Almost three decades after Porsche stopped making air-cooled 911 models, it seems the Stuttgart company hasn’t stopped thinking about them. A recently published German patent, as first reported by Carscoops, reveals a fascinating cooling concept that blends old-school engineering with modern performance demands in a way we never expected.
The patent, submitted to the German Patent Office in 2025 and officially published on May 7 of this year, is entitled “Motor vehicle with air- and liquid-cooled internal combustion engine”. As the name suggests, the new system does not rely solely on air.
Porsche appears to be developing a hybrid thermal management system for future high-performance sports cars, especially rear- and mid-engined models. It’s an approach we haven’t seen since the Porsche 959 proto-hypercar, which featured an air-cooled crankcase and water-cooled cylinder heads.
This time, the idea combines conventional liquid cooling with active air flow around the engine itself. The engine still uses coolant ducts, pumps and radiator, but Porsche adds a large fan system that actively directs air around the engine block, turbocharger and exhaust components.
Unlike modern sports cars, the engine is housed inside a mostly enclosed housing that functions almost like a giant air duct. The air is first drawn through the radiator and then pushed around the engine before exiting at the back of the car. The patent even mentions cooling fins on the crankcase, one of the defining visual and engineering features of older 911 engines.
This approach also offers significant advantages in terms of component packaging. Because the radiator is located close to the engine instead of in front, the coolant lines can be shorter, lighter and simpler. Porsche also states that this layout could improve aerodynamics because the front end of the car would no longer need massive cooling vents.
But the smartest part of the system is its versatility. Airflow can apparently change direction during a cold start, recirculating warm air and even exhaust heat to bring the engine up to operating temperature more quickly. Porsche even hints that the system could help create additional downforce at the rear (downforce).