This isn’t the first Porsche-themed creation we’ve seen from Italian company Angelelli Automobili, but it just might be the most intriguing yet. These days, it’s almost a cliché for a company to take a Porsche 911 and modify it in some way, but the car you see here – called Project 754 – does something that many purists might consider blasphemy. And that’s before we get to the interior upfit.
Angelelli Automobili Project 754Angelelli Automobili
We suspect Angelelli Automobili might have purists in mind, too, because Project 754 is actually two vehicles. Per the company’s website, it’s “Two Versions. Two Souls. One Vision.” Regardless of the version, the final product promises some truly interesting 3D-printed components, mega-horsepower, and exclusivity because each one is made to order. And since one hasn’t been made yet, the company only offers a few renderings of how a final model might look.
And while it looks like a 911, Angelelli Automobili stresses they are not affiliated with Porsche in any way. Once you see what they plan to do, you’ll understand why they make that abundantly clear in their announcement.
754 M Or 754 R, And Those Letters Really Mean Something
Angelelli Automobili Project 754Angelelli Automobili
The head-turning aspect of this endeavor is where the engine goes. The 911’s defining feature is its rear-mounted engine, but Angelelli Automobili proposes moving that to the middle, Cayman style. That would be the 754 M (middle), while the 754 R (rear) keeps the familiar rear engine layout. In a lengthy post on LinkedIn, company founder Davide Angelelli says “the central position of the engine radically changes the balance of the volumes and becomes the starting point for the entire design.” He further states the 754 M has a repositioned cockpit further forward and rides on a wider track.
“Project 754 M aims to honor an automotive design language without imitating it. It preserves its purity, continuity of line and immediate visual identity, transforming them through the proportions of a modern mid-engine supercar. The result is a car that appears lower, wider and more compact, visually built around the driver and the mechanical architecture.”
-Davide Angelelli, Angelelli Automobili CEO and Co-Founder
The 754 R retains the traditional rear-engine layout, but the company promises a plethora of mechanical upgrades that can increase power while reducing weight. In the most extreme cases, Project 754 is projected to have upwards of 800 horsepower in a package weighing 1,100 kilograms (2,200 pounds). A wide range of aerodynamic upgrades are also mentioned, though at this time, the company doesn’t mention anything specific regarding upgrades. That includes the process for converting a 911 into a mid-engine car.
‘Alien Mesh Design’ For Form And Function
Angelelli Automobili Project 754Angelelli AutomobiliAngelelli Automobili Project 754Angelelli Automobili
One way in which the company plans to cut weight is through something it calls Alien Mesh Design. This is basically a method of manufacturing that removes all material except that which is structurally necessary. The result is best seen in the interior renderings (above) depicting a 754 in both street and race trim. Of course, not all material is removed from all areas, but Angelelli Automobili plans to use the technique – which relies on 3D printing – for visual features such as interior trim, to functional components such as suspension parts and even the wheels.
“Alien Mesh Design is the system through which we develop structures using Generative Design and Topology Optimization, analyzing the behavior of components and distributing material only where it is structurally required,” writes Angelelli on LinkedIn. “The component is not simply designed. It is generated.”
Bespoke Doesn’t Come Cheap
Angelelli Automobili Project 754Angelelli Automobili
This is also one of the ways the company intends to offer unique combinations that, in theory, makes every 754 a one-of-one build. Only 50 are planned for production, 25 of each layout, and each is built to order. That means prospective buyers have to start with a donor car, and from there, you’ll pay at least $496,000 (435,000 euros) for a rear-engine 754 R. Going mid-engine starts at $724,500 (635,000 euros), and really affluent buyers can spend upwards of $1 million for a “fully bespoke one-off commission.”
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
Angelelli Automobili has a very ambitious plan for Project 754, and they’re asking some very ambitious prices for something that doesn’t yet exist. We’ve certainly seen many such companies come and go over the years, making a splash with big claims only to quietly disappear before a single prototype is built. Can Angelelli Automobili succeed where others have failed? The company has been around for a few years and presented a few projects, but to the best of our knowledge, they’ve yet to produce a single car.
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Source: Angelelli Automobili
