Porsche 914-6 GT
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Porsche 914-6 GT | |
---|---|
Manufacturer: | Porsche |
Class: | Sports car |
Drivetrain: | Mid engined |
Production: | 1970 – 1972 |
Predecessor: | Porsche 912 |
Successor: | Porsche 924 |
Body Styles: | Targa Coupe |
Engines: | 2.0 L flat-6 |
The Porsche 914-6 GT was a race car built and sold collaboratively by Volkswagen and Porsche.
[edit] History
The Porsche 914 was introduced in September 1969 as a collaborative effort between Porsche and Volkswagen to produce a sporty car. The car they came up with was a mid-engined vehicle with seating for two and featured a targa top. A 4-cylinder boxer engine provided the power. Volkswagen need a vehicle to replace the aging Karmann-Ghia while Porsche was looking for another option to add to their line up. The VW bodied vehicles were known as 914/4S while the Porsche variants were known as 914/6s. However, all 914S's sold in North America were considered Porsches.
The car sits very low and the suspension is stiff making it a great competition car rather than a touring car. The headlights hide in the hood and pop-up when needed. The targa top can be stored in the trunk.
The horizontally opposed flat-four engine is mid-mounted and came in three differnent sizes, 1.7, 1.8 or 2 liter. The 1.7 liter engine produced 80 horsepower, the 1.8 produced 79, and the 2.0 liter engine produced 95. A five-speed manual gearbox was standard equipment on all models.
The 914/6 was short lived with only 3360 examples produced between 1970 and 1972. All featured the 2.0 liter flat-six engine. It was raced using different engine configurations. This included the 'T' specification, which was basically a stock 911 engine. Another popular configuration was to use a converted Carrera 6 engine.
In 1970 Porsche entered a 914/6 GT in the grueling 24-hours of Le Mans race. It finished 6th overall and won its class. A remarkable accomplishment. This was only one chapter in the vehicles extensive racing career which continues even to this day.
Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG | ||
---|---|---|
Recent/Current/Future: |
||
Historic: |