Porsche doesn’t often launch a generation-defining supercar or hypercar, but when it does it’s one of the standouts among its peers.
Think back to the 959 of the 1980s, the Carrera GT of the mid-2000s, and the 918 from the early 2010s – all were a big technological step forward for Porsche, and have become icons in their own right.
Now, amidst financial troubles following a downturn in demand for EVs, Porsche is looking to expand its product portfolio, with a new hypercar appearing to be the perfect fit to lead its charge.
Overnight, Porsche detailed its plans to offer more models in a bid to cover a wider market, with vehicles at a higher premium than the 911 and Cayenne expected to lead the charge, as well as a previously reported merging of the Panamera and Taycan grand touring sedans.
“We are considering the expansion of our product portfolio in order to grow in higher-margin segments. In doing so, we are looking at models and derivatives both above our current two-door sports cars and above the Cayenne,” Porsche CEO Michael Leiters said.
This fuelled speculation as to what the new sports car above the 911 could be, and Motor1 may have received an answer.
The US outlet contacted Porsche’s spokespeople and received an unexpected response, with the brand member saying a hypercar is under evaluation.
“We cannot detail the mentioned statement since Porsche is in the middle of an analysis phase for its future product portfolio,” the Porsche spokesperson said.
“What we can confirm is that we will continue to offer uncompromisingly excellent sports cars with genuine Porsche DNA.
“Flagship projects like the Porsche 959, Carrera GT, or 918 Spyder are part of our DNA. We continue to invest in high-performance sports cars. One example is the recently presented 911 Turbo S.
“Additionally, we are currently evaluating various vehicle concepts in the GT and hypercar segment. We will decide based on the wishes of our customers, who are always our focus.”
It’s not yet clear what the hypercar could be. It’s unlikely to be based on any of Porsche’s previous EV concepts, while it would need represent a technological step above the 918 which was a plug-in hybrid.
As previously reported, Porsche has been shuffling its future product plans in the wake of changing consumer demand globally, confirming the new 718 (Cayman and Boxster) won’t go EV-only as first intended.
Instead, Porsche said last year it would expand the 718 lineup to offer “top ICE (internal combustion engine) derivatives”, suggesting the flagship RS versions of each would be the only versions to get a petrol engine.
It has also said it plans to launch a Macan-sized petrol-powered SUV, following the move of its best-seller to electric power, which hasn’t been as well received by the market.
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