Makes › Porsche › 989 prototype · Prototype · 1988–1991
Porsche
989 prototype
Running four-door prototype, precursor of the Panamera idea
Still being researched: identification guide, full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Photo: Renato746 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- Not yet verified
- Years
- 1988–1991
- Engine
- Front-mounted V8 · 4,200 cc / 4.2 LFactory: 4,200 cc
- Power
- 257 kW / 349 PSFactory: 257 kW
- Top speed
- 279 km/hFactory: 279 km/h
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Not yet verified
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- 1 (disputed)
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The 989 was a four-door "family sports car" project begun in 1988: a front-engined V8 sports saloon with rear-wheel drive, meant for a new market segment. Its development costs rose until the supervisory board stopped it in January 1991, but many ideas and detail solutions reached later Porsches, including the 996 generation of the 911.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
Photos
Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.
Porsche 989 prototype (Wikipedia article: Porsche 989)
Photo: Renato746 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Porsche 989 prototype (Wikipedia article: Porsche 989)
Photo: Dambedei · CC BY-SA 3.0
Porsche 989 prototype (Wikipedia article: Porsche 989)
Photo: Dambedei · CC BY-SA 3.0
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02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionAutoWeek (2005) learned the car was not destroyed in 1991 as Porsche had said but "remains under wraps somewhere in the Porsche empire" | 11 | Surviving examples | Disputed |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
In 1988, with Porsche in an economic downturn, development of a new model line named 989 was approved. It was planned to reach the market by 1995. Development costs rose so far that the price could not stay below 100,000 German marks; the calculation finally exceeded 150,000 marks and the planned 15,000 annual units could not be reached economically, so the supervisory board stopped the project in January 1991. A prototype was shown publicly for the first time in the 2014 Porsche Museum exhibition on secret projects.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard 989 prototype.
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | Front-mounted V82 |
| Displacement | 4,200 cc / 4.2 LFactory: 4,200 cc2 |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | 257 kW / 349 PSFactory: 257 kW2Stated as 257 kW (350 hp). |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Rear2 |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Not yet verified |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | Not yet verified |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | Not yet verified |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | 1,572 kgFactory: 1,572 kg2Stated as weight empty. |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | 279 km/hFactory: 279 km/h2 |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
Car News briefs: Porsche 989 lives! Level C AutoWeek (Wayback capture)
- the car wasn't destroyed back in 1991 as thought, but remains under wraps
-
2
Top Secret Level A Porsche Newsroom (Christophorus 368) · 2014-10-14
- front-engine V8 sports sedan with rear-wheel drive
- Displacement: 4,200 cc (Porsche 989)
- Power: 257 kW (350 hp) (Porsche 989)
- Weight empty: 1,572 kg (Porsche 989)
- Top track speed: 279 km/h (Porsche 989)
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