Could Porsche revive the 912?
We have had quite a series of stories from Porsche regarding its "issues" adapting to greener motoring. With that in mind, listen to this: Porsche might be thinking of installing 4-cylinder engines into some models. Well, to be precise, Thomas Krickelberg, Porsche's head of powertrain development, has revealed that the six-cylinder engines found in the 911 had been designed so that they could have the number of cylinders reduced to cope with the EU's CO2 regulations. How will the sports cars keep their power? Think of what Subaru does with its boxer turbocharged engines. Porsche's rumored downsizing is something we've heard before, though.
This type of downsizine is, more or less, what the Porsche 912 was about in the '70s. Porsche twice offered 4 cylinder engines for this model: as the entry version from 1965 to 1969, using the 4-flat "inherited" from the 356, and then again in 1976 as the 912E (refresh your memory about the "E" here) with a 2.0-liter aircooled engine. Hey, we even found an electric version of this one!
[Source: Motor Authority]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
MikeInNC 8:28AM (9/12/2008)
I had a '76 912E sunroof coupe (grand prix white w/lobster red) about 15 years ago and although it wasn't as fast as the 911, it was a great car to own and drive. I had it for two years and it cost me a total of $11 in mechanical work (a dry rotted original fuel hose) for the entire ownership.
I learned how to control (sort of) understeer and snap-oversteer in that car as well as how to heel-and-toe. Loved it and would love to have another some day although, I'm even more interested in a new version of the 914 with a turbo 4 cyl and 50/50 weight distro. Yes please!
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Sierra 10:22AM (9/12/2008)
I've got a 912E, and it's a nicely balanced car compared with the 911 of the time; it's less likely to oversteer since it's not as tail-heavy, it delivers 26MPG, and is less expensive to repair.
While considering trading up I recently drove a '95 993, and though the newer 911 is much more powerful and more refined, it's also heavier and a lot more complex.
I think that Porsche would do well with a new 912, particularly if the car was lightened and simplified beyond just the reduction of cylinders.
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peter 4:14PM (9/12/2008)
"Think of what Subaru does with its boxer turbocharged engines."
Turbocharged Subarus get horrible gas mileage, probably worse than current Porsche engines.
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