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Porsche might just be throwing down the gauntlet in the horsepower wars, and this time, they’re playing for keeps. Freshly uncovered patent documents reveal plans for a monstrous W18 engine—yeah, you read that right—an 18-cylinder beast that could give Bugatti’s hallowed W16 a run for its money. The filing, spotted earlier this month but dating back to April 2024, sketches out a ludicrously intricate powerplant, one that’s both space-savvy and built to scorch asphalt in future hypercars.
Here’s the kicker: this thing is modular. Porsche’s brain trust figured out how to slap together inline-six segments on a single crankshaft, tweaking cylinder counts like Lego bricks. Want a W9? Easy. Dreaming of the full W18 glory? Done. Engineers bragged about cramming it all into a tidy package, with clever thermal tricks to stop the whole setup from melting into a puddle. Exhaust runs snake underneath and between cylinder banks, leaving cooler air up top where it counts—more oxygen, more boom.
Turboheads, rejoice. The design leaves room for forced induction madness, maybe even three turbos shoehorned in there, all while keeping the engine’s footprint no wider than a humble straight-six. Translation? This colossus could squeeze into smaller cars without the usual V12 heft, a game-changer for weight distribution and handling.
If this W18 ever sees daylight, it’ll be Porsche’s wildest powertrain move since joining Volkswagen’s empire—home of Bentley’s W12 and Bugatti’s earth-shaking W16. Speaking of Bugatti, their Chiron’s quad-turbo W16 still reigns as one of the meanest production engines ever, slinging the car past 490 km/h. Porsche’s play? Maybe a not-so-subtle hint they’re gunning for the throne.
Now, don’t hold your breath. Carmakers patent crazy stuff all the time just to lock down ideas, not necessarily to build them. But timing’s everything, and Porsche just backtracked on going all-electric, doubling down on gas and hybrids—including the next-gen 718.
Oh, and about that electric Mission X hypercar concept? Radio silence. So while the world waits, this W18 patent screams one thing loud and clear: Porsche isn’t ready to let combustion die. Not yet. Behind closed doors, they might just be crafting a Bugatti killer. Game on.
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