Home  |  Forums  |  914 Info  |  Blogs
 
914World.com - The fastest growing online 914 community!
 
Porsche, and the Porsche crest are registered trademarks of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG. This site is not affiliated with Porsche in any way.
Its only purpose is to provide an online forum for car enthusiasts. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
 

Welcome Guest ( Log In | Register )

3 Pages V < 1 2 3 >  
Reply to this topicStart new topic
> Did the 911 Keep the 914 from being all it could be?, Was the 914 De-tuned from its full potential?
gereed75
post Dec 16 2018, 09:02 AM
Post #21


Senior Member
***

Group: Members
Posts: 1,239
Joined: 19-March 13
From: Pittsburgh PA
Member No.: 15,674
Region Association: North East States



Just curious - what was the 911 sales volume during the years that the 118,000 914’s were sold?
User is offlineProfile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post
scallyk9
post Dec 16 2018, 01:30 PM
Post #22


Member
**

Group: Members
Posts: 317
Joined: 16-October 16
From: Port Orchard, WA, USA
Member No.: 20,499
Region Association: Pacific Northwest



So, you believe that a total of 2000 CanAm Limited Editions were produced? Everything I've seen to date suggests that only 1000, including both color schemes, were produced. I have a Bumblebee.
User is offlineProfile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post
mepstein
post Dec 16 2018, 02:10 PM
Post #23


914-6 GT in waiting
***************

Group: Members
Posts: 19,220
Joined: 19-September 09
From: Landenberg, PA/Wilmington, DE
Member No.: 10,825
Region Association: MidAtlantic Region



QUOTE(scallyk9 @ Dec 16 2018, 02:30 PM) *

So, you believe that a total of 2000 CanAm Limited Editions were produced? Everything I've seen to date suggests that only 1000, including both color schemes, were produced. I have a Bumblebee.

1000 is correct. 500 of each color.
User is online!Profile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post
Johny Blackstain
post Dec 16 2018, 02:25 PM
Post #24


Walnut Elite Stratocaster player
****

Group: Members
Posts: 3,434
Joined: 5-December 06
From: The Shenandoah River
Member No.: 7,318
Region Association: MidAtlantic Region



QUOTE(arne @ Dec 15 2018, 12:54 PM) *

This behavior didn't end with the end of the 914. Note that the mid-engine Boxster/Cayman platform always have lesser engines than similar model 911 models have. It's ironic that Porsche keeps building the mid-engine cars as the entry level (so to speak) cars, while they are obviously the superior layout.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)
I often wonder how many guys out there are junkyard shopping for larger displacement 911 H2O engines to swap into their Caymans & Boxsters (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)
User is offlineProfile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post
Bulldozer27
post Dec 16 2018, 06:45 PM
Post #25


Newbie
*

Group: Members
Posts: 48
Joined: 14-November 18
From: Sandy Eggo, CA
Member No.: 22,653
Region Association: Southern California



QUOTE(Johny Blackstain @ Dec 16 2018, 12:25 PM) *

QUOTE(arne @ Dec 15 2018, 12:54 PM) *

This behavior didn't end with the end of the 914. Note that the mid-engine Boxster/Cayman platform always have lesser engines than similar model 911 models have. It's ironic that Porsche keeps building the mid-engine cars as the entry level (so to speak) cars, while they are obviously the superior layout.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)
I often wonder how many guys out there are junkyard shopping for larger displacement 911 H2O engines to swap into their Caymans & Boxsters (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)


All of the above +100. One day I'll own another Cayman, but this time with a built stroker 3.8L out of a Carrera S.
User is offlineProfile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post
Tom_T
post Dec 16 2018, 07:15 PM
Post #26


TMI....
*****

Group: Members
Posts: 8,318
Joined: 19-March 09
From: Orange, CA
Member No.: 10,181
Region Association: Southern California



QUOTE(scallyk9 @ Dec 16 2018, 12:30 PM) *

So, you believe that a total of 2000 CanAm Limited Editions were produced? Everything I've seen to date suggests that only 1000, including both color schemes, were produced. I have a Bumblebee.


Naw - just a brain fart, as I bounced between listing Bees & Scicles each or all, but didn't correct my numbers with the final. Good Catch - I'll edit it now.

... & I wasn't counting the Euro/RoW 100,000th 914 Special editions, but that's another number of them above & beyond the LEs here.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
///////
User is offlineProfile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post
Racer
post Dec 17 2018, 11:11 AM
Post #27


Senior Member
***

Group: Members
Posts: 787
Joined: 25-August 03
From: Northern Virginia
Member No.: 1,073
Region Association: MidAtlantic Region



QUOTE(gereed75 @ Dec 16 2018, 10:02 AM) *

Just curious - what was the 911 sales volume during the years that the 118,000 914’s were sold?



While not a direct answer, it does spell out 911 sales "per generation"

https://newsroom.porsche.com/fallback/en/pr...ions-13735.html

unless you want to believe this one:

https://flatsixes.com/porsche-culture/porsc...rs-porsche-911/

911 sales were small enough that the company new they needed an entry level volume product (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

I would guess, 3-4,000/year combined 911T/E/S versions, mostly T's due to price.

fwiw, a base 70 911 T would have had steel wheels and a 4 speed. The 914/6 at least had a 5speed and often alloys (while steels were standard). The 911 also weighed a little more.. so a well driven 914/6 could certainly "keep up" with a base 911.

That said, Porsche sliced the pie pretty well back then.. no different than today when you line up the price/performance of Boxster/Cayman, BoxsterS, Caymane S / 911. Buy an optioned up Box/Cay or base 911? hmmm.. same decisions..
User is offlineProfile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post
AZBanks
post Dec 17 2018, 11:31 AM
Post #28


Senior Member
***

Group: Members
Posts: 1,051
Joined: 7-December 05
From: New River, AZ
Member No.: 5,245
Region Association: Southwest Region



Porsche did the same type of thing with the 944 Turbo. They put in a reduced performance chip so it didn't embarrass the 911 Turbo.
User is offlineProfile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post
Breaker
post Dec 17 2018, 05:30 PM
Post #29


Newbie
*

Group: Members
Posts: 8
Joined: 11-September 12
From: Switzerland
Member No.: 14,911
Region Association: None



I think there's also something interesting here, the 1970 Le Mans winners, in order:

1 Porsche 917
2 Porsche 917
3 Porsche 908
4 Ferrari 512
5 Ferrari 512
6 PORSCHE 914 GT!!!
7 Porsche 911S

followed by 6 (SIX!) 911S, none of whom qualified because of insufficient distance covered. These are the OVERALL winners, and it was 914 GT with 1991 cc, NOT a 916.

When your "entry level" is kicking your flagship's butt, and going off to play with the big boys, you know something's wrong.

Another four 911Ss did't even finish, as well as two 910s, a 907, and no less than 5 917s...for various reasons: engine, transmission, throttle, or accident.

That's quite an achievement, and i think it was a team run by the French importer, Sonauto.

I remember reading about an experiment which showed something similar:

356 vs. 550 around the same track. 550 is faster, duh. Now take the engine from the 550, put it in the 356, and it goes a quite a bit faster...but still not as fast as the 550 WITH THE 356'S ENGINE! More chassis is faster than more engine, in this instance
User is offlineProfile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post
mepstein
post Dec 17 2018, 06:35 PM
Post #30


914-6 GT in waiting
***************

Group: Members
Posts: 19,220
Joined: 19-September 09
From: Landenberg, PA/Wilmington, DE
Member No.: 10,825
Region Association: MidAtlantic Region



That 914-6GT had a great run at Le Mans but the 914-6 was pretty much a dud at the dealership. They didn’t sell well so Porsche phased them out. Eventually, sales stalled with the 914-4 so Porsche dropped them. It doesn’t make much difference how it happened, once the 914’s stopped being profitable, Porsche needed to build cars that would turn a profit. That philosophy is evident in the cars that Porsche builds now. High end, high profit cars.
User is online!Profile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post
sithot
post Dec 17 2018, 06:50 PM
Post #31


Member
**

Group: Members
Posts: 446
Joined: 25-October 06
From: Virginia
Member No.: 7,090
Region Association: None



QUOTE(mepstein @ Dec 17 2018, 07:35 PM) *

That 914-6GT had a great run at Le Mans but the 914-6 was pretty much a dud at the dealership. They didn’t sell well so Porsche phased them out. Eventually, sales stalled with the 914-4 so Porsche dropped them. It doesn’t make much difference how it happened, once the 914’s stopped being profitable, Porsche needed to build cars that would turn a profit. That philosophy is evident in the cars that Porsche builds now. High end, high profit cars.



(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

Porsche is far more profitable than BMW or Mercedes. About €17,000 per car.

Ferrari outpaces them all with a profit around €69,000 per car!
User is offlineProfile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post
Matty900
post Dec 18 2018, 10:12 PM
Post #32


Senior Member
***

Group: Members
Posts: 1,269
Joined: 21-February 15
From: Oregon
Member No.: 18,454
Region Association: Pacific Northwest



QUOTE(Tom_T @ Dec 15 2018, 10:35 AM) *

QUOTE(Matty900 @ Dec 14 2018, 08:18 PM) *

I have heard several stories about Porsche not wanting to do anything to mess with the 911 program. Like the one about the 914S.
It's my understanding that in 1973 when they came out with the 2 ltr motor, they launched in the US and a 914 S. It had its own brochure, all of the options and was shut down by Porsche because they did not want to compete with the 911S.
I am not trying to open this can of worms with anyone about is the 914 S real or not. What I want to know is, as protective as Porsche was about the 911 program, How did this affect the 914. Were the 914 De-tuned from what the original design specs were?


"Matty - as others have pointed out, it was a more complex demise, than just not competing with the 911s."

"It was NOT the much alleged concerns of PCA 911 owners, nor of Porsche concerns over competing with their top of the line 911S - think about those - who would EVER think a 80-95 HP 4-banger 914S was competition for a 911S with upwards of 180-210 HP - really, REALLY!? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif) - but ignore logic & facts to continue believing in those urban myths if you must."

Happy Holidays! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/santa_smiley.gif)
Tom
///////


Wow! Thank you Tom and everyone else. I am always impressed by what I learn from you guys (IMG:style_emoticons/default/pray.gif)

I was actually not aware of the 911 owners urban myth part. I am not denying that the 73 911S were spectacular cars with obviously a lot more horsepower (Although it was cool to watch a 914-6 beat all of the 911's at Rennsport this year)

I am interested in the design and production aspect of the 914. What I am trying to learn about was if the 914's may have been De-tuned from what the original design specs were?" So that would have come from the beginning of the program. I figure if anyone would know it would be this group.
I had an interesting conversation with Trevor Frank at Rennsport as he gave me a tour of his Ginther 914-4. He was telling me about the Ginther program and the goal to show what the cars were actually capable of doing if they would have been allowed to form the start.
Obviously, economics play a part in this and it may not just be about not wanting to interfere with sales of with the 911 program. It may have also been about keeping the car as affordable as possible.

For example.
QUOTE(dr914@autoatlanta.com @ Dec 15 2018, 07:28 AM) *

the 914-6 was purposely detuned installing 110 main jets instead of 125s like the 911t of the same year.
able failure.


QUOTE(davep @ Dec 15 2018, 08:20 AM) *

Back about 1969 the 911T was also restricted so that the performance difference between it and the 911E & 911S were significant. One trick was a restrictive gasket in the exhaust. Once replaced, there was an immediate performance boost.


QUOTE(AZBanks @ Dec 17 2018, 09:31 AM) *

Porsche did the same type of thing with the 944 Turbo. They put in a reduced performance chip so it didn't embarrass the 911 Turbo.




Attached thumbnail(s)
Attached Image
User is offlineProfile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post
bdstone914
post Dec 19 2018, 09:14 AM
Post #33


bdstone914
****

Group: Members
Posts: 4,508
Joined: 8-November 03
From: Riverside CA
Member No.: 1,319



QUOTE(73-914 @ Dec 15 2018, 06:30 PM) *

I remember at one point in late 79 or early 80 , the exchange rate fell to 1.47 DM to 1$


I was in Germany from Jan -June 1970 and the exchange rate was close to 4:1. Falling that much more than doubled the cost.
Bruce
User is offlineProfile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post
Tom_T
post Dec 19 2018, 11:11 AM
Post #34


TMI....
*****

Group: Members
Posts: 8,318
Joined: 19-March 09
From: Orange, CA
Member No.: 10,181
Region Association: Southern California



QUOTE(sithot @ Dec 17 2018, 05:50 PM) *


Porsche is far more profitable than BMW or Mercedes. About €17,000 per car.



I wonder what those numbers would look like if broken out as profit per model?

I don't know if Porsche releases them, or would do so - but I wonder if the Cayenne & Macan are higher profit margins - or the more traditional sports cars & Panamera?

For the "Big 3" USA vehicle makers, their per vehicle profit margin is more than double for trucks & SUVs - over the cars.

So if you're wondering why Ford & GM have cancelled their compact, mid-sized & full sized cars & closed plants - it is NOT driven by actual sales volumes, even if they are off by a teens-percentage, since the total numbers made & sold are still sizeable & profitable for them. Heck the fleet sales & rental companies alone could justify keeping those production lines open!

They are simply trying to push more people into higher profit Trucks, SUVs & CUVs!!

Same thing as the Big 3 spreading the false myth about pick-up trucks being the only safe towing vehicle - even telling people that more capable tow vehicles like the Cayenne, VW Touareg & Audi Q7 are not capable due to them being a few inches shorter & a few hundred pounds lighter - when in fact they are the more stable TV platforms. I get that BS a lot on the Airstream Forums from the "Big Truck Only Guys".

Another factor encouraging them to push for trucks/SUVs is that - if they're classified as trucks, then they're subject to lower MPG levels than are cars under the CAFE limits (even still after the recent rollback of them by the Trump Administration). So they have to work less hard & put in less expensive emissions controls into the "trucks" - adding to profitability!

Ergo - my wondering if the Cayenne & Macan are likewise more profitable than are their cars.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/santa_smiley.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
///////
User is offlineProfile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post
mepstein
post Dec 19 2018, 11:25 AM
Post #35


914-6 GT in waiting
***************

Group: Members
Posts: 19,220
Joined: 19-September 09
From: Landenberg, PA/Wilmington, DE
Member No.: 10,825
Region Association: MidAtlantic Region



Cayenne, Boxster and some other models are very proffitae. I’m not sure they are even made in Germany.

Where the cayenne shares a chassis with some other brands - VW, Audi, ect, I’m guessing the 911 chassis is just for the 911.

We just got a smashed Panamera hybrid in for insurance. Owner paid $150K. I imagine there’s a good profit margin on that car.

Porsche will never build an intro model again. No reason to. They have their place in the market well established and it’s not building low cost cars. I think the big 3 US auto makers are coming to the same conclusion. $50k pickups are more profitable than $15k econo cars.
User is online!Profile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post
sithot
post Dec 19 2018, 11:52 AM
Post #36


Member
**

Group: Members
Posts: 446
Joined: 25-October 06
From: Virginia
Member No.: 7,090
Region Association: None



FWIW: Tesla loses money on every car they make.
User is offlineProfile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post
dr914@autoatlanta.com
post Dec 19 2018, 12:00 PM
Post #37


914 Guru
*****

Group: Members
Posts: 7,810
Joined: 3-January 07
From: atlanta georgia
Member No.: 7,418
Region Association: None



I just skimmed this Tom, very good analysis. I may have overlooked it, but one reason that Porsche discontinued the 914 (and were planning on discontinuing the 911, was that it was much easier to control the emissions on a water cooled car that virtually ran at 180 degrees all of the time, and that the water cooled build was much cheaper than the air cooled. ALSO it was much cheaper, easier, and more conventional to build a front engined rear wheel wheeled drive car, and would be easier to get through the crash standards. All in all, would save Porsche a bunch of money making these front engined water cooled cars.
The 911 replacement was to be the 928, but it was not well received and sales were terrible. If it was not for continuing the 911 at all costs, Porsche would have tanked. The 924 DID replace the 914 however, truly a very sorry car, but it tided porsche over until they could improve it into the 944 and finally the 968
QUOTE(Tom_T @ Dec 15 2018, 11:35 AM) *

QUOTE(Matty900 @ Dec 14 2018, 08:18 PM) *

I have heard several stories about Porsche not wanting to do anything to mess with the 911 program. Like the one about the 914S.
It's my understanding that in 1973 when they came out with the 2 ltr motor, they launched in the US and a 914 S. It had its own brochure, all of the options and was shut down by Porsche because they did not want to compete with the 911S.
I am not trying to open this can of worms with anyone about is the 914 S real or not. What I want to know is, as protective as Porsche was about the 911 program, How did this affect the 914. Were the 914 De-tuned from what the original design specs were?


Matty - as others have pointed out, it was a more complex demise, than just not competing with the 911s.

As with the 2003> VW-Porsche JV vehicle collaboration Cayennes saving Porsche's financial butz - nearly in bankruptcy from 1996-2004 -

Likewise, our 914s' 118,000+/- in sales over 6 model years 70-76 (69 counting full 70 MY) saved Porsche's financial butz, because they could no longer sell large numbers of 911s, 912s were too expensive to build & sell at an entry level - read high sales volume - price due to their production costs & prices increases from their inception in `64. In fact the ongoing sales of 64-65 356's masked this economic reality with their parallel sales during those 2 MYs.

So why get rid of the butz-saving 914s? There was a combination of reasons:

1. Overpriced Body Shells from VW/Karmann Plant:

The VW reneging on the original "handshake deal" on the price to sell the 914 bodies to Porsche to produce the detuned 110 HP 914-6's put their sales pricing too close to the the nicer fitted out & higher 125 HP 911-T in 70-71 MYs - so most buyers never looked beyond that & shifting foibles, & would pay the extra +/- $500 for a 911-T - so it never really got rolling.

Also note that the 916 was never implemented because it's price was almost that of the comparably equipped 911E/911S of the time, & it would've certainly cut into some 911 sales with a comparable HP motor, while the 911 sales were also declining due to the currency escalation problem discussed below. The 916 project was discontinued after the first 11 prototypes, which were actually very well received in the market & automotive press, but the pricing of $14,000+/- was a question mark - given the oil crisis driven global recession of the mid-1970's - also made worse in the USA by the end of space race & Vietnam War driven production after 72-74>.


2. Continued High Body/Vehicle Pricing for 73-76 914s:

This higher than expected pricing continued for all 914-4s from 74> MYs - after Porsche took over the VW-Porsche JV - so it thereafter also increased the production cost basis of all 914s thereafter - as seen in the ever increasing prices - making the 914-2.0s also too close for comfort relative to better fitted-out & more powerful 911-Ts (& other base 911 models) - despite the by then recognized better handling 914s.

(Note that - IIRC - Porsche didn't begin factory racing with the 911s, until the 914-6 was waning.)


3. Currency Escalation Driving up Import Prices:

Added to the above, the W. German Deutche Mark (DM) was rapidly escalating against the US Dollar after then President Nixon took the dollar off the Gold standard, & it was allowed to float in the world monetary markets, in order to help keep USA products more competitive - but that likewise made other imports including cars more expensive after the dollar was no longer set by the US (Fed & Treasury Depts.).

This can clearly be seen in the rapid price escalation of the 73 Porsches of all types 914 & 911, & carrying on into 76 MY & beyond - further complicating Porsche's competitiveness in the USA, where 60% of their cars were then sold - which also affected their cars from 77> MYs, leading to their later financial viability crisis which the Cayenne solved.

I recently described in a reply to another similar post (maybe one of yours) as to how this price escalation to DM vs. dollar currency escalation was the actual demise of the "914S" nomenclature in the USA only (Note that both Japan kept "914S" & the UK kept 914 SC" thru to 76 MY), which I recently also added to my "914S".

It was NOT the much alleged concerns of PCA 911 owners, nor of Porsche concerns over competing with their top of the line 911S - think about those - who would EVER think a 80-95 HP 4-banger 914S was competition for a 911S with upwards of 180-210 HP - really, REALLY!? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif) - but ignore logic & facts to continue believing in those urban myths if you must.

Quite simply - Porsche could no longer keep selling a fully loaded 73 "914S" at it's original Aug 72 - March 73 price of $5299 (WCPOE), so they increased it to $7299 Mrch - June 73, & introduced a more basic "914 Sport" with only Performance Group options as their new "price leader 2.0" at $5299" for March - June 73.

Thereafter for 74> MYs Porsche further reduced their pricing risk by decoupling ALL options & option groups from ALL 914s, & made everything for extra cost - & they increased the cost of the options/groups - while the 2.0's base price stayed the same as what the prior 73 MY fully loaded "914S" had been increased to of $7299 - but now without ANY options!

Both the 75 & 76 MYs saw increases to base prices & options - & were all now higher than what the pre-73 DM escalation 911 prices had been!

There were 2 exceptions to offering options for a somewhat of a deal price - but both were low production number - thereby limited their losses - the 74 MY 914 1000 LE/CanAms (EDIT: 1000 500 each color scheme) which actually only "included" a few options, & the close-out 76 MY 914-2.0s - which was done to get rid of them ASAP before what was to come next - & even then they were adding to the base price for the supposedly included options.

EDIT: ... & I wasn't counting the similar Euro/RoW 100,000th 914 Special editions, but that's another number of them above & beyond the LEs here. I'm not going to look it up, but someone else can chime in with the number if they so choose.


In reality at he end of the 914's run - you had no choice in 76 MY 2.0 options it was however they were built & shipped, & you paid the price - most of the ones that I looked at before buying my used 3 year old 73 "914S" were all priced at $8500+/- & over, with the anemic CA-Smog choked 78-80 HP!!

If you were of car buying or dreaming age then - you know what I mean about how ALL of the cool imported sports cars went way out of reach for most of us!

If you look at the production/sales numbers for the 914s at the info section here, you can see how this currency driven price escalation bled off 914 sales to just a few - after peaking in 73 MY - as it also did with 911 & 912E & 930 sales. Monthly sales rates on all Porsche models would show that drop off starting in March 73, as it did with ALL import car makers' vehicles.


4. Another Failed VW/Audi-Porsche JV Enters the Fray:

As they say on the TV commercials - "Butt Wait!" -

VW, Audi & Porsche were all concerned over being able to meet with aircooled engines, the soon to be & ever increasing smog control limits of California (60-70% of the USA Sales, which still ran 60-75% of worldwide Porsche sales = 36 - 52.5% of worldwide sales to California) - plus the other 49 states under EPA were soon to adopt the California emissions standards too nationwide.

Ergo, Porsche began designing their watercooled V8 for the 928, & VW/Audi started designing 4 & 5 cyl. inline watercooled engines for their Golf, Fox, 3000, etc. models - & they commissioned Porsche to design a VW/Audi sports coupe using their new I-4 watercooled motor.

VW/Audi went so far as to schedule complete retooling of the Karmann plant to build theri new sports car/coupe - but then backed out & cancelled the product. You will recall that ALL 76 MY 914-2.0s were built prior to Dec. 75, so that the Karmann plant could be retooled for that new car, & Porsche back-filled by installing the 2.0 Air-boxer in 911 shells - creating the short lived 912E produced at their Stuttgart plant's 911 line for +/- Jan - July 76 for 76 MY only.

Porsche had also taken over the cancelled VW/Audi sports car/coupe, & began producing it as their own 924 in 77 MY on.

So the 914 had no production line after Dec. 75, & there was no possible way to continue it's production, because all of the tooling had been worn out & never replaced - even if they wanted to move it to another plant from Karmann.


There are other factors which came into play for the 914's demise, but some urban myth about Porsche not liking the 914 to save the 911 wasn't one of them.

In fact, Porsche itself thought that the 911 line would be replaced by an all watercooled line of 924, 928 & other spin-off models by the early 1990's, & the last aircooled 911s were produced in 1993 MY due to the problems with aircooled engines not meeting the by then 50 State smog regulations.

However, Porsche did react to customer lash-back at their original watercooled planned replacements, & then went on in the mid to late 1980s to start design of the waterboxer six later used in the 996 & 986 lines of 911s & Boxsters/Caymans - with the 996 & 986 lines initially sharing full body/mechanical front end designs from the windscreen forward in order to save on costs - which were introduced as their diminishing sales 928s were phased out in 95-96 MYs.

As with most business issues - & car manufacturing is & always was a business - it was never some "911 jealousy" - but a complex set of world economic & automotive regulatory issues.

Happy Holidays! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/santa_smiley.gif)
Tom
///////
User is offlineProfile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post
Lucky9146
post Dec 19 2018, 12:14 PM
Post #38


Always Wanted A Bigger Go Cart
***

Group: Members
Posts: 1,605
Joined: 22-September 14
From: Poway California
Member No.: 17,942
Region Association: Southern California



QUOTE(Matty900 @ Dec 14 2018, 07:18 PM) *

I have heard several stories about Porsche not wanting to do anything to mess with the 911 program. Like the one about the 914S.
It's my understanding that in 1973 when they came out with the 2 ltr motor, they launched in the US and a 914 S. It had its own brochure, all of the options and was shut down by Porsche because they did not want to compete with the 911S.
I am not trying to open this can of worms with anyone about is the 914 S real or not. What I want to know is, as protective as Porsche was about the 911 program, How did this affect the 914. Were the 914 De-tuned from what the original design specs were?


matty900
I am truly happy you posted this thread, it has been very interesting to see the information pour out. Cool stuff and we can all learn as a result. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/white914.jpg)
User is offlineProfile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post
bbrock
post Dec 19 2018, 12:21 PM
Post #39


914 Guru
*****

Group: Members
Posts: 5,269
Joined: 17-February 17
From: Montana
Member No.: 20,845
Region Association: Rocky Mountains



QUOTE(Matty900 @ Dec 18 2018, 09:12 PM) *

I am interested in the design and production aspect of the 914. What I am trying to learn about was if the 914's may have been De-tuned from what the original design specs were?" So that would have come from the beginning of the program.


Tricky question and I have no clue what the "original design specs" were, but I'm inclined to think no, it wasn't de-tuned from the original design. Given that the original concept for the car was a bridge between an upper end VW sports car and and entry level Porsche, if anything, they overshot in the chassis design by making essentially a streetable racing chassis that cornered like nothing else, and was arguably superior to the 911. The de-tuning was from choice of drive train and other bolt on components which I believe were driven more by what was needed to adhere to the original concept rather than deviating from it.

Of course, the 914 could easily be developed as a 911 slayer but I think Porsche was smart to keep that in check. It doesn't make sense for a company to compete against themselves and even worse if the competition is knocking down something as iconic as the 911. How many stories have we heard about people back in the day who wanted a 911 but couldn't afford one so left the dealer with a new 914 instead? It seems to have worked for them.
User is offlineProfile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post
Tom_T
post Dec 19 2018, 02:55 PM
Post #40


TMI....
*****

Group: Members
Posts: 8,318
Joined: 19-March 09
From: Orange, CA
Member No.: 10,181
Region Association: Southern California



QUOTE(Matty900 @ Dec 18 2018, 09:12 PM) *

QUOTE(Tom_T @ Dec 15 2018, 10:35 AM) *



"Matty - as others have pointed out, it was a more complex demise, than just not competing with the 911s."

"It was NOT the much alleged concerns of PCA 911 owners, nor of Porsche concerns over competing with their top of the line 911S - think about those - who would EVER think a 80-95 HP 4-banger 914S was competition for a 911S with upwards of 180-210 HP - really, REALLY!? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif) - but ignore logic & facts to continue believing in those urban myths if you must."

Happy Holidays! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/santa_smiley.gif)
Tom
///////


Wow! Thank you Tom and everyone else. I am always impressed by what I learn from you guys (IMG:style_emoticons/default/pray.gif)

I was actually not aware of the 911 owners urban myth part. I am not denying that the 73 911S were spectacular cars with obviously a lot more horsepower (Although it was cool to watch a 914-6 beat all of the 911's at Rennsport this year)

I am interested in the design and production aspect of the 914. What I am trying to learn about was if the 914's may have been De-tuned from what the original design specs were?" So that would have come from the beginning of the program. I figure if anyone would know it would be this group.
I had an interesting conversation with Trevor Frank at Rennsport as he gave me a tour of his Ginther 914-4. He was telling me about the Ginther program and the goal to show what the cars were actually capable of doing if they would have been allowed to form the start.
Obviously, economics play a part in this and it may not just be about not wanting to interfere with sales of with the 911 program. It may have also been about keeping the car as affordable as possible.



Your last sentence is a huge part of it, as they began changing all sorts of things to lower production costs on the 914s from late 73 MY on. 74 & then 75 went with a simpler turn signal one-indicator-light (no more L & R arrows) - which was a VW cost saving, plastic dash bezels & gauge lenses, cheaper heat seamed seats & upholstery (over sewn) using less expensive thinner fabrics - & BTW even those sharp looking plaid cloth inserts were a cost savings over vinyl leatherette/brickweave, plastic door sill thresholds/carpet-strips, etc., etc.

As for if the original 914/4 was detuned - I'd say no because, aside from the typical product placement types of engineering the various Porsche models to fit into a particular slot in their line-up, remember that Porsche was looking to replace the now very dated 912 with the 356 era 4-banger, as well as VW's Karmann Ghia T1 1500-1600 (& KG 34 Caravelle). So at 80 HP it was actually a step up due to better torque

So their power target for the base 914/4 was to be a modest update of those 2 intended-to-be-outgoing models, & move the new 914 into their newer T-IV motor with fuel injection (EFI) at about the same power level.

As to the upside potential - well the 1.8 & 2.0 were a start, but aborted by the smog control concerns of aircooled - & Ginther, Rich Bontempi, FAT Performance, Raby & all sorts of others racing them in SCCA, PCA, etc. have shown that there was a lot more potential for the 914, had it stayed in production as long as the aircooled 911s (993 to early 1990s).

Again - the demise was more related to DM escalation raising prices vs. domestically made options (Vette, Camaro/Firebird, Mustang, etc.) making them more budget friendly options.

Note that both the 914 & 924 & 911/930 suffered the sales fall-off & financial troubles for Porsche - as it also did for Fiat (124, X1/9), Alpha (2000 - left the USA market), MG/Triumph/Austin/BMC-Leyland (MGB/C, Sprigite, big Healys, etc. - also left the US market for sports cars).

Also keep in mind that for production/sales model groupings - both the outgoing 76 MY 914-2.0 & temporary fill-in 912E should probably be considered in the same bucket from the production/sales point of view - in which case they had a combined sales figure closer to or more than the 75 MY 914 1.8 & 2.0. Think of the 76 914-2.0 as filling the prior MY's 1.8, & the 912E as the formerly step-up position of the 914-2.0 during 73-75 MYs.

Just more food for thought from a business model perspective.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/santa_smiley.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
///////
User is offlineProfile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post

3 Pages V < 1 2 3 >
Reply to this topicStart new topic
1 User(s) are reading this topic (1 Guests and 0 Anonymous Users)
0 Members:

 



- Lo-Fi Version Time is now: 19th April 2024 - 05:58 AM