Porsche is reportedly working on a new supercar to rival manufacturers like Ferrari, Lamborghini and McLaren, according to reports.
Car magazine claims that the new supercar is tentatively named the Porsche 960, and will sit above the 911 Turbo S but just below the marque’s flagship hybrid hypercar, the 918.
Porsche quietly trademarked the 960 name last September, and despite the fact that spokespeople for the brand said they weren’t working on anything, Porsche admitted to “blank spots” in its range.
It’s believed that the 960 supercar will use all-new underpinnings with an aluminium-intensive architecture to reduce weight, along with same the all-wheel steering system as some current 911s.
Power will reportedly come from an exotic 3.9-litre flat-eight engine, with output boosted to a maximum of around 650bhp courtesy of no fewer than four turbochargers.
650bhp flat-eight engine
Featuring the same basic design as Porsche’s famous flat-six engines, albeit with two extra cylinders, the low-slung engine would be mounted in the middle of the car to aid the 960’s dynamics.
Lending credence to this suggestion is the fact that Porsche currently has an experimental Cayman mule using a flat-eight motor, while the company has a history of building flat-eights for cars like the 908 racer.
Porsche has also previously mentioned making eight-cylinder prototype engines for the 911, and it’s believed that the 960 might also use a new variable compression technology to boost fuel economy.
Although information is still purely speculative, it’s believed that the Porsche 960 supercar could be capable of sprinting from 0-62mph in as little as 2.5 seconds when equipped with four-wheel drive.
There’s yet to be any official confirmation as to whether the 960 is actually going into production or whether it’s just pure rumour, but more is expected to be known in the coming months.
