While the idea of stuffing a V-8 engine into a Porsche 911 is nothing new—owners have been doing it for ages, and RUF even offered one in 2010—the idea that Porsche almost did exactly that itself is something not everyone might know. Here, we get a look at the secret prototype for a factory-built 911 with V-8 power.
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Built for testing in 1984, the prototype, developed during work on the Type 965, uses a 32-valve Audi V-8 engine, though Porsche is said to have planned its own V-8 engine design if it had moved forward with production.
The V-8 965 was intended as a more affordable, higher volume successor to the 959 supercar, complete with all-wheel drive and active suspension. Porsche’s then-new R&D boss Ulrich Bez (now CEO of Aston Martin) killed the project in December, 1988, however, due to manufacturing complexity and rapidly rising costs.
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