Possible patent drawings suggesting a production version of the Porsche 917 Tribute Concept.

Last year, Porsche celebrated the 50th anniversary of the legendary 917 by unveiling a stunning concept.

However, it was later revealed that the concept was not developed for the 50th anniversary. In fact, work on the concept began back in 2012 and was completed in 2014, five years before the anniversary.

So did Porsche really have any other plans for this car?

Last week, Dutch website Autovisie published several images, presumably of recently submitted patent drawings. They show a car with a design clearly borrowed from the Tribute concept, but also contain elements that suggest a production version.

For example, the vehicle in the patent drawing features headlights and taillights, a fuel filler cap, and windows. Also present are more advanced aerodynamic elements not seen on the original Tribute concept, such as wide roof air intakes and a huge rear wing.

The car shown in the patent drawing also has a real interior, but with only one seat, suggesting that it may be a track-only model. That is if the patent drawings are true and Porsche really intends to produce this car.

The 2018 Porsche 935 race car immediately comes to mind. The car was based on the 991 generation 911 GT2 RS platform and was virtually identical in styling to the original 935 race cars of the 1970s and early 1980s. Only 77 cars were built.

Does Porsche plan to build something similar based on the stunning 917 Tribute concept? We hope so, yes.