Autoblog

Porsche 960 could come with quad-turbo flat-eight engine

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Porsche, Rumormill, Luxury

Getting a bead on the target that is the so-called Porsche 960 is not easy, as the target keeps moving. First labeled the 960, then the 961, and now back to being called the 960, it is Porsche's take on a supercar specifically aimed at Ferrari - the latest report in Automobile says that Porsche's internal moniker for it is "FeFi," which stands for "Ferrari Fighter." Because it is expected to cost as much as the top-tier V12 Ferrari, Porsche wants the engine solution to justify the price tag. That means, according to author Georg Kacher, a 3.9-liter, quad-turbo flat-eight engine with 650 horsepower.

Last summer, the engine was mooted to be a twin-turbo flat six. A few months later, the rumor was that it would use the 4.6-liter V8 from the 918 and have about 570 horsepower. This new mid-engine configuration would be quite the leap, giving the 960 more power than the 918 Spyder (pictured) and 911 GT2 RS, and utilize other tech features like four adjustable camshafts and "a complex multistage intake manifold." In this scenario, power would be run through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and all-wheel drive.

Build materials are still slated to be a hodgepodge of materials including aluminum, steel, carbon fiber, titanium and magnesium. The boosted flat-eight, all-wheel drive and a 3,000-pound weight could get the 960 from zero to 60 miles per hour in just 2.5 seconds. Since it is looking squarely at Ferrari, the idea that the 960 will be a "four-door coupe" can probably be put to rest. For now.

Porsche 960 could come with quad-turbo flat-eight engine originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Jan 2013 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Porsche 960 to be a Ferrari-fighting four-door coupe

Jonathon Ramsey — Sun, 06 May 2012 18:02:00 EST

Filed under: Audi, Porsche, Volkswagen

Automobile's Georg Kacher goes deep into the Volkswagen product plan, looking at the 32 models that the group's ten brands will roll out over the next five years. These vehicles are expected to drive VW to the top of the mountain in 2018, where the flag for World's Largest Automaker awaits.

The armada is based on three platforms: MQB for transverse FWD/AWD cars like the VW Golf, MLB for the longitudinal FWD/AWD cars in Audi's stable, and MSB for AWD/RWD front-, rear- and mid-engined cars like the Porsche 960.

Said to be due in 2015, the 960 is the supercar discussed last year as a bridge model between the 911 and 918, but Kacher has it listed with the MSB-M platform cars like the Porsche Boxster/Cayman and Lamborghini Aventador, not the front-engined MSB-F or rear-engined MSB-H cars. Yet the 960 is said to be a Ferrari-fighting "four-door coupe" powered by a twin-turbo flat-six. We'll wait for clarification on the number of doors, since in September of last year, Kacher's scoop for Car posited the 960 as a mid-engined coupe priced "on the creepy side of €200,000."

Other intriguing notes from the plan: for VW, a CC coupe is planned for 2016, the Passat might get a coupe variant, the second-generation Scirocco "has the potential" for U.S. sales and the Eos will be replaced; Audi is desgining an even edgier third-generation TT, the A4 will experiment with e-quattro, and the next-generation A6 will break the same-sausage, different-lengths design mold.

Porsche 960 to be a Ferrari-fighting four-door coupe originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 06 May 2012 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Speculation runs rampant on Porsche Pajun and 960 supercar

Noah Joseph — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 19:27:00 EST

There's no question that Porsche is on the move. The company that once revolved almost entirely around the 911 has since expanded to include smaller sportscars, sedans and SUVs, and is showing little sign of slowing down. The Cajun is set to arrive shortly to slot in below the Cayenne, while the 918 supercar will anchor the top end of the company's product line-up. But that ain't all.

Porsche is also said to be working on a Junior Panamera tentatively known as the Pajun, though we pray that's just a temporary moniker until the final name is announced. Britain's Car magazine claims the Pajun could breed sedan, coupe, convertible and even shooting brake derivatives, and share its underpinnings with upcoming models from Bentley and Lamborghini as well. Both those bits of information, however, have also been said about the next-generation Panamera under which the Pajun is meant to slot, so we'd take that bit with a grain of salt.

Powertrain options, meanwhile, are speculatively tipped to include V6 engines producing as much as 550 horsepower in direct-injection, turbo form, a twin-turbo V8 topping 600, a plug-in hybrid and an array of Audi-sourced diesels, driving either the rear wheels or all four - all of which also seems conspicuously Panamera-like.

Back at the heart of what Porsche does best, the 961 project that was initially expected to pack a twin-turbo V8 in a 911-based chassis has, according to CAR, been dropped in favor of what's now being dubbed as the 960. The supercar would still slot below the 918 but reportedly be based on a new mid-engine platform, separate from both the 911 and the next-generation Lamborghini Gallardo and Audi R8.

Considering the synergies which the Volkswagen Group seems keen to bank on and the number of cars the group already fields in this segment, that doesn't seem likely, but the plan to switch to a twin-turbo 3.8-liter flat-six just might, though distinguishing it from the upcoming new 911 Turbo could prove a tough sell even for a mint like Zuffenhausen.

Speculation runs rampant on Porsche Pajun and 960 supercar originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Sep 2011 19:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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