Porsche Reportedly Has a New Supercar in the Works
The Porsche 911’s time atop the marque’s lineup may be nearing its end.
The German marque is hard at work on a new supercar, according to a report from German automotive newspaper Handelsblatt (via Motor1.com). Not only would the model be the company’s first supercar in more than a decade, but it could also be its first production vehicle to feature a flat-eight engine.
The 911 may be Porsche’s most iconic model—and one of the most beloved sports cars of all time—but there have been several instances in the automaker’s recent history when it wasn’t its flagship vehicle. In 1985, the brand introduced the legendary 959, which was followed, three years later, by the 911 GT1 Strassenversion, and then, 15 years after that, by the Carrera GT. Its most recent supercar, the 918 Spyder (seen up top), arrived on the scene in 2015 and featured a hybrid powertrain that paired a 4.5-liter V-8 with two electric motors and made a combined 875 hp.
The Porsche 959.
Porsche
This quartet could soon be joined by a new supercar called the S1. Little is known about the vehicle at this point, but Handelsblatt reports it will be equipped with a flat-eight engine. This is a big deal because Porsche has built eight-cylinder boxer engines in the past but never seen fit to put one in a production road car, according to Motor1.com. Most recently, the automaker’s eFuel project manager said his team was testing out a prototype with a 5.0-liter twin-turbocharged flat-eight that made 750 hp, 728 ft lbs of torque, and redlined at 9,000 rpm. It remains to be seen if this is the mill that will power the S1. Luckily, we may not have to wait too long to find out. The German publication says investors may get a preview of the vehicle on Oct. 7.
When reached for comment, a representative for Porsche told Robb Report that “we can’t speculate or comment on potential future product.”
So, how much would a new Porsche supercar cost? Handelsblatt reports that the S1, should it reach the market, will start at around 500,000 euros, which works out to roughly $572,000. That’s nearly $300,000 more than the range-topping Porsche 911 Turbo S, which starts at $270,300, but about $270,000 less than the 918 Spyder, which started at $845,000, cost brand new.
