The experimental car, known as the 965, was built in the transition period between the original 911 and the second-generation 964 series. The company borrowed a V8 engine from Audi, installed it into a 964 and disguised the prototype as a 959 for road trials.
The idea was under consideration to serve as a potential successor to the 959, still benefiting from all-wheel-drive and plenty of power — but with a lower price tag for higher sales numbers.
“I think nobody seriously had in mind to bring a [911] into production with an Audi V8,” Porsche Museum archive chief Dieter Landenberger says. “But it was just a test if such a concept could have a future. Luckily they kept on building flat-six engines. I think that’s at the heart of 911s and this was definitely a good decision.”
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