Porsche Flat-Eight, Twin-Turbo 5.0-Liter Supercar Dream

750HP to Surpass 918 Spyder

Automakers are seldom disposed to converse about projects that have been abandoned, let alone divulge the copious information they possess regarding ultra-secret motor vehicles that never made it past the conceptual stage. Fortunate for us, renowned reporter Steve Sutcliffe of The Intercooler was granted by Porsche an insight into a supercar that had once been intended to follow shortly after the launch of the 918 Spyder. This special edition range ceased production in 2015, having only yielded 918 cars.

When quizzed as to why Porsche made the decision to opt for a four-cylinder engine in the Cayman, Marcos Marques, eFuels Project Manager for the carmaker, had an unexpected answer. Apparently, the original idea was to engineer a flat-eight motor for another entirely different model. Subsequently, this concept advanced into a fully operating prototype constructed upon the framework of a Cayman. The mid-ship vehicle included a twin turbo 5.0 liter powerplant producing 750 horses and 1000Nm torque.

Mentioning the engine’s 9,000 rpm redline and the manual gearbox, Marques described the flat-eight monster as a “crazy car and it sounded amazing.” Despite its potential, Porsche tested the vehicle on the roads near Weissach for over a year before deciding to discontinue the project. Evidently, the car was too good to be true.

“We felt that something was missing and we had to take a step back and really think about what we wanted to do.”Marques explains the reason for Porsche’s sudden halt in testing and development: “It wasn’t the right car for that moment in time.” He further adds: “We felt that something was missing and we had to take a step back and really think about what we wanted to do.”

This image shows the 2016 904 Le Mans Living Legend, a part of the Porsche Unseen series. It was a full-scale clay model designed with what has been described as the “most incredible-sounding” eight-cylinder engine.

The German automaker has stated that a 918 Spyder successor will be produced at some point, as CEO Oliver Blume has asserted that “a hypercar is always part of Porsche’s strategy.” Blume went on to explain that the vehicle won’t be released before 2025 and only when “it’s time to bring it,” meaning that it must feature advanced technology rather than simply being an updated version of existing components.

Source: The Intercooler (subscription required)