Porsche S1 Supercar Could Pack a Flat-Eight Engine and Cost Over $500,000 – ReportMotorBiscuitSaajan JogiaTue, September 22, 2026 at 12:00 PM UTCAdd us on GooglePorsche could be preparing an unusually ambitious new flagship supercar as it reassesses its future strategy, with reports pointing to an eight-cylinder boxer engine for the brand's potential halo model.According to Carscoops, Porsche CEO Michael Leiters is expected to outline the company's new strategic direction at its capital markets day on October 7. The reported plan would place greater emphasis on combustion-powered vehicles and exclusivity, with the new supercar forming part of that approach.Internally known as the S1, the rumored flagship is said to be under development with an eight-cylinder boxer engine. While Porsche has previously produced flat-eight engines for racing applications, the company has never put one into a production road car. That would make the S1 particularly significant if it eventually reaches the market.AdvertisementAdvertisementA few years ago, Porsche Project Manager for eFuels Marcos Marques revealed that the company had built a running flat-eight prototype using a Cayman chassis, describing it as a "crazy car that sounded amazing," Motor1 reported.a close up of a white sports carThe experimental supercar was powered by a twin-turbocharged 5.0-liter boxer engine producing 750 horsepower and 738 lb-ft (1,000 Nm) of torque, with a 9,000-rpm redline and a manual transmission.Porsche reportedly tested the prototype on roads around Weissach for more than a year, but ultimately decided against turning it into a production model because it felt the car "wasn't the right car for that moment in time."This new project also comes at an interesting time for Porsche. The company has been dealing with weaker conditions in China. A combustion-powered halo car could therefore represent a shift toward more exclusive models as Porsche looks to reshape its lineup.AdvertisementAdvertisementDetails about the S1 remain extremely limited, although the report suggests its styling could share some similarities with the 911. The car would occupy a much higher price bracket than Porsche's established sports cars, with a reported price of around €500,000, equivalent to approximately $574,000.The proposed flat-eight also arrives shortly after RUF revealed its own twin-turbocharged eight-cylinder boxer engine. That engine displaces 4.8 liters and produces more than 1,000 hp and 1,000 Nm (738 lb-ft) of torque. However, there is no indication the RUF and Porsche engines are connected.The potential supercar is not the only major change reportedly being considered at Porsche. MotorBiscuit recently reported that Porsche could cut around 4,100 jobs as part of Volkswagen's newly approved restructuring plan.According to the report, the reductions are intended to close an estimated €700 million ($803.8 million) gap in overhead costs following the supervisory board's approval of the plan.AdvertisementAdvertisementVolkswagen and Porsche declined to comment on the reported plans. Volkswagen also revised down its full-year margin target to as low as 1%, from a previous range of 4.0–5.5%, largely driven by a write-down at Porsche, where Leiters faces pressure to develop a turnaround strategy amid plunging China sales and the costly reversal of the automaker's EV strategy.