Porsche Is Planning A New Supercar With A Flat-Eight Engine: Report

Porsche hasn’t built a supercar in over a decade, as production of the 918 Spyder ended in June 2015. Although the 919 Street, developed two years later, would’ve been a proper successor, it never moved beyond the clay model stage. Consequently, the LMP1 race car for the road will remain a “what if” moment in Zuffenhausen’s history. However, there are reasons to be excited about what lies ahead, as the company has already revealed plans to consider a new model positioned above the 911.

In a statement to Motor1 in early March, a Porsche spokesperson used the magic word: hypercar. Now, German business newspaper Handelsblatt claims to know more about the new flagship model. It’s allegedly known internally as the “S1” and will start at about €500,000, or $574,000 at current exchange rates. As always, the euro-to-dollar conversion isn’t necessarily relevant since German pricing includes 19 percent value-added tax (VAT), which Americans don’t pay.

The alleged asking price would effectively be twice what Porsche charges in its domestic market for a 911 GT3 RS. Even the highly probable return of the GT2 RS is unlikely to cost nearly as much, therefore putting the S1 in a league of its own. But the two-door model is unlikely to be related to the long-running sports car, as all signs point to a standalone model instead of the umpteenth 911 derivative.

Flat-Eight Engine?

This is where the report gets really interesting because Porsche apparently wants to use a flat-eight engine. Although the company has built eight-cylinder boxer engines in the past, it has never produced a model with this type of powertrain. A few years back, Marcos Marques, Project Manager eFuels at Porsche, revealed there was a running prototype based on a Cayman chassis, a “crazy car that sounded amazing.”

The flat-eight machine had a twin-turbo, 5.0-liter engine with 750 horsepower and 738 pound-feet (1,000 Newton-meters) of torque. The boxer engine redlined at 9,000 rpm and sent power to the road through a manual gearbox. Despite being tested on the roads near Weissach for over a year, it never came to be since Porsche felt like “it wasn't the right car for that moment in time.”

Fast-forward to 2026, and a flagship with an eight-cylinder boxer engine appears to be back on the agenda. In the meantime, Porsche specialist Ruf is beating Porsche to the punch since it’s already working on a flat-eight engine. It has already unveiled a prototype with a twin-turbo 4.4-liter unit producing over 1,000 hp and 738 lb-ft (1,000 Nm), sent to the road through a six-speed manual.

Making Money With Fewer Cars

The rumored half-million-euro hypercar aligns with the new strategy to remain profitable even if it ends up selling fewer cars. Earlier this year, CEO Michael Leiters told Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung the company “has to make money even with fewer cars.”

Investors may get to see the alleged S1 on October 7 during the already announced Capital Markets Day. It would make sense for Porsche to preview other models, including the belated replacement for the gas-fueled Macan, a new crossover related to the Audi Q5 but a "real Porsche." There could also be news about the long-delayed 718 EVs and additional details about the already teased three-row SUV positioned above the Cayenne.

We also know the Boxster and Cayman with combustion engines are coming back, and we’re curious to learn more about the GT-styled vehicle, if it ever happens. We won’t be too surprised if those backing Porsche also catch a glimpse of the 911 GT2 RS since it’s widely believed to arrive in 2027 to crown the 992.2 generation.