I just got back from driving the 916 after it sitting for over two years in our showroom. What a FABULOUS 914. Actually put a smile on this old man's face. Thinking about what could have been if only Porsche had the foresight to think about the future and had not caved to public opinion. The ultimate 914 and they only made 11. Way too bad.

Very cool.

Sweet!

Can't wait to see it and you again George.....Thanks for bringing it...Although there only 11 made.....lots of us have copy cats......

You really should get her out more often George, it is good for you both. In fact, I will be glad to exercise her for you next month. Take it for a spin up to Porsche Palooza. Probably be the first time they ever had a 916 enter the autoX.

I'm guessing the last time the 916 was out was here?

Click to view attachment

George,

I found a pic of the original interior...
Click to view attachment

George,

Is it much different driving that than one of your conversion cars?

Other than the fear factor of wrecking an unobtainium chasis that is?

If so, how is it different?

Yes that was the last time I drove it!! Nice pic!

wow where did this pic come from?

Cool. How does it handle with a steel roof? Any different?

This is how I would be driving that 916

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_S7AyiVfNdA

This car with the welded steel roof seems to bring the whole car together as one fine in finish and fit and solidity. Everything is so tight and the note and response of the mechanical injection and great brakes and really really easy shifting (especially for a 915 gearbox!) just makes the whole experience of driving this 38 year old car one of the most unique experiences of driving any sports car in the world. EVERYTHING works in unison. Even the smell of the interior in unique and I want everyone at the musr 11 to have a whiff (sounds strange but the car's leather interior has a unique smell that was the first impression upon seeing the car "in the flesh" so many years ago.
The normal sixes and conversions creek and rock and roll with burbling engines, shifty transaxles and so so brakes, are too stiff or too loose, and just cannot be planted on the road as firmly as this car. Even the most well prepared of the sixes does not have the feel of this car, and again I would attribute a lot to the steel roof, but the rest of the factory engineering is very predominant.

I would really like to know more of the details that make driving this car unique over the conversion cars or real sixes. Not just specs but the little things that you say the factory engineered into the car. It's obviously more than just the sum of it's parts.

Could a company like resoration design make a steel roof insert if enough people wanted in?

Both of our 914's have welded in roll cages that are welded to the A pillar too, creating a solid connection from front to back. It's amazing how it changes the entire feel of the car, as George says, much more solid, much more planted.

Huey was never meant to be a 914 GT or 916 clone, it was built for Targa Newfoundland, so it had to be street compatible (2200 km of street driving) with racing performance. It had to feel good, handle variable conditions, be predictable and always instill confidence. It does all that.

But I would guess that he still does not have that 'all together' feel of a 916. Close, but not quite. When Porsche build a full car, they build it as one complete unit so everything works together, and everything has a purpose. 914's were too much a joint venture for Porsche to 'work it's magic' as they probably did in the 916.

Funny, I just read an old article from an AA catolog back when you purchased the 916. It's a really good article.

It would also be interesting to see what a factory 914/6 GT feels like with it's bolted in (and braced targa top) along with the roll hoop and a-pillar reinforcements.

My local Porsche guru said the only way to make a 914 less floppy is to triangulate it, just not something I feel like doing on a mostly street car.

Great to hear that there is some worth to the specialness of the 916 in that it works GREAT compared to other 914 variants.

The web

I think that one of the problems with marketing the 916 is that it WAS NOT a convertible. We could have made hardtops to weld on many years ago after the crazy Irishman (synonymous?) designed and installed the top on Geoff's car.
The point back then was who would want to make an nice convertible into a hardtop to make it worth tooling up? NO ONE!!

Agreed.

The coolness factor of the targa top exceeds most's desire to max out on function.

Heck, even the limo will retain this feature... so it must be popular...

Thanks again!

WE should start a pool to guess what Mile# of the Dragon the 916 breaks down, if it even makes it there.