2. Cisitalia 360 F/8 (1947-1949)
In the late 1940s, Italian marque Cisitalia commissioned Porsche to create a cutting-edge Grand Prix contender. The result, the Cisitalia 360 F/8, featured a revolutionary mid-mounted 1.5 liter supercharged flat-12 engine producing nearly 320 hp—astounding output for 1948. Porsche’s engineers designed its lightweight spaceframe chassis, double A-arm independent front suspension, and swing-axle independent rear setup.
A custom five-speed transaxle managed the potent engine’s torque. Although only three prototypes were completed due to financial constraints, the 360 F/8 stunned observers by achieving an estimated 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in roughly 3.5 seconds. Its advanced engineering foreshadowed Porsche’s later mid-engine successes, despite the car never racing competitively.