New Porsche 918
Update: We've received the following official comment from Porsche regarding the rumored hypercar: "I can confirm that there are no immediate plans for any car of this kind." We've updated the text to reflect this.
It's been nearly a decade since Porsche introduced its last hypercar, the 918 Spyder, and a recent report claims the model's long-awaited follow-up is almost ready. It's so close that the firm has reportedly started taking orders. But an official statement from Porsche seems to squash the rumor.
Spike Feresten, a former Seinfeld writer and a Porsche enthusiast, spoke about the mysterious car with comedian and noted collector Jerry Seinfeld on his podcast. "Right now, if you'd like to, you can put a deposit down on a Porsche GT1," he revealed without citing sources, according to Drive. "The rumor is, they're going to announce this in August. There is going to be a new Porsche GT1 mid-engined special car that will follow in the footsteps of the Carrera GT and the 918," he added. None of this is official, but some of it might not be as far-fetched as it sounds.
Then again, Porsche has told us that nothing is in the works. "I can confirm that there are no immediate plans for any car of this kind." That seems pretty definitive.
But there are a number of reasons the rumor still makes sense, even with Porsche's official denial. Porsche has vaguely discussed the 918's successor on several occasions, though it significantly hasn't confirmed it's releasing the model, let alone provided a precise idea of when we'll see it. If it's indeed around the corner, we're not surprised to find out the order book is already open. Carmakers routinely show new limited-edition models to their most loyal (and wealthiest) clients before revealing them to the public. That's why many hypercars are sold out by the time they break cover. And, we have every reason to believe production of the next 918 will be limited.
Presenting the car in August makes sense, too. Monterey Car Week is back on the calendar, after all. Porsche could hold a private unveiling, or it could introduce the model at one of the dozens of high-octane events, like The Quail.
What the rumored GT1 will look like is still up in the air. It could be related to the 911, like the 1996 911 GT1 was, or it could be an entirely different beast. One inspired by the 680-horsepower hybrid prototype Porsche will enter in endurance races starting in 2023, perhaps? Or, something along the lines of the 919 Street built in 2017 and first shown in 2020? It's too early to tell. However, we know Porsche wasn't out of ideas when it came to improving or replacing the 918, it shed light on four never-before-seen hypercar prototypes in late 2020, and some of their genes could get spliced into the new project. What's seemingly certain is that it won't be purely electric; the German firm hinted in 2020 that it's not interested in following companies like Lotus and Rimac into the EV hypercar segment.
Time will tell whether we'll see a new Porsche hypercar, or if the company steers well clear of the segment in the foreseeable future. If the report is accurate, additional details about the flagship will undoubtedly emerge in the coming weeks.
Featured Video
Porsche Information
Source: https://www.autoblog.com/2021/07/15/porsche-hypercar-rumor-918/
