Flat eight in new 960?
Discussion
I thought the lower center of gravity was a bit of a dubious assertion. You still have to have the exhaust manifold under the car - raising the engine. A V8 has the crank (a heavy part) as low as possible with exhaust out the sides.
Saying that as much as I would like a flat 8! But who knows what they could develop. Knowing Porsche for their penchant for profits over engines that don't eat themselves or have other issues I fear they wont make a flat 8 or make one that is questionable in design. But, depending on the price point, maybe they could??? I'd like to believe they have a trick up their sleeves and have learned from previous problems.
Saying that as much as I would like a flat 8! But who knows what they could develop. Knowing Porsche for their penchant for profits over engines that don't eat themselves or have other issues I fear they wont make a flat 8 or make one that is questionable in design. But, depending on the price point, maybe they could??? I'd like to believe they have a trick up their sleeves and have learned from previous problems.
Yeah, all good speculation.
I can't help but feel Porsche wouldn't bother developing another engine, which would likely not find itself into any other car in the range.
I thought they were all about cost-cutting and platform sharing these days.
I just feel that a flat-8 wouldn't find it's way back into a rear engined car, due to the length and that would rule it out for the 'smaller' mid-engine cars, which won't be allowed to have a 'better' engine than their bigger brother.
The Spyder V8 seems like the most plausible engine to me but the Cayenne V8TT engine could also be used... Or an Audi derivative!?
Now, that doesn't rule out the fact that there maybe a Flat-8 in a car, used as a test bed, for a look-see. I'm sure it wouldn't have cost them that much to develop a one-off but re-tooling for a single application when they already have engines in-house and even more so in 'the family'. I'd love to see it happen but it just doesn't feel right.
I can't help but feel Porsche wouldn't bother developing another engine, which would likely not find itself into any other car in the range.
I thought they were all about cost-cutting and platform sharing these days.
I just feel that a flat-8 wouldn't find it's way back into a rear engined car, due to the length and that would rule it out for the 'smaller' mid-engine cars, which won't be allowed to have a 'better' engine than their bigger brother.
The Spyder V8 seems like the most plausible engine to me but the Cayenne V8TT engine could also be used... Or an Audi derivative!?
Now, that doesn't rule out the fact that there maybe a Flat-8 in a car, used as a test bed, for a look-see. I'm sure it wouldn't have cost them that much to develop a one-off but re-tooling for a single application when they already have engines in-house and even more so in 'the family'. I'd love to see it happen but it just doesn't feel right.
DiscoColin said:
Presumably because it would allow reuse of a lengthened/widened 981 chassis and is obviously a good packaging solution for the inevitable convertible?
That's possible but still doesn't explain why they wouldn't use a V8, which would be longer etc.In fact, I guess the chassis would/ could be stiffer with the V8 and I did think Audi would share the platform and designing round a Flat-8 would mean the Audi engines may look 'funny' in there.
We'll see and I'd love to think they'd do a Flat-8 but I just don't see it - hoping to be proved wrong!
Of course they could paste on 2 extra cylinders to their current flat 6 there's no issue with that I think - so scratch the engineer a new engine bit I mentioned earlier. They would need to cast a new block and heads among other things.
What i was going to say was that engines may be getting shorter in sense because all the ancillaries are going electric. But I guess the same applies to a V8.
What i was going to say was that engines may be getting shorter in sense because all the ancillaries are going electric. But I guess the same applies to a V8.
The other elephant in the room is of course racing. If this is indeed to be the car to oppose the F458 on the road it remains possible that the 960 may be destined for Daytona, LeMans and suchlike. It is becoming increasingly apparent that a 4 litre 6 may not for much longer be a viable solution to compete evenly with the V8 and V10 engined Ferraris and Audis on the top tier of GT racing. Whatever they say in public I cannot believe that this subject hasn't been discussed at length in Stuttgart and one does wonder if the eventual replacement to the Mezger derived unit currently in use (now and for the next few years) might actually have 2 extra cylinders and my not be destined for a 911.
I was told with surprising certainty back in 2010 that when the next RSR arrived properly it would be a flat 8.
While its exactly what the racing needed (even then) it seemed a ridiculous suggestion.
Even now it still sounds out there but the two people who told me were certain and as you look at rumours, the group structure and the current motorsport competition its starting to look less so.
While its exactly what the racing needed (even then) it seemed a ridiculous suggestion.
Even now it still sounds out there but the two people who told me were certain and as you look at rumours, the group structure and the current motorsport competition its starting to look less so.
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