Attack Of The Test Mules - Porsche 965 V8 Prototype, 911 Aero Concept, Porsche 928 Test Mule V3 & Porsche Cajun Mule

965 Prototype

Believe it or not, this car was not related to the legendary 959 at all even though it looks a bit identical and was meant to be a cheaper successor to it, with a more affordable price tag. It was just a chassis prototype/test mule, and a test to see what it would be like if the 930 Turbo’s flat six was replaced by an Audi V8 engine that could possibly have made this a top of the range model. These flat-six engines were also extremely complex, and hard to work on. And that was just the start of this project. There is actually a YouTube video of it shot near at a secret warehouse near zuffenhausen, where many secret prototypes, concepts and test mules are stored. The 965 was later on cancelled and the 964 Turbo then came along. All 965’s were crushed, except one.

When the word “911” comes to mind, you’d usually think about a sporty coupe with a flat-six engine only. But as mentioned, that did not stop Porsche from making this obscure prototype. And if it really went into production, this water-cooled Audi V8 engine would most likely save many 911’s from LS swaps? This might also have been one of the engines that were used in the Porsche 989 Concept

As mentioned, it’s stored in a secret Porsche prototype warehouse with loads of other Porsche concepts just like this one. There should be a few videos of it on YouTube, too. The first generation of the 911 had been in production in just around two decades, Porsche then decided to work on a successor to it which would resemble the 959. The V8 engine was an idea that came to mind very early on in the project, but as mentioned, it did not reach the production line due to some problems with the engine layout itself. It could ruin the weight distribution on the whole chassis by hanging out of the back, resulting in oversteer. Which could possibly be a reason for it to be cancelled. However, it still had some of all the fancy technology from the 959 being built on a Carrera 4 platform. The car itself was just a 964 with a 959 styled rear end, these mules were then randomly code named 965. But if it really made it to the production line with a V8, it would most likely have used a Porsche developed V8 using some racing technology, as well as advanced wide-track rear suspension system.

911 Aero Concept

When the Carrera 3.2 was introduced, the engineers focused on the next generation of the 911 which would be the 964. This aerodynamic test car was made based on the 1984 911 3.2. While the standard G-model had a drag coefficient of around 0.40, however this one achieved a figure as low as 0.27 in the 80’s! However the shape is still the 911 we know and love, but don’t let its familiarity because there are plenty of subtle changes. The rear spoiler is perhaps least subtle, looking similar to the units used on later 911 Turbos. The front bumper is quite different from a regular mid-80s 911, too. It was smoother and formed in a single piece instead of multiple ones. Though, it’s still surprising how close the ‘84 911 looks to the later 964 generation of the 911 range from 1989 to 1993, and even 993 that was launched in 1993. Changes like the wheel that give the prototype away would be the one-piece units are very obviously non-standard, that was another experiment in reducing drag. This resulted in the drag coefficient of 0.27, and that is a figure that even modern 911s are struggling a bit to achieve. If this concept wasn’t around, it could possibly have resulted in trouble somehow. This is a test mule that’s definetly worth some attention, especially considering how hard Porsche worked on it. Porsche tells us about a variety of its test mules and prototypes on YouTube channel, even this one. And thanks to this prototype, Porsches after it kept taking a huge step forward with driving dynamics.

You’ll see quite a lot of elements that required long nights at the factory as mentioned earlier, now let’s go through all of it; it starts with the front apron, which has air-channeling elements on its sides, the headlights that are bespoke, the unique side skirts that definetly gives you an idea on what an effective aero elements used to look like. However the most striking design feature would be the wheels. The airflow usually likes to cause quite a lot of trouble at the rear of a car normally, so it needed that special two-piece wing. A small tail element was placed underneath the massive wing. Literally on top of that, the rear window’s upper edge also sports aerodynamic elements. The prototype obviously remained a study just for demonstration, but many of its elements made their way to future 911s. The following 964 911 generation benefited most from this, but the results spread as far as the 930 models following the 964.

And you might think that sports cars would have the lowest drag coefficient of all cars. And yes, they do tend to be more slippery than SUVs or convertibles for example. But the sleekest cars on the road tend to be something like luxury sedans for example. Sports cars on the other hand, have aerodynamically detrimental needs for downforce and additional engine cooling. And that’s where the Porsche 911 is better than most, and has only improved through its long history. Its relatively narrow track and compact form mean it has a smaller frontal area than some other sports cars, and the gradual sweeping back of its headlights and windshield have only augmented its capacity for cheating the wind. And as mentioned, most of them won’t even get anywhere near this test mule/prototype.

Porsche 928 Prototype Version 3

It is pretty obvious that the Audi 100 Coupe body shown in the exhibition was actually much wider than the 100 Coupé from Audi. In comparison, the normal 100 would look like a smaller version of it. At Audi, the Coupe body had been modified in the development department to match the chassis of the upcoming Porsche 928, which meant that it was RWD. The V8 engine under the bonnet had a displacement of 5.4L and produced 350 horsepower. The present-day oldtimer was thus an inconspicuous prototype and could carry out the trials without being recognized by the Erlkönig photographers with ease.

The vehicle was tested for the first time in mid-1974. This was the first test vehicle for the complete drive train, ground group and the front wheel with wheel arches and axle receivers. It also featured an automatic transmission. The bodywork was also an Audi 100 Coupe body, but with strongly widened mudguards as mentioned above. This car was said to be scrapped, but was then proved to still exist being stored in a Porsche museum/warehouse instead of the Audi museum for some reason.

Porsche Cajun Test Mule

Around the time when the Porsche 958 Cayenne came along, Porsche wanted to make a smaller SUV which was going to be named the Cajun. This mule used a 3.0L V6 Bi-turbo producing around 370 horsepower and 542 nm of torque. There were many different versions of these mules, yet all the spy photographers noticed that this was no ordinary Q5, some of these mules had the S-line exterior styling package and were facelifted Q5 shells while others didn’t. And one of them used the CTUA engine from Audi producing 310 horsepower, that engine was found in the A6 and A7. Porsche later renamed the Cajun to Macan. The one seen in this picture was caught at the Porsche test facility at the Nürburgring, however this car really is not from Audi. The “LB” plates mean Ludwigsburg, and shows that the car is from Porsche just in case you didn’t notice the black Cayenne wheels. The Cajun (renamed Macan) shares the same platform with the Audi Q5, which is probably why the test mules were dressed up as Q5’s.

This could also have meant something for Audi however, an RS-Q5 or SQ5? But that did not happen before 2013, and the first SQ5 used a diesel engine and none of the ones used in these mules.

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