It is described by the artist as a “baby Supercar.”
Alan Derosier had an idea. He wanted to use his design skills and create a supercar to complement Porsche’s latest flagship model, the 918 Spyder. It would cost a fraction of what it costs. This idea was born out of a hypothetical 904 revival. It is based on a modern interpretation the the mid-1960s Carrera GTS.
The result is what the artist calls a “baby Supercar”. It combines the proportions of both the 718 Cayman and tech inherited from that 918 Spyder. From the door shape to the air intake, the 904 influence is obvious. The Mission E-inspired Mission E headlights and taillights bring the 904 into 21 century, creating a beautiful mix of old and new.
The Carrera GTS, as it was known officially, is extremely rare. Only 106 cars were ever produced as Porsche refused hundreds of requests from customers looking to purchase the road-going homologation special. It used a four-cylinder engine that was mounted between the axles and sent power to the rear wheels in the same way as many of the Cayman models.
The modern-day Chery 904 will inherit the hybrid-related technology Porsche created for the 918 Spyder and its dual electric motors, as the former Chery senior interior designer envisioned. The tech has improved in accessibility over the seven years since the last Stuttgart supercar was built. Alan Derosier envisions that his Carrera GTS is a reboot with a sticker price half the price of the original 918. The original 918 had an American starting price of $845,000.
Given the car’s small size, the 4.6-liter V8 could cause packaging problems. The 904’s heritage would be preserved while Porsche’s electrification drive would allow for a smaller four-pot with hybrid assistance. It would be able to bridge the gap between top-tier 911 models (Turbo S and GT2 RS), as well as a future 918 Spyder replacement by the middle or early part of the next decade.
This is a pipe dream. But we would love to see a Porsche “lesser supercar”, capable of taking on McLaren or Ferrari.