Everybody knows about Germany’s speed-unlimited autobahns, but what many may not know is that there’s another stretch of road where drivers can push their cars to the limit without fear of losing their license: the Stuart Highway in Australia’s Northern Territory. To demonstrate the relatively unique abilities of its flagship 918 Spyder, Porsche recently took to the Stuart Highway and completed a world-first stunt.

That stunt was an acceleration run from a silent-running 60 kmh (37 mph) to a top speed of 350 kmh (217 mph), achieved in just 40 seconds. As part of the stunt, the 918 Spyder was driven from the town of Alice Springs for a distance of 25 km (15 miles) on electric power alone until it reached the speed-unlimited zone, where its full 875 horsepower could be unleashed.

The controlled test took place with a professional driver at the wheel, along with the use of radios and spotters to ensure the road was completely devoid of traffic at the time. The only other car in production that could achieve this feat is McLaren's P1, which also has an electric-only mode, albeit its driving range in this mode is much smaller than in the Porsche.

In case you’ve forgotten, the 918 Spyder features a sophisticated hybrid system consisting of a V-8 engine, two electric motors and a lithium-ion battery. The engine, a race-bred 4.6-liter V-8, is paired with one of the electric motors as well as a seven-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission and spins the rear axle. A second electric motor is used to spin the front axle, thus creating a ‘through-the-road’ hybrid all-wheel-drive system.

Incredibly, Porsche has sold all 918 build slots for the 918 Spyder, which means if you’re interesting in buying one you’ll need to look at the used car markets.

Porsche has completed production of its 918 Spyder. It was—to put it mildly—one hell of a run.

From the beginning, the car was a complete departure from the bareknuckle Carrera GT which preceded it. Electric motors at the front wheels. An army of computerized nannies. A seven-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission. Upon seeing the concept at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, we wrote that some of the car's trick tech "was sure to prove difficult to render in production."

But render it, Porsche did. On our first drive, we declared the 918 Spyder "utterly untouchable by the pantheon of cars that deign to confer with mere mortals."

After its release, the supercar would prove that even in the rarefied air of million-dollar machines like Ferrari's LaFerrari and McLaren's P1; Porsche's halo could more than hold its own—despite being several 911 Turbos less expensive than either.

At the Frankfurt Auto Show in 2013, Stuttgart confirmed the 918 Spyder had lapped the legendary Nürburgring in a ferocious 6 minutes, 57 seconds, and claimed the prized production record. There's nothing official about it, of course, but the 'Green Hell'—as the notoriously treacherous, 12.8-mile circuit is known—has long been a measuring stick for manufacturers to test their mettle.

How will Porsche top the 918 Spyder's spectacular performance? We don't know. But since a successor has already been confirmed, we're confident it's possible.