Approximately 15 years after Porsche gave up its lightness-and-small-displacement strategy and developed a five-liter sports racer to outperform Ferrari at Le Mans, a different sort of battle started between the two companies -- a battle for top positions in the super-supercar market. Ferrari manufactured a radically modified twin-turbo 308 GTB in 1984 with an intent to meet Group B road-racing rules. In response to the 288 GTO, Porsche introduced the impressive 959, which made its debut at about the same time as the successor of the 288 -- the infinitely loopier and practically skeletal F40. When Ferrari introduced the Enzo Ferrari 10 years ago, Porsche responded by launching the Carrera GT, which is a cost-no-object hypercar of its own.
Now that Porsche is ready to manufacture the V8/hybrid 918 Spyder, which will feature 718 gas-electric horsepower, Ferrari's Enzo successor could not be shown up by a measly Porsche. The new vehicle, which is rumored to be revealed this fall, will boast an output of 920 hp, 800hp of which will come from a 7.3-liter evolution of the 599 replacement's V12, reports Automobile.
The remaining 120 hp comes electrically through a kinetic-energy-recovery system. With the fact that Ferrari is aiming for reduced weight, the new vehicle will weigh around 2,500 pounds, about three-quarters of a ton less than the slightly more powerful Bugatti Veyron 16.4. Moreover, the new vehicle is rumored to be dubbed the F70. [source: AutoWeek]
