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As mules currently in testing suggest, Porsche has in development a third front-engined car. Coming after the successful Cayenne SUV, and the future Panamera saloon (expected in 2009), the third model will be a large four-seat coupe.

Logically, this successor of the 928 will be technically based on the Panamera. Featuring the same drive-train layout, the two cars will share more than 60% of their components, including engines, transmission and suspension. It is even said that the decision of building a new FR coupe was taken in order to render more profitable the new Panamera technical platform. The cost-reduction fight doesn’t forget anyone, and few are the cars these days, that don’t share technical components with others.

Comparing to the Panamera, the 928 GT Coupe will have a shorter wheelbase and will loose some weights. This will make it sportier than the sedan.

The 928 GT Coupe will be powered by the same engines used in the Panamera. The normally aspirated and turbocharged V8 (used in the Cayenne) will be the first options. The V8 will rank between 4 and 6 liters of displacement and producing power values amid 300 and 650 bhp. Also the GT Coupe will use the 5.7 litre V10 engine producing 605 hp used in the Carrera GT.

The Direct Fuel Injection (DFI) technology first used in the Cayenne will be also used in the GT Coupe. This technology lowers the fuel consumption of individual models by over eight percent (NEDC). In real driving conditions, savings of up to 15 percent are possible.

Also from the Panamera, the new Coupe will borrow the transmission choices: a six-speed manual will come as standard, and a seven-speed automatic, dual-clutch DSG will also be available. All the technologies being borrowed from the Panamera, Porsche would have to use something from the old 928, to justify the name. This will be the rear-wheel drive system, with a transaxle helping to balance weight distribution.

As the Panamera is aimed against the top-class sports-luxury saloons, the new Porsche GT Coupe will have to deal with the Granturismo high-class, and elegantly mix performance and refinement. The performance part will be sustained by the same engine range expected for the Panamera, including V8 and V10 units, naturally aspirated or turbocharged, displaced between 4.0 and 6.0 liters and offering up to 650 bhp. There are no information regarding whether all-wheel-drive will be available or not, but as AWD is now a tradition with Porsche, and currently featured on all the upscale-models, we can’t see why it wouldn’t.

The 2012 928 GT Coupe will have a top speed of 198 mph -est- (the V10 version) and will make the 0 to 60 mph sprint in about 3.8 seconds.

The 928 GT Coupe will be unveiled sometime in 2011 and will go on sale in 2012. Being a front-engined coupe and also a GT model, it is expected the new 928 GT Coupe to compete with luxury models from the market like the 599 Fiorano and Aston Martin. This will make the 2012 928 an expensive model, with prices starting from $200.000.

The images provided with this article are artist renderings and intend to offer an approximate preview on the Porsche GT Coupe, based on available information and speculations.

Source: Internal