5 minutes ago I was doing a number in the bathroom. I was looking through the August 2004 issue of Excellence and when I was just about through, I took a quick look at the cover. There's a Boxster S on there. Was the idea for this car built from what the 914 may have looked like if it had progressed generation after generation as the 911 did? When designs were being drawn up for this car, did anyone at Porsche say, hey, that looks a little like a 914? I'm interested in your opinions too, you's think the 914 would have looked similar or completely different from the Boxter?

Nope.

My guess is they needed something 'new', something 'different', but without creating an ENTIRELY new car so they said, "Hey, lets just take the 911 and turn the engine/tranny 180º and to keep the small size we'll just do what other mid-engined cars do, keep it a two seater."

Or something like that.

914 heritage? Extremely doubtful. It's too 911 IMO.

The official line from Porsche was that it was styled after the Spyder. Porsche has never uttered Boxster and 914 in the same sentence as far a I know.

When we were at Art Center, Grant Larson was sketching 911esk designs in the early 80's. I never saw any 914 influence. He had an old NSU. Craig Durfee (Viper) on the other hand had a liking for an AIR flared 914 that was as wide as it was long...
I think we would all like to believe there was a generation link but the 914 may always be the (unwanted) red haired stepchild...
Felix
Wait till you see what I have in the works...

The more I look at boxters the more I like them. I really plan on getting an early car at some point in the no to distant future. First mod I am going to do is to make up a 914 badge for the back!

Hey thats a great idea!!!
CCLINCAMPBOXSTR

I'll bet 914 was uttered in the same sentence... but why would Porsche want to recreate a car that is so often referred to as a Volkswagen... the spider, on the other hand, with its huge history, is a Porsche icon. The spider had a two seat, mid engine design... so did the 914. I think Porsche claims the Boxster is styled after the spyder only to save themselves from the critisizm they'd get if they had styled it after a "Volkswagen".

the way i see it is the 914 was replaced with the 924, then 944, 968, 986. These being the entry level porsche and the 928 and cayenne for the luxury models.

I have a really good connection to my local Porsche Center, get invited to drive all their new cars every spring, even at a handling parcour. They also invite me to all the closed presentaitions of new cars.
With all these events I've made the experience, that Porsche never ever refers to the 914 in any official way. They're always very kind and friendly, even by knowing I'd never buy a new Porsche. But they behave if the 914 wouldn't exist.
They have all kind of Porsche scale model car for sale, but not one single 914 ...

They always give me the feeling, that they respect me and like watching my teener, but they don't consider it as a Porsche.

Gustl

QUOTE (Gustl B @ Jan 7 2005, 10:30 AM)

They have all kind of Porsche scale model car for sale, but not one single 914 ...  Gustl

I went to the Porsche dealer for parts today for my 993 and I was very suprised to see the chrome 914 model in with all the other models.
They have two more left at the Newport Beach dealer.
They said they will probably not be able to get anymore.

I have two, too

IMHO, the 986 is a modern day 914. Let's see what they have in common.

When the 914 was produced in the 70's, it outhandled a 911 of it's time. It had a smaller displacement engine, and also a boxer Type 4 Porsche-designed VW-manufactured engine. It had less power than the 911 as to not outrun it's 'big brother' the 911. The 914 was designed by Porsche, manufactured by Volkswagen.

Jump to the 986...

The Boxster was designed by Porsche, manufactured by Porsche. It outhandles 996's of it's time, has a smaller displacement engine that is an opposing 6. It has less power than the 993/996 as to not outrun it's "big brother", the 996.

It has always been Porsche's intention not to smear their flagship car, the 911. The 914/6 and 916 were flukes of success. They made a car that could outperform the 911s of it's time and thus production was very short. Similar to a 914, if you can upgrade the powerplant in a boxster to make it on par with a 996(7) or 996tt... i believe it would be recognized as another fluke of success. But then again, the Carerra GT could be seen as the next step in design and evolution of Porsche's mid-engined wonders...

I think the reason Porsche never utters "914" is because they were burned so badly by VW on the deal. Even in the "Victory by Design" documentary they never once mention the 914 even though there is some footage of a 914 being driven at the Targa Florio. Actually, in a later version of the documentary they cut the 914 footage.