MT CONFIDENTIAL

to carefully optimizing cars to ensure they perform at their absolute best in media tests. That’s not cheating, they say, just … optimizing. And if one senior development engineer at a rival automaker is right, Ferrari is very, Porsche is reportedly considering a bunch of options for the next-gen 718—and none of them include an all-new, all-Porsche car powered by a mid-engine internal combustion engine. The most conservative option involves a simple reskin of the existing vehicle; the most radical, using a shortened version of the forthcoming Mission E platform to create an all-electric sports car. In the middle? An all-new sports car that could be shared with Audi to spread development costs and boost sales volume. Whispers around Weissach even include a doomsday scenario: axing the 718 lineup altogether. , the decision has already been made: There will be no replacement for the SLK roadster. Original plans called for the next-gen SLK to have been developed in concert with the next-gen SL, both cars sharing an all-new aluminum intensive architecture. But now the next-gen SL will share its underpinnings with the next-gen AMG GT lineup, with all the basic vehicle development for both handled by AMG. The move makes a ton of sense. The required investment in platform attributes and technologies for the two cars is similar, and the GT can generate higher profits for a quicker payback than the cheaper SLK. What’s more, the 911-fighter focus of the GT range means the next-gen SL can be made a little larger to deliver proper 2+2 seating, and it can be given a slightly more relaxed ride and handling balance. Demand for mega-dollar hypercars shows no sign of slowing. Aston Martin insiders report the company could have sold the 175-car production run of the radical Adrian Newey–designed Valkyrie seven times over despite the $2.7 million price tag.