 24 hours of Le Mans in June.