The world’s been eagerly awaiting a mid-engined Porsche to rival the Ferrari 488 for quite some time but according to new reports, it could be as long as a decade away.
Citing anonymous sources, Automotive News indicates that the project, known as the 960, has been significantly delayed from its original launch, once thought to be anywhere between 2017 and 2020.
Porsche’s decision to delay the project comes due to the fallout from Volkswagen’s diesel emissions scandal and on the back of VW Group chief executive Matthias Muller pledging to delay or cancel forthcoming projects that weren’t deemed “absolutely necessary”.
In recent times, it has been thought that the Porsche 960 would rival the Ferrari 488, McLaren 650S and upcoming hardcore variants of the Lamborghini Huracan. As such, a flat eight-cylinder engine was thought to be on the cards alongside a quad turbocharged setup, resulting in around 650 hp.
If, however, the project has indeed been delayed by as much as six to nine years, that powertrain will probably change significantly. Successors to the 488, 650S and Huracan will all launch in that time and at least two of them could include some form of hybridisation. If the 960 does come to fruition, it could follow a similar path.
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