The upcoming CAFE and Euro standards have pretty much sealed the fate of internal combustion as we know it. Even Porsche can’t help but embrace the all-electric future, but at the same time, Porsche hasn’t forgotten that internal combustion made them a household name.
Initially specialized in air-cooled boxer mills, the automaker found itself between a rock and a hard place in the 1970s because 911 sales left much to be desired. The 928 was expected to replace the Neunelfer, but due to much pressure from the boxer-loving public, the 911 kept on keeping on.
The 928 wasn’t a commercial success either. A little more than 61,000 examples were delivered worldwide from 1977 through 1995, which isn’t particularly surprising because it was terribly expensive. Be that as it may, the 928 does mark the start of Porsche’s enchantment with the V8 motor.
“2022 marks 45 years since the first eight-cylinder Porsche, the groundbreaking V8 that's the beating heart of our mightiest hybrids, and which still continues to break new ground and win affection today. This Valentine's, our heart belongs to the V8,” highlights the German marque.
In my humble opinion, Porsche couldn’t have nailed it any better. Increasingly more legacy automakers pretend that internal combustion is antiquated technology deserving of an unceremonious retirement although their very existence is attributed to the engines that powered their previous-generation vehicles. The Ford Motor Company, for example, gives off the impression of putting the Mustang Mach-E on a higher pedestal than the 'Stang.
Turning our attention back to Porsche V8s, the German automaker’s crowning achievement in this regard is the 918 Spyder. Greatly inspired by the 3.4-liter mill of the RS Spyder LMP2 racing car, the 4.6-liter engine in the plug-in 918 Spyder develops nearly 600 horsepower at 8,700 revolutions per minute yet weighs only 135 kilograms (almost 300 pounds). In conjunction with two electric motors, total system output is rated at 874 horsepower.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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