Porsche 914-6 GT
Encyclopedia
The Porsche 914-6 GT was a race car built and sold collaboratively by Volkswagen
and Porsche
.
. A 4-cylinder boxer engine provided the power. Volkswagen needed a vehicle to replace the aging Karmann-Ghia while Porsche was looking for another option to add to their line up. The 914 in Europe were badged as Volkswagen/Porsche, while all 914's sold in North America
were sold as Porsches.
The car sits very low and the suspension
was a combination of a 911-type torsion bar front suspension with a rear coil spring suspension. The headlights hide in the hood and pop-up when needed. The targa top can be stored in the trunk.
The horizontally opposed flat-four engine is mid-mounted and was produced with different displacements; 1.7, 1.8 or 2.0 liter. The 1.7 liter engine produced 80 hp, the 1.8 produced 79, and the 2.0 liter engine produced 95. A five-speed manual gearbox was standard equipment on all models.
The 914/6 was short lived with only 3360 examples produced between 1970 and 1972. All featured the 2.0 liter flat-six engine. It was raced using different engine configurations. This included the 'T' specification, which was basically a stock 911 engine. Another popular configuration was to use a converted Carrera 6 engine.
In 1970 Porsche entered a 914/6 GT in the grueling 24 hours of Le Mans
race. It finished 6th overall and won its class. This was only one chapter in the vehicle's extensive racing career, which continues even to this day.
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
and Porsche
Porsche
Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....
.
History
The Porsche 914 was introduced in September 1969 as a collaborative effort between Porsche and Volkswagen to produce a sporty car. The car they came up with was a mid-engined vehicle with seating for two and featured a targa topTarga top
Targa top, targa for short, is a semi-convertible car body style with a removable roof section and a full width roll bar behind the seats. The term was first used on the 1966 Porsche 911 Targa, and it remains a registered trademark of Porsche AG....
. A 4-cylinder boxer engine provided the power. Volkswagen needed a vehicle to replace the aging Karmann-Ghia while Porsche was looking for another option to add to their line up. The 914 in Europe were badged as Volkswagen/Porsche, while all 914's sold in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
were sold as Porsches.
The car sits very low and the suspension
Suspension (vehicle)
Suspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels. Suspension systems serve a dual purpose — contributing to the car's roadholding/handling and braking for good active safety and driving pleasure, and keeping vehicle occupants...
was a combination of a 911-type torsion bar front suspension with a rear coil spring suspension. The headlights hide in the hood and pop-up when needed. The targa top can be stored in the trunk.
The horizontally opposed flat-four engine is mid-mounted and was produced with different displacements; 1.7, 1.8 or 2.0 liter. The 1.7 liter engine produced 80 hp, the 1.8 produced 79, and the 2.0 liter engine produced 95. A five-speed manual gearbox was standard equipment on all models.
The 914/6 was short lived with only 3360 examples produced between 1970 and 1972. All featured the 2.0 liter flat-six engine. It was raced using different engine configurations. This included the 'T' specification, which was basically a stock 911 engine. Another popular configuration was to use a converted Carrera 6 engine.
In 1970 Porsche entered a 914/6 GT in the grueling 24 hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
race. It finished 6th overall and won its class. This was only one chapter in the vehicle's extensive racing career, which continues even to this day.