Porsche’s ‘Project Secret’ is a must see
If you are planning to visit Germany in the next three months make a significant change in your itinerary. If you’re a petrolhead, making your first priority a visit to the Porsche Museum located next to the headquarters of Porsche AG is almost mandatory. Starting from today (September 17, 2014) to January 11, 2015, one of the world’s best automobile museums will initiate a special exhibition showcasing their never-built study cars, concepts that didn’t get wings for obvious reasons and camouflaged prototypes that have been displayed over the decades. The exhibition is also righty named ‘Project: Secret!’. There will be 14 of these cars that we would have dreamt to turn into reality, whether in dreams or as children.
Typically, Porsche is not ready to explain each and every detail of all the crazy prototypes in the show. If you want to see them, book your tickets to Germany. However, the Stuttgart-based manufacturer released some details for us to chew upon.
Porsche 924
In 1976, Porsche was develpoing the 924 in an effort to break the high speed endurance record at that time. As Porsche was aiming for an average speed of over 250kmph, over a distance of 16,093.4 km (10,000 miles), they worked on the standard 123bhp turbocharged four-cylinder engine to produce an astonishing 247bhp. The aerodynamics got special attention thanks to the extensive wind-tunnel testing, leading to a drag coefficient of 0.268, which enabled a top speed of 280kmph. Shortly before the planned record-breaking drive around the high-speed oval of Nardò in July 1977, the attempt was shelved and then rolled into the Porsche Museum.
Porsche 984
The sport two-seater concept car, developed between 1984 and 1987 at the Porsche Development Center in Weissach, was trying to attain goals such as being compact, lightweight, and an aerodynamic roadster. Regarded as a study for future vehicle concepts, the project took inspiration from the development job previously undertaken for the Spanish automaker, Seat. Driving characteristics and low fuel consumption were the prime focus for this in-expensive sports car which targeted young buyers. The vehicle was supposed to get an air-cooled 2.0-litre, four-cylinder rear-mounted boxer engine with an output of 118bhp–148bhp. A convertible verison and an all-wheel-drive version for motorsport were also in the pipeline. However, the sales crisis caused by the falling dollar rate in 1987 led to the premature death of this concept.
Concept Car Type 995
Porsche developed this concept for the construction of a future sports car in 1978–79. The development objectives for the four-seater Type 995 concept car focused on fuel economy, safety, and noise emissions, while the Porsche 928 was used as the technological base. A five-speed double-clutch transmission in conjunction with two low-consumption gas engines was the highlight of the model. A high-compression 3.0-litre V8 engine with automatic cylinder deactivation and a 2.2-litre four-valve, four-cylinder motor were also envisioned. The gear-shifting of the double-clutch transmission was electronically controlled without letting up on the gas.
Porsche 959 C29
Porsche showcased the production-ready 959 at the Frankfurt International Motor Show in 1983 which was the result of the manufacturer’s “Group B” study. The concept was powered by a whopping 444bhp, boxer engine with water-cooled cylinder heads and bi-turbo sequential charging. The car topped with 300kmph. This prototype is regarded as the harbinger of the future Porsche sports car models with an electronically controlled chassis, the program-controlled all-wheel drive and an aerodynamic body. The Type 959 C29 was also the predecessor of the Porsche 950.
