New Delhi: Porsche has not produced a dedicated supercar in more than a decade, with the 918 Spyder leaving production in June 2015. A potential successor
appeared in the form of the 919 Street. It was a road-going concept based on the brand’s LMP1 racing technology. However, the project never progressed beyond the clay model stage. Porsche could now be close to entering the segment again. The brand had previously confirmed that it was considering a model sitting above the 911.
In March, a spokesperson from Porsche told Motor1 that the brand was evaluating a new hypercar. German publication Handelsblatt has now reported further details about the project. It is reportedly known internally as the S1.
If it’s true, then the S1 would sit in a completely different price bracket from Porsche’s existing sports cars. Its reported starting price would be around twice that of a 911 GT3 RS in Germany. Even the expected GT2 RS is quite unlikely to approach the same level. The S1 is also believed to be a standalone model rather than another high-performance derivative of the 911.
Porsche S1 could use a flat-eight engine
The highlight is that the report suggested a possibility of an eight-cylinder boxer engine. Porsche has experience developing flat-eight powertrains, though it has never put one into a production road car. The company did previously test such an engine in a prototype based on the Cayman. Marcos Marques, Porsche’s Project Manager for eFuels, unveiled several years ago that the experimental car used a twin-turbocharged 5.0-litre flat-eight producing 750hp and 1,000Nm. The engine had a 9,000rpm redline and was mated with a manual transmission.
The prototype was reportedly tested around Weissach for more than a year, but Porsche eventually decided that the project was not suited to the company’s requirements at that time. The possibility of a new flagship using a similar engine suggests the idea could now return in a different form.
Porsche specialist Ruf is already developing its own flat-eight. Its prototype uses a twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre engine that makes above 1,000 hp and 1,000 Nm of torque, with the power sent via a six-speed manual gearbox. For Porsche, the key is profitability and not high sales volume. Earlier this year, CEO Michael Leiters said the company needs to remain profitable even with fewer vehicles sold.
More information about the S1 could emerge during Porsche’s Capital Markets Day on October 7. The event might also give updates on several other products in the pipeline. This includes the delayed replacement for the combustion-engined Macan, a new crossover related to the Audi Q5. It is developed with a stronger Porsche identity, along with the long-delayed electric 718 models.
Porsche has also previewed a three-row SUV placed above the Cayenne. The company is expected to bring back combustion-powered versions of the Boxster and Cayman as well, while further details could emerge about a possible GT-style model. The 911 GT2 RS could also feature in Porsche’s plans. The model is widely expected to arrive in 2027 as the performance flagship of the 992.2 generation, although Porsche has yet to officially confirm those details.
