Porsche Developing New 960 Mid-Engine Supercar?

Porsche has staked its claim on the name ‘960’, trademarking the three number sequence to spawn a possible new breed of mid-engine sports car that, as Car Magazine reports, could rival the likes of the Ferrari 488 GTB, Lamborghini Huracan, Audi R8, and McLaren 650S.

As far as timelines go, the report says that the patent application was approved in September 2015, and the project it was linked to had been pushed to 2019. However, the recent interest comes from a question posed by the publication to which a Porsche spokesperson slipped some rather telling words:

The full quote reads: “‘There’s not been much on the topic of new models but, if you look, there are blank spots in our range – and you have to look at what the competition is doing and keep these things in mind. Pragmatically, with our production cycle running as it is, we know where we are in the current model cycles – and there’s a lot to do at the moment. We’re very busy.”

Putting two and two together, a rational person would be led to the conclusion that the 960 would be that car to fill that blank spot. One could argue how it’s perhaps an outspoken minority who are fussing about Porsche’s lack of direct answer to those cars (488 GTB, Huracan etc) but, in reality, the Stuttgart automaker doesn’t seem to be hurting from it in the least.

Still, the prospect of a mid-engine Porsche slotted between the new 718 Cayman and the 918 Spyder hypercar is a very enticing prospect, more powerful and capable than the former but more accessible than the latter. Especially if, should the speculation prove to be an accurate bet, the future 960’s performance is higher even than the 911 Turbo.

Speculation is a slippery slope however, and there has been talk of it being a four-wheel drive sports car as standard with a twin-turbo flat-eight engine, a Veyron-chasing 100km/h sprint time, and there being more hardcore versions introduced along its life cycle.

But we’re not as confident about saying anything about a future Porsche. And anyway, should it be an actual project that’s in the works, they should be just as eager to make some kind of announcement as we are to hear about it. Perhaps as early as late 2016?

Mercedes McLaren SLR

Year	2004
Engine	5439 cc V-8 supercharged
Transmission	5-speed auto
Max speed	207 mph
0-60 mph	3.8 seconds
Horsepower	626 hp @ 6500 rpm
weight	3800 lbs

The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren supercar was inspired by the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR from 1955, but the new SLR also draws heavily on F1 for design cues as well as technology. The Mercedes Mclaren SLR is powered by a supercharged 5.5 litre, dry sumped, 90 degree V8 developed from the Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG. This engine produces 626 hp at 6500rpm, and 780 Nm (575 ft lbs) of torque at 3250 - 5000 rpm. Unlike most supercars of the era, which are mid-engine, the SLR's engine is positioned in front of the cab. Although it sits far enough back over the front axle to be called 'mid-front'. The brake discs on the Mercedes Mclaren SLR are carbon-ceramic, these provide better stopping power and fade resistance (up to 1000°C) than conventional steel discs. They also apply themselves automatically in the wet to clean the film of water off the disks, however the pressure applied is not enough for the driver to notice. The small rear spoiler deploys under heavy breaking to keep the rear of the SLR stable and firmly planted to the road. The bodywork is carbon-fibre and the front substructure is designed to deform in a collision and protect the occupants. Unlike most Mercedes models which are built in Germany, The Mercedes-Benz Mclaren SLR is built in the UK.