Porsche 918 Successor could use a Hybrid Formula 1 engine

Porsche seems to have dropped its plan for an all-electric hypercar to replace the 918 Spyder.

Now, that Porsche is not building a flagship electric hypercar, what’s next? Well, according to Autocar, Porsche could use a hybrid powertrain originally developed for its Formula 1 program. Now, that’s more inline with the current industry trends.

The engine in question was supposed to be a 2.0-liter unit that would have replaced the V4 engine used in the 919 Le Mans racer. Porsche later switched to a 1.6-litre hybrid as per F1 regulations of the time. The engine was reportedly developed by a team of 40 individuals from the company’s LMP1 project.

Porsche’s F1 ambitions failed to come to fruition for various reasons and the program was scrapped. However, the engine that could’ve powered a Formula 1 car might get a new lease of life in a street legal hypercar. The 1.6-litre V6 could be spiced up with an electric motor developed by Rimac.

While the Porsche 918 successor is still a few years away, the competition is already hotting up. Yes, we’re referring to the Aston Martin Valkyrie and Mercedes-AMG One.

Source: Autocar