Though Porsche controls the rear-engine sports car market, it apparently wants in on Ferrari’s slice of the supercar pie. As we previously reported, the Stuttgart-based brand is planning a brand new model, codenamed 960 or “FeFi” for “Ferrari Fighter,” to challenge its exotic sports car rivals. Now, Automobile reports that changes was made to the car’s original recipe, which formerly included a midship twin-turbo 4.0-liter flat-six.

That engine has reportedly been replaced by a quad-turbo 3.9-liter flat-eight, expected to pump out around 650 hp. Porsche decided to desert its venerable six-cylinder boxer engine after realizing the auto would likely cost up to twelve-cylinder offerings just like the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta and Lamborghini Aventador. Development of the brand new boxer-eight was approved by Volkswagen Group chief Ferdinand Piech, who’s said to have previously owned one-off Porsche 914 and Cayman models equipped with flat-eight engines.

In addition to its four turbochargers, the 960’s engine will even boast twin intercoolers, four adjustable camshafts, a multistage intake manifold, and dual-stage exhaust system. The three.9-liter engine will still be midship-mounted, and may sit low within the chassis for a lower center of gravity. The 960’s chassis architecture can be shared with other sporty VW group vehicles, including the following-gen Boxster and Lamborghini Aventador successor, and is claimed to be made up primarily of aluminum supported by steel, carbon fiber, magnesium, and titanium to realize a curb weight around 3000 pounds. Power could be transmitted to all four wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Automobile estimates the Porsche 960 will hit 60 mph from a standstill in 2.5 seconds. A rear-drive GT edition can also be inside the works, though there are currently no plans for a convertible model.

As we previously reported, the 960 could resemble the Porsche 918 RSR coupe concept of 2011 (pictured above), but can have little else in common with Porsche’s upcoming 918 hybrid halo car. Porsche estimates it might probably sell between 3000 and 4000 960 models a year over its six-year lifecycle. Production could begin at Porsche’s Zuffenhausen facility in early 2017.

Source: Automobile