Is Porsche about to launch a supercar to succeed the 918 Spyder?
A drop in revenue and profits could see Porsche launch a new supercar to sit above the iconic 911
Porsche might be considering resurrecting its stillborn Mission X all-electric hypercar as it continues to battle a downturn in sales, revenues and profits off the back of a softening of the Chinese luxury market and tariffs in the US. Speaking at the company’s presentation of its 2025 financial results, new CEO Michael Leiters, who replaced Oliver Blume at the beginning of January, said: ‘We are considering the expansion of our product portfolio to grow in higher-margin segments. In doing so, we are looking at models and derivatives both above our current two-door sports cars and above the Cayenne.’
Porsche has been developing a new flagship SUV, the K1, to sit above the Cayenne for some time now (Audi is also developing its own version to sit above the Q7 called the Q9), which was due to be all electric, but will now also be offered with plug-in hybrid turbocharged V6 and V8 powertrains. Leiters’ comments also suggest the company is considering a halo model to sit above the 911.
It has long been rumoured that Porsche has been considering a series-production mid-engined supercar to sit above its rear-engined icon. Unlike the 918 Spyder and Carrera GT however, this new model has been speculated as being more accessible and cheaper than Porsche’s last two supercars.
How Porsche could create a new supercar
In 2023 Porsche previewed the Mission X concept, an all-electric hypercar that jumped on the bandwagon charge led by the Rimac Nevera. However, a distinct lack of interest from potential customers led Porsche to quietly sideline it. Perhaps rather than resurrecting the all-electric concept and pushing through its development only for people to shrug a shoulder and ask when the next 911 GT RS product will be available, Leiters could look elsewhere within the VW Group of brands to find a high-end solution to its financial shortfalls.
Customers are now taking delivery of Lamborghini’s fresh-faced Temerario with its new aluminium spaceframe chassis and V8-hybrid engine. You’ve possibly also worked out that if the Temerario exists, an Audi version should follow in due course as Ingolstadt also pulls back from relying on all-electric powertrains for its future. But could Porsche also turn to Italy to fill its ambitions to offer a faster, more powerful - and profitable - halo car to sit above the 911?
Taking Lamborghini’s work would have been unheard of just half a decade ago, but in the current climate that has seen Porsche’s operating profit slump 92.7 per cent, from €5.64 billion in 2024 to €410 million in 2025, needs must. It would also allow the engineers at Weissach to skip the idea, concept, design and initial testing stage and potentially bring a mid-engined Porsche supercar to market before the end of the decade.
In terms of powertrain, Lamborghini (and Audi) has gone to great expense to develop an all-new 789bhp 4-litre twin-turbo V8 to drive the rear wheels via a new eight-speed DCT transmission. On the front axle is a pair of electric motors with a third sandwiched between the engine and transmission, bringing total output to 907bhp; the hybrid system is taken from the 1001bhp Revuelto.
Currently, Porsche’s most powerful series sport car is the new supercar-baiting 701bhp 911 Turbo S. Any supercar the company intends to launch above it will need to at least better this and, ideally, be lighter too (the Turbo S has a claimed kerb weight of 1725kg, the Lamborghini a claimed dry weight of 1690kg). It would also need to fall under the Temerario’s £259,567 price. Unless, of course, Leiters is coveting the margins that a car priced and positioned closer to that of Aston Martin’s £850,000 1064bhp Valhalla might achieve.
Whichever decision and direction Leiters decides to take Porsche in the sports and supercar market, will undoubtedly result in a Porsche capable of competing at the very front of any pack it finds itself in, which will include the latest models from his previous employers: Ferrari and McLaren.
