Vintage Car and Driver mag 914 test Options

[bkrantz]

Many of you have probably seen this, but I found an old C/D issue from April 1973. This is special to me since I was in high school at the time, a dedicated C/D reader, and wishing for my first car. This comparison test almost made me wish for a 914, but instead I fell for the winner, the Fiat 124 Spider. A couple of years later, I got one from an insurance salvage yard. That started me on the evil path of DIY auto mechanics and body work.

[gereed75]

Good points Hawk, yea I knew some of my friends who blew up their DOHC fiats.

The simplicity of the air cooling and boxer form just fit the whole design of this car so well. Thinking more about the innovation/engineering of the 914 beyond mid engined two trunks:

Full IRS front and rear with a Suspension design that conserved interior space

Fuel tank in the middle of the car for low polar moment

Five speed transaxle

Rack and pinion

Four wheel discs

Real room for two full sized people

Targa removable hardtop

Fairly stiff open top unibody

Light weight

And the little stuff - pop up lights, air pressure windshield squirters, simple ventilation/ heat

Very elegant piece of engineering!

[Superhawk996]

Very elegant piece of engineering!

Adding to your great list:

Torsion bar suspension keeps weight low and more centralized vs. coil overs . Further lowering polar moment of inertia and lowering Cg.

Bilstein inverted struts available to lower unsprung mass. Virtually unheard of at that price point.

Alloy wheels available at a time when industry was almost 100% steel.