Monterey Car Week 2026 will once again serve as the gathering place for the most exclusive creations in the automotive world. Ferrari, Lamborghini and Pagani were obviously there, as were several representatives of this new Italian scene embodied by Eccentrica, Totem or even Kimera. Yet, in the midst of all these machines, it is a Porsche that caught our attention. A French Porsche, so to speak, but one whose heart has a distinctly Italian flair.
This is the Nardone 928, a particularly ambitious reinterpretation of the Porsche 928 created by Nardone Automotive, a French company founded by Thierry Nardone. Unveiled during California Car Week in a striking Vanilla Yellow paint job paired with a green interior, it was notably on display at Motorlux at the Monterey Jet Center. And the main reason we’re telling you about it today is what lies beneath its long front hood.
A Porsche V8 that has undergone extensive refurbishment in Italy
Nardone Automotive didn't just restore the 928’s V8. To develop its 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V8, the company teamed up with’Italtecnica, an Italian company specializing in engine development that has already been involved in several particularly interesting projects. Its expertise is evident, for example, in the V6 from Totem Automobili and the four-cylinder engine from Kimera Automobili. Italtecnica is also involved in the development of the impressive V12 engines from Giamaro Automobili. Suffice it to say that the Italian company has considerable experience when it comes to bringing to life powertrains designed for very special cars.
For the Nardone 928, Italtecnica worked closely with Podium Advanced Technologies. The starting point is still the Porsche engine: the original engine block, cylinder heads, and crankshaft are retained, but virtually everything else has been redesigned.
In particular, the engine block has been reinforced with a new type of architecture closed-deck, while many internal components have been made lighter. The cylinder heads have been redesigned, and new springs, spring retainers, and camshafts have been developed. The intake system has also been completely redesigned with a new carbon-fiber intake manifold, paired with a new exhaust system.
Italtecnica has also modified the lubrication system, designed a new oil pump, redesigned the fuel delivery system, and installed a new electrically driven water pump. These modifications allow the V8 to reach a maximum rpm of over 1,000. You can watch the video of the engine being assembled below.
450 ch, a manual transmission, and still the spirit of the 928
The result is a naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8 producing over 450 ch and 522 Nm, controlled by Motec electronics. Nardone thus retains one of the 928’s defining features: a large front-mounted V8 engine paired with a transaxle layout.
The engine is paired with a six-speed manual transmission designed specifically for this car, featuring a mechanical limited-slip differential. The rest of the car is equally impressive: a carbon-fiber body, redesigned suspension components, active electronic suspension, more direct steering, Brembo brakes, and 18-inch forged wheels.
More than 3,000 components are said to have been developed to transform the iconic German GT. The design—both exterior and interior—was entrusted to the BorromeodeSilva studio. The Nardone 928 thus remains deeply rooted in the identity of the original Porsche, but behind its naturally aspirated V8 lies a true European collaboration: a German icon reinterpreted in France, with a healthy dose of Italian expertise in its mechanics.
English 
French 
Italian 
Spanish 
German 
Japanese 
Dutch