Porsche 911 prototype caught fire during a recent test drive in Germany. 07/13/2011
Porsche may be seriously reconsidering the design of its 2012 911/991, after a prototype of the new car burst into flames during a test drive in Steinegg, Germany. The fire began in the engine and engulfed the entire car within 15 minutes, according to Auto Express.
"The car has burned like tinder," Klaus Buchinger, the chief of Steinegg's fire department told the news source.
Last year, Ferrari encountered a similar issue with the 458 Italia, shortly after it hit the market. The Italian automaker had to recall several thousand new cars after a few engines caught fire, The Boston Globe reports. Hopefully, Porsche will be able to avoid similar problems and work out the kinks by September, when the new 911/991 will be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
Top Speed states that the prototype, which was designed for the Chinese market, was brought back to Porsche's base of operations in Weissach to investigate the cause of the fire. The 911/991 will be built with a direct-inject flat-six engine that gets roughly 350 horsepower.