My ride in a 911EV Options

[PanelBilly]

https://youtu.be/RgVjMX8fB-g?si=QKmV6Vh0nchy1hcN

An no they don’t have a kit for the 914 yet. This is a complete kit that bolts into the car. Biggest job is replacing the wiring harness. If they take away our gas, kits like this will keep our old cars on the road. Might not happen in my lifetime but my kids might see that day.

[PanelBilly]

Here’s the kit in its shipping crate

[PanelBilly]

The cradle that holds the electric motor and battery pack. Transmission bolts to it and it hangs from the standard engine mounts. Entire package add 200 lbs.

[flipb]

Who's the maker of the 911 kit?


For what it's worth EV West (and maybe others?) have a kit to convert a 914.

[Shivers]

How much did he say it was? My hearing is terrible and I couldn't pick it up

[technicalninja]

The video has close captioning for us hearing impaired...

70K!!!!!!

At one time Tygaboy's V8 car could be had for 75K.

For that much money it better be able to PIN MY ASS to the seats. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ninja.gif)

Clay's big motor could be re-created for less.



The "noise" is interesting...

I think it's transmission related and because of the noisy engine that is normally installed we don't notice the tranny noises...

All of the Tesla conversion I've seen completed are SCARY fast and nearly silent...



That did look "plug and play" and the drive train mounting was exquisite!

@PanelBilly was it stupid fast?

The video did NOT properly show its potential.

[JeffBowlsby]

"The Thrill is gone..." BB King.

Nothing visceral about that experience that I can see. Or hear. Or smell.

[VaccaRabite]

"The Thrill is gone..." BB King.

Nothing visceral about that experience that I can see. Or hear. Or smell.

I have a feeling you might change your mind on that as the initial acceleration tries to put your viscera out through your mouth and spine. The potential of the electric cars is amazing.

I do understand that car people in general don't like electric cars, and there is just no changing it. That's fine. To me, however, this is no different then a subi swap, or an LS1 swap, or a steam engine swap, or a diesel swap, or a rotary swap, etc. Each is interesting in its own way, with its own challenges to sort out.

70K!!!!!!

At one time Tygaboy's V8 car could be had for 75K.

For that much money it better be able to PIN MY ASS to the seats. ninja.gif

I would bet that it is scary fast, but probably not Tesla fast as its still rear wheel drive instead of all wheel drive.

And if you are a 911 person considering doing this, the cost is almost meaningless. Its a binary issue - you either have the money or you don't. Most don't. If you do, you do, and you want the swap, the price tag doesn't matter. Keeps the club exclusive. See also RWB and Singer cars. Its far enough out of my budget to be just more smoke and magic.

The fresh 2.7 and 915 transmission I bought in 2022 came out of a 911 getting ready for a swap like this. The 2.7 was full and pristine and CLEAN. Owner just didn't care and wanted electric.

Zach

[Superhawk996]

"The Thrill is gone..." BB King.

Nothing visceral about that experience that I can see. Or hear. Or smell.

I have a feeling you might change your mind on that as the initial acceleration tries to put your viscera out through your mouth and spine. The potential of the electric cars is amazing.

Nope

Jeff is spot on.

I’ve been in tons of electrics. Soulless devices. Good at one thing. Massive acceleration off the line. Fast 0-60. Run out of oomph as speed rises - nature of an electric motor.

The “thrill” wears off very fast. Especially so when AWD, traction control, and ESC all make it a simple one pedal experience that any competent 12 year old could mash the pedal and be nearly as fast off the line as a pro driver.

After that you’re left with a device that highlights wind noise, and tire noise as the main sensory feedback.

Edit: I also forgot the increased propensity for your passengers to get motion sickness in EVs as another sensory feedback. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/barf.gif)
https://www.drive.com.au/caradvice/motion-s...electric-cars/#

[technicalninja]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

The acceleration is similar to hitting fast forward on an old school VCR.

Everything magically "Speeds Up".

You can feel the G force pin you to the seat but that's about it...

The Teslas I've driven were very quick but heavy and "planted" feeling.

You couldn't "dance" with it...

...become "one" with the car.

And in my book that is what makes a vehicle a "Sports Car".

[VaccaRabite]

I’ve been in tons of electrics. Soulless devices. Good at one thing. Massive acceleration off the line. Fast 0-60. Run out of oomph as speed rises - nature of an electric motor.

The “thrill” wears off very fast. Especially so when AWD, traction control, and ESC all make it a simple one pedal experience that any competent 12 year old could mash the pedal and be nearly as fast off the line as a pro driver.

I'm not disagreeing with you.
But for the most part that "one thing" has been the mainstay of American muscle cars since the 1960s up to the end of the American muscle car when Dodge stupidly killed off the Charger and Challenger for a halfbaked electric model.

Since the 60's technology has moved towards making that acceleration faster and easier to attain. Manuals gave way to automatics. Then the automatics got appreciably faster then the manuals.

So I guess killing off the Charger and Challenger and bringing in some sort of electric nonsense instead was an admission that the ability to go fast in a straight line was done better by electrics.

I like electric cars. But I also like v8 monsters. And I'd like to have the choice. Well, and I guess right now my choice was to not buy the electric Dodge when I sold my v8 Challenger last year (and have regretted it ever since (IMG:style_emoticons/default/barf.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/barf.gif) ) It was just worth too much on the secondary market at the time to keep it...

I also agree that Porsches aren't drag cars, and muscle cars are way different then sports cars. However, any modern 911 C4 would smoke my Challenger in a drag race anywhere except a prepped drag strip - and probably even there given mine was not a Redeye or Demon.

Zach

[BillJ]

I have had a taycan in the garage. Two wheel drive version. Was pretty to look at with white on dark gray and the prototype wheels and the immediacy of speed was incredible. Handling was very competent and had no complaints other than concern on distance. Even took it to VIR and did some charity laps. It checked most boxes on paper.

However it never really got me going the way my -6 does. Sounds smells and experience all making for a unique (nowadays) experience of passion. Sure the taycan was cool but it didnt evoke the same love.

The kit described here seems pretty nice and also very reasonable financially. Any ICE engine capable.of competing with the experience of power of a comprable electic motor will likely come close to costing around that when all is said and done. You would need a 3.6 high compression engine to really get the same umph (keeping it 6 cyl porsche).

[ClayPerrine]

Electric cars vs Gas cars are the equavelent argument to Gas stove vs Microwave.


The microwave is much faster, and cleaner. But I don't want to eat a microwaved steak.

If I were going to do something more modern to a 914, it would be this:

http://vonnen.com/#1


Their shadow drive add hybrid to ANY 911 out there, from 1965 onward. You still get the feel and the mechanical music of the ICE engine. But you get a major boost in performance with the hybrid system. And it is NOT tuned for fuel mileage. It is tuned for performance. But it does increase the mileage as a side effect.

The simplicity of this is amazing. They replace the flywheel with a motor/generator that is used for regenerative braking and driving the rear wheels. It also eliminates the starter. The new motor/generator takes care of that. The whole thing is controlled through a android/iphone app so it doesn't change the vintage look of the interior with a hybrid control panel.

I actually talked with them about doing my car. They said they could do a custom one to join the 964 engine to the Cayman transmission. But it would be $75K, and they have to install it. I would ask them to put in a bigger battery pack on my car.

I don't have 75K to spend on it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)

[flipb]

I love how any mention of EVs brings out the haters.

Seems like this 911 kit is a pretty remarkable balance between EV benefits and driver's car experience.

We're in the second decade of EVs entering the mainstream. With an EV Boxster coming soon, I think we'll start to see a lot of options across the entire spectrum from utilitarian to fun.

Case in point, from Matt Farah (who rocks an amazing upgraded Boxster Spyder as his favorite car). Preview of things to come?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2b_bGBuamY

[Root_Werks]

Interesting, looking at what's in the crate, I see two gauges. Presumably to replace oil, fuel etc. with something like battery state or range yadda, yadda.

It's a substantial investment.

Biggest challenge with these kits is always range. Where to cram batteries, even if you have the room, how much more weight are you willing to accept vs. range?

Still, very cool someone has put together such a complete kit like this.

[Steve]

I'm not against electric cars, but notice in these kit cars they never mention the mileage per charge. Most I have seen are less than 100 miles. Classic Retrofit built a nice ev914. https://www.classicretrofit.com/en-us/blogs...car-of-the-year
Unless they outlaw our cars, I would rather buy a real ev than some clunky conversion.

[emerygt350]

That torque curve and the manual really makes me happy. Someday I am sure I will go electric (I already have a volt) in the 914 but I just couldn't do without shifting and the torque curve. I don't care if it's less efficient than without. I am hoping that by the time I have to switch, or want to, the batteries will be far lighter. That is really the biggest issue on the retro, and the reason the ranges are always so bad.

[ClayPerrine]

I want to be clear. I don't hate EVs. I think they will be great in the future, when they get the range, infrastructure and charging times down to the level close to an ICE car. And they solve the environmental impact of battery disposal. And they get the power grid to a point where it can handle a lot of EVs charging at the same time.

But like I said, an EV will not give me the pleasure of an ICE car. Yes, I like the instant torque and the no gears of an EV for a daily driver. I have cars with automatic transmissions now. But I love the sound of an ICE engine at full song and I love a manual transmission for the sheer pleasure of driving spiritedly.

"Wind, in my hair. Shifting and drifting. Mechanical music. Adrenaline surge." (Thanks Neil. RIP)

[campbellcj]

I don't think I'd ever personally mess with a 914 but am really looking forward to what Porsche does for example with the EV Cayman coming out soon. The GT4 ePerformance prototype was out at Rennsport 7 last year. I've been daily driving a Tesla for almost 3 years and the EV experience and this specific car have exceeded my expectations overall -- but we do have 7 vehicles and the other 6 are ICE (gas).

[Superhawk996]

I love how any mention of EVs brings out the haters.

Why is it that anytime someone fails to sing the praises of an EV that you roll out the name calling?

In the first line none the less!