US airline Delta is taking luxury travel to new heights, offering its highest-paying passengers an exclusive if extremely brief ride of a lifetime.
With a spate of less-than-ideal premium travel stories hitting the headlines in recent weeks, from “coffin seats” on United to passengers p*ssing all over business class and even the shocking news that first and business cabins may be scrapped in favour of a new “money making machine” altogether, the news that Delta is offering customers the opportunity to swap the mundane airport shuttle bus for a thrilling experience in one of the world’s most iconic hypercars will come as a rare and welcome piece of good news.
In a one-of-a-kind partnership with the North American division of Porsche, Delta Airlines has introduced the 918 Spyder hypercar to its fleet of terminal-to-plane transporters. As reported by Drive, this wholly extravagant offering is exclusively reserved for select members of Delta’s prestigious ‘Medallion’ loyalty program at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
WATCH: The world’s most expensive shuttle in action…
Launched almost ten years ago back in 2013, the 918 Spyder stands as one of the “Holy Trinity” of modern hypercars, alongside the McLaren P1 and Ferrari LaFerrari. Powered by a formidable 4.6-litre V8 engine, the hybrid boasts the assistance of two electric motors, churning out an impressive 650kW of power. With a top speed surpassing 340km/h and a battery-only range of approximately 20km, the 918 Spyder offers an unparalleled if somewhat short-lived driving experience.
Among its numerous accolades, the Porsche 918 set a production-car track record at Willow Springs Raceway, stunning the automotive world with a blistering 2.4 seconds to reach 60 mph. Braking from 60 mph took a mere 94 ft (29 m), and the hypercar conquered Motor Trend’s figure-8 record in just 22.2 seconds. Wonderful as all this may be, this new entrant into the travel world is set to be a brief one: unfortunately for speed enthusiasts, this once-in-a-lifetime airport taxi experience has already come to a close.
Delta’s collaboration with Porsche is a partnership that has flourished for the past twelve years and is far from the first luxury vehicle that they’ve brought into Delta’s airport taxi fleet. Alongside the revered 918 Spyder, Delta’s passengers have previously enjoyed rides in the Macan SUV and Panamera sports sedan. While both are great cars, neither enjoys quite the same level of prestige as the hallowed 918, which marks a new high watermark for the collaboration.
But why just one airport? And why this one in particular? Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport proudly boasts the title of the world’s busiest airport. Acting as the United State’s biggest domestic interchange, a staggering 94 million passengers passed through its gates in 2022 and outpaced the competition by a significant margin, hosting 20 million more travellers than the second-busiest airport, Dallas Fort Worth International.
Looking internationally, it also dwarfed the passenger count of Dubai International Airport and even more than doubled the figures of Sydney’s Kingsford Smith International Airport in 2018, according to US data. While other airlines may be grounded in controversy and misfortune, Delta’s partnership with Porsche and their brief yet exhilarating airport taxi experience has given luxury travel a new turbocharged sheen, leaving other carriers firmly in the dust.