🏎️ Volkswagen-Porsche 914
📍 Germany
🛠️ “914/4” 1.7 136NM 79HP
💨 13,3 seconds
🔝 186km/h
💶 No longer on sale
What is it?
The Volkswagen-Porsche 914 is a car resulting from a collaboration between two well-known German brands. Volkswagen was looking for a successor for the Karmann-Ghia, while Porsche wanted to replace the 912. By developing the project together, the two brands avoided competing with each other and cut research and development costs. Recall that at the time the two brands already collaborated often, but Volkswagen only acquired the entirety of Porsche AG in 2012. In 1969, therefore, the 914 was born, a mid-engined sports car with a Targa-type body. From 1969 to 1975 (the year of the end of production) 120.000 Volkswagen-Porsche 914s were produced. As this number disappointed expectations already from the early years, VW withdrew from the project in 1972, and for the last three years of production the car was under the unique name of “Porsche 914”.
Design
The design of the bodywork and the assembly of the car were entrusted to the specialized Karmann studio, which designed a car with square shapes and retractable headlights. The aerodynamic coefficient settles at just 0.37. In addition to the classic rear trunk, the 914 also has a small front compartment; this is possible thanks to the central position of the engine. Being 3,98 meters long and weighing less than 1000 kilograms in all its configurations, the VW-Porsche is visually small and manageable
Interior
As for the “Standard” version, the interior of the 914 is minimal and not very luxurious, albeit of decent quality. The finishes, on the other hand, are more refined and eye-catching for those who choose the “S” setting. The car can only accommodate two people.
Mechanics
Initially, there were two engines available, both boxer: the basic one, developed by VW and called “914/4”, is a 79HP four-cylinder, while the most powerful, the “914/6”, is a 109HP six-cylinder developed by Porsche. The basic engine, despite being much more successful than the six-cylinder, was harshly criticized for its poor performance “not worthy of a Porsche”. Each version is paired with a four-disc brake system and a 5-speed manual gearbox. When VW withdrew from production in 1972 and the vehicle was rebranded 100% Porsche, the 914/4 was replaced by the “914 1.8” with an 85HP engine and the 914/6 by a 100HP four-cylinder which took the name of “914 2.0”.
Our vote: ⭐⭐⭐⚡ (3,5/5)
