Is A Porsche 912 On The Horizon?

Many enthusiasts crave a smaller 911

We can all agree that the Porsche 992 is too big. So much so that even 911 enthusiasts admit to it. This started with the 996 generation. It introduced many firsts for the model, including water-cooled engines, lack of round headlights, and a new dashboard, which is still a divisive subject due to its design and materials used. We recently talked about the likelihood of a more compact 911, which is something Porsche design boss, Michael Mauer talked about while interviewed by the DRIVE.

Personally, I would love to create a smaller sports car, to see what the possibilities are in terms of packaging - Michael Mauer, Chief Designer, Porsche.

This could definitely be the 912 since the 911 already has an established legacy, and diluting it with an all-electric variant would ruin it for die-hard enthusiasts. That said, we have to give credit where it is due. Porsche’s T-Hybrid system, featured on some 992.2 models adds just 110 pounds over the non-hybrid 992.1 equivalent. Even the heaviest Porsche 911 still tips the scales well below 4,000 pounds, which is much less than other hybrid competitors like the Mercedes AMG GT.

Could a resurrected 912 go electric?

In a past article, we talked about why a revived Porsche 912 would make more sense as an EV, and now there is even more to suggest this would be the right thing to do. Modern engines take up more space in the engine bay due to added periphery – intercoolers, turbochargers, various sensors, and other equipment. The engine bay in a rear-engine Porsche like the 911 is already a tight squeeze. Electric motors are much more compact than an internal combustion unit, which is why a scaled-down 911 would be best served as an all-electric sports car.

Moreover, the 981-series Porsche 718 divided enthusiasts by featuring a flat-four engine, and despite the original Porsche 912, essentially, being a four-cylinder 911, fans of the German sports car will not take it lightly if Porsche repeats that. The original Porsche 912 was produced from 1965 to 1969, and then from 1975 to 1976, as the 912E, but this time, powered by a Volkswagen-sourced 2.0-liter engine, instead of the 356’s 1.6-liter flat-four. Moreover, Porsche is about to launch a few more EV models after the upcoming 718 EV, and they are all electric. These include a fully-electric Porsche Cayenne and an EV spiritual successor to the 918 Spyder, expected to pack around 1,500 horsepower.

A Porsche 912 EV should be cheaper to make

Like any automaker, Porsche is after optimizing costs. Given the 912 name was put on an entry-level sports car, an all-new 912 would share the electric powertrain of existing Porsche EVs like the 718 Boxster/ Cayman EV and Macan EV. Tesla-swapped Porsche 911s are a common sight nowadays, so this will be an opportunity for Porsche to show the rest how a fully electric, compact 911 is done. Moreover, given the sheer number of similarities between the Porsche Boxster/ Cayman and 911 across the generations, a Porsche 912 EV could potentially utilize a modified version of the 718 EV’s underpinnings.