Short of actually putting out a press release to announce production, Porsche executives have spoken in significant detail about plans for a mid-engine supercar. The sports car would be positioned directly between the higher-performance 911 models and the limited-production 918 (shown above). In an interview with German newspaper Handelsblatt, Porsche CEO Matthias Müller said that “there would be room for a mid-engine sports car above the 911.” Such a model “in a price segment of 400,000 euros” has good chances of being built, he adds.
The new mid-engine supercar will directly target Ferrari’s 458 Italia and its eventual successor—a benchmark that is sure to grab the attention of Ferdinand Piech, the head of the VW Group’s supervisory board and an avowed Ferrari aficionado. He has gone on the record before saying that Porsche is “a diamond in need of being polished,” and this car could be the stuff of his dreams. In addition to offering stratospheric performance, the supercar would appeal to potential buyers who prefer the inherently balanced dynamics of mid-engine cars to the 911′s rear-engine layout. Porsche continues to defy physics with its 911, but its magic can only go so far; this is why the company has always carefully avoided taking the mid-engine twins into 911 territory in terms of price and power.
No details have emerged yet on platform and powerplants, but it’s likely that the new supercar will use many components from the upcoming “modular sports architecture” which is being developed for the next generation of Audi, Lamborghini and Porsche sports cars. Assume 911-Turbo-topping power of 600 hp or more, 0-to-60 times in the three-to-four-second range, and a top speed north of 200 mph. While the car will use aluminum and carbon fiber to keep its weight down, it likely won’t be a hybrid technology showcase like the upcoming 918—which, not surprisingly, will be just about twice as expensive.
The new model is part of Porsche CEO Matthias Müller’s plan to change any public perceptions that company’s focus has shifted to building SUVs and four-door sedans. It’s not that Porsche is planning to leave these segments—on the contrary, more vehicles like the Panamera and Cayenne are coming, like a small crossover called the Cajun. But the supercar should help tip Porsche’s scales back toward hardcore sports cars. With this in the works, and the company also announcing plans to return to Le Mans with its own team in 2014, we bet Piech is smiling.
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