During Porsche’s annual press conference, the firm’s chief executive Matthias Mueller confirmed that Porsche is working on a seventh model to add to its existing line-up.
More specially, Mueller said, “In the not-too-distant future, we will present a seventh model line. There are already promising plans, but no board decision yet.”
While it remains to be seen just what this seventh model could be, there are a few suggestions. For starters, there’s a possibility that it could be long-rumoured all-electric Porsche sedan rival to the Tesla Model S. Elsewhere, there’s an indication that it could be a brand new mid-engined sports car to rival the Ferrari 488 GTB and McLaren 650S and to sit between the Porsche 911 and 918 Spyder hybrid hypercar.
As for the Model S rival, it has been tentatively dubbed the Porsche 717 and will apparently be built around the Volkswagen Group’s MSB architecture set to be used by the next-generation Panamera and next Bentley Continental. Consequently, the Porsche 717 will be a sedan just like the Tesla Model S albeit slightly smaller than the existing Panamera.
Unlike the Tesla Model S which uses its large battery pack as the floorpan and for reinforcement, the Porsche 717 will apparently use a different method. In fact, it is suggested that the 717 will feature a large ridge of batteries where the transmission tunnel usually resides. Further batteries will then reportedly be located in the bulkheads and side sills as well as the footwell and overhangs.
