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Porsche developing Ferrari 458 rival: report

Porsche is apparently thinking of developing an all-new mid-engined supercar specifically to rival the likes of the Ferrari 458 Italia, McLaren MP4-12C and the Lamborghini Gallardo. Because the Porsche 911 isn't already worthy competition?


It seems Porsche is going a bit nuts lately, slotting more and more cars into gaps in the market that don't even exist. According to Autocar in the UK, Porsche engineers have already pitched design plans to Porsche's parent company, Volkswagen, and are awaiting approval. If the plans are approved, we should expect a mid-engined supercar in the $500,000 price range in the future.

Think of it as like a much more serious version of the Porsche Cayman, with an engine producing over 400kW and a much more focused body layout and structure. Porsche boss Mathias Muller recently spoke about the plans in an interview, saying,

"We’re looking to extend the range. We’ve got an idea to do another mid-engined model. We’re thinking above the 911 but below the 918 Spyder. We have ideas on styling and design, which we will continue to develop in the coming months. We’ll also evaluate the economic side and then decide [whether to push ahead].”"

Reports say the car could be powered by the Porsche 911 GT2 RS engine which is a 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat six offering 456kW of power and 700Nm of torque. Another possible prediction is the 3.4-litre V8 unit found in the Porsche 918 Spyder. This V8 is matched to an electric hybrid setup in the 918 but alone produces 414kW.

It's a bit early to tell yet, but according to an insider who communicated with Autocar, the new supercar could feature a face similar to the 911 and share some of suspension fundamentals as well. The insider says the rear of the car wouldn't be too dissimilar to the Boxster and Cayman but it would be larger proportioned to accommodate a larger engine.

Production of the car is said to hover around 2500-3000 unit per year mark if plans do go ahead. We'll keep you updated.

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