Reports from Autocar and Car and Driver have everyone speculating: what exactly are Porsche’s plans for an alleged Ferrari 458-killer? July 7 and 8 articles from the two websites, respectively, are shedding light on what the answer could be.
Hoping to depart from the rear-mounted engine 911 body style, Porsche’s newest weapon could possibly sport a mid-cradled engine, giving the profile of the car the exotic looks of the Audi R8, Lamborghini Huracan, McLaren 650S and Ferrari 458 it would be competing against. Autocar’s July 8 article claims that it will take strong styling cues from the current flagship 918 hypercar, which couldn’t make us happier.
But the good news doesn’t stop there. With the recent engine failure issues the company has experienced in its newest 3.8-liter 991 911 GT3, it seems that the flat-six has reached its cubic capacity. The logical next step, then, would be to increase the cylinder count, which is precisely what might happen: a horizontally opposed eight cylinder engine, the likes of which can be seen last in the Porsche racecars of the 1960s.
In the article, Autocar quotes Porsche a while back saying that the “theoretical limit” for a flat-six engine was, “around 4.2-liters … after that, the weight of some internal components gets too great [for ideal balance].” With plans also including a turbo per two cylinders, the intent here is surely to minimize lag and maximize power.
(See also: Porsche 911 Carrera S Martini Racing Edition)
A 4.0-liter flat-eight is a strong possibility; add four turbos to that, and we’re looking at a prototype with around 600 bhp with the hefty torque figures that come only with a blown engine.
The new Porsche, expected to be available to the public by 2017, remains unnamed.
(Sources: AutoCar, Car and Driver)
