Porsche 989

The Porsche 989 was a four-door, performance-oriented touring sedan that Porsche developed between 1988 and 1991. It was never put into production: development was halted in late 1991 and the project was cancelled shortly afterwards, in January 1992. Engineer Ulrich Bez designed a front-engine, rear-drive platform with a 2,826 mm wheelbase and a new 80-degree water-cooled V8 of around 300 PS, and Harm Lagaay styled the prototype, whose design cues reached the 993 and 996 generations of the 911. After Bez left in September 1991 and 928 sales slumped, executives judged it too risky. The prototype was stored rather than destroyed and is now in a museum, and the Panamera of 2009 is regarded as its spiritual successor.