Unpopular Opinion: Porsche should build a modern 912
-
992 chassis
The 2 liter turbo flat four from the 718
RWD and a 6-speed manual.Sell it for, I dunno, 80k? 85k?
I'd consider buying one. Plenty of midrange punch from those turbo fours to have fun, and I'd be a lot more comfortable in one of those than in a 718..
-
They could also use this as a base for a hybrid with a hybrid system with the 2.0.
-
Yesterday I learned the base 992 PDK will run the 1/4 in 11.5 seconds in spite of being rated at "only" 379 hp. So...there's probably room below it for a lower-performance car but methinks the H4 will stay in the 718.
-
@saracen You'd be the only one.
-
Right behind the Karma for most expensive 4 cylinder. But also why would it be more comfortable? I thought the mid and rear engined cars share a basic architecture.
-
Related observation, a 912 passed me on the highway the other day and that is a downright tiny car. My Sportwagen isn't large by modern standards but positively dwarfed it.
Former hoarder of motorcycles, recent CA transplant, nerd.
-
@jminer Hell even my Corvette looks tiny compared to new cars and that is only 25 years old.
-
@milky said in Unpopular Opinion: Porsche should build a modern 912:
Right behind the Karma for most expensive 4 cylinder. But also why would it be more comfortable? I thought the mid and rear engined cars share a basic architecture.
So?
There are 3 cylinder, 4 cylinder, 6 cylinder supercars and hypercars out there. I just don't think cylinder count is relevant anymore. Snobbery about the H4 sound notwithstanding it would be plenty fun.
It's more comfortable for me because I'm 6'4", the 718's have a firewall limiting seat adjustability, and the 2+2 seater 911 does not have that limitation. My 997 was far more comfortable than a 987 and the 718.
-
@saracen If you need a few more inches (thats what she said) thats one thing. But I'd definitely take a 718 GTS 4.0 for the same money.
Spending that much money on a experience or luxury good, noise is part of the equation for me. -
@saracen Take it a step further: offer it in a new limited-run 997 chassis for $65K. (Yes yes, retooling for older gen isn't realistic blah blah blah; don't care).
-
Absolutely agree. I work at a Porsche dealer. I adore their vehicles and the company heritage. But I am so over this automotive industry dick-measuring power contest. The new 911 Turbo S has 640HP. Literally no one can use that much power consistently on public roads anywhere on the planet.
I am inspired by the new T.50 and Murray's entire design philosophy behind it. I desperately want cars to be built around a driving experience rather than just about having bigger numbers than the model before.
So yes, I would be ecstatic if Porsche made a new 912 with ~200 HP, a proper Mañuel gearbox, quality go-faster bits like an LSD and good suspension, and few cabin comforts. Just give me their new PCM screen and a decent stereo. I'd even be fine with manual windows and fabric door pulls.
Not sure they could built such a car and keep it at around $50k, but I am so there if this possible.
-
@adabofoppo said in Unpopular Opinion: Porsche should build a modern 912:
Absolutely agree. I work at a Porsche dealer. I adore their vehicles and the company heritage. But I am so over this automotive industry dick-measuring power contest. The new 911 Turbo S has 640HP. Literally no one can use that much power consistently on public roads anywhere on the planet.
I am inspired by the new T.50 and Murray's entire design philosophy behind it. I desperately want cars to be built around a driving experience rather than just about having bigger numbers than the model before.
So yes, I would be ecstatic if Porsche made a new 912 with ~200 HP, a proper Mañuel gearbox, quality go-faster bits like an LSD and good suspension, and few cabin comforts. Just give me their new PCM screen and a decent stereo. I'd even be fine with manual windows and fabric door pulls.
Not sure they could built such a car and keep it at around $50k, but I am so there if this possible.
300bhp in a 912T with all the 911T and 718T stuff sounds good to me. But I'll pass on wind up windows.
-
@milky said in Unpopular Opinion: Porsche should build a modern 912:
@saracen If you need a few more inches (thats what she said) thats one thing. But I'd definitely take a 718 GTS 4.0 for the same money.
Spending that much money on a experience or luxury good, noise is part of the equation for me.My 997 had the X51 package. Roughly the same amount of power and torque as a GTS 4.0. After test driving a 718 I was more than satisfied with the power delivery of that engine. I'm confident in day to day driving, the turbo H4 is just as satisfying.
So I guess we're comparing apples to oranges. A 718 GTS 4.0 would be only a weekend car for me. But a 912T would be a more accessible and functional every day sports car.
-
@adabofoppo I did a coffee run and at one point was behind a 2018 turbo s with "only" 580, in my 230 SC. We got bunched up in this tight corner section and everyone was slowing down as there was a really long straight with a dip so you could see @1 mile. I was doing about 35-40 in second middle of the power band. And when he punched it so did I. It was like I was standing still. I pull second, then third, go to forth and lay off the throttle doing arrest speeds. The amount he pulled away in those few seconds just insane.
-
I think it’d be neat but I don’t have the money and I suspect most people that do wouldn’t be too interested.
-
@gmporschenut-also-a-fan-of-hondas
They got lucky there weren't any cops. Your story also proves my point; however quick your car is, the modern 911 Turbo models are even quicker than the fast you think they are. So given that you had to slow down after grabbing 4th to avoid felony speeds, imagine how fast that 911 was going. Yeah...I'm sure that speed is loads of fun on a track. But you simply cannot do runs like that on a routine basis without something going wrong-cops, weather, other drivers, etc.
Give me the same dedicated engineering, but with 200-300 HP max and short gears through 4th so I have to shift a lot.
Slow car fast, as they say.
-
@adabofoppo It was middle of nowhere at 7:30 am on a Sunday. i did another one that started raining, and that was my last. Im in this convoy, there only 2 of us aircooled, all the rest boxsters, 911s and a panamera. the whole time I'm thinking I don't ahve ABS or traction control. I'm the youngest by at least a decade and one thinking "this is too fast"
in the sc 3rd is close to triple digit, I was past that point. I can't fathom what he reached. I enjoy my 1.7 914 on back roads with 75hp, because I get to go WOT and still keep reasonable.
I think people are drunk on hp. 400 is baseline for v8s or ttv6s. -
@saracen 2.0 would also help boost sales in china with their scaled displacement tax. 1.6 too small.
-
@gmporschenut-also-a-fan-of-hondas said in Unpopular Opinion: Porsche should build a modern 912:
@saracen 2.0 would also help boost sales in china with their scaled displacement tax. 1.6 too small.
Absolutely. And China is why they even sell a 2 liter Cayman in the first place! It's a huge seller there!
-
@Adabofoppo I just bought a new Camaro SS 1LE which has 455 HP and all the fancy go fast bits (mag dampers, eDiff, rev matching, variable mode TC and ESC). The car has 100 miles on it, not even broken in yet, so I haven't even hammered on it yet, and it's PLENTY of power. I can't even imagine 640.
Then again I used to ride a CBR1000RR with "only" 165 HP and it would blow the doors off most anything with 4 wheels until you start talking well into the 6 figure range. And I think that's really the key - power to weight. Some of these modern cars need big power numbers to help disguise or compensate for their chonkiness.
I love the idea of a back to basics Porsche with ~250 HP that would be light and just plain fun.
-
Moved from Oppositelock by
jminer -
Moved from Archive by jminer
-
Moved from Oppositelock by
CarsOfFortLangley -
Moved from Archive by jminer
