AN INCREDIBLE sports car with an unusual backstory can be picked up for a reasonable price – and it resembles the iconic Porsche 911.
In fact, Wheeler Dealers’ star Mike Brewer swears by them, having owned one himself – even claiming it was ‘the only car he kept at home.’
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The set of wheels in questions is the little-known Porsche 912E
Looks familiar, doesn’t it?
That’s because the 912E has the same chassis as the famed 911 and therefore handles a lot like the famous sports car – but with less power and less weight.
Built between 1975 and 1976 to fill a gap between the discontinued 914 and the then yet-to-be-released 924, the ‘E’ in the name – which stands for ‘Einspritzung’ – is down to the 912E not being fitted with a fuel-injection.
Just over 2,000 models were made by Porsche, and it was only made available for the North American market.
Wheeler Dealer Mike has proven to be a big fan of the model, having owned one for many years before recently selling it in an auction.
It’s no secret that the TV star has a particular soft spot for Porsches – having owned quite a few different models over the years including a retro 964.
Mike’s 912E was made available for between £40,000 and £50,000 via the auction experts Iconic Auctioneers – having bought it for a bargain price while filming in North Carolina years prior.
Speaking ahead of the sale, Mike said: “Of all the classic and sports cars I own, it’s the only one I keep at home.
“I keep telling people thinking about buying an air-cooled 911 how they really should find time to get behind the wheel of a 912.
“They are more affordable to own and maintain and yet offer all the charm and quality of the more expensive classic 911 – the 912 is nothing short of brilliant.”
Little is known why the car nut is deciding to sell his rare set of wheels, although he did hint he needed extra space.
Mike’s wife suggested jokingly that he’s having a midlife crisis, to which he replied: “It was either a belly button piercing a tribal tattoo, and I was going to grow a ponytail – that’s one side of the midlife crisis.
“The other one was I’m gonna sell the cars.”
A quick search through various car auction websites reveals the 912E is indeed hard to come by – with just three available on the Cars & Classic website.
According to Classic, the average sale price for the 912E is just under £30,000.
This works out significantly cheaper than the cost of a classic 911 – which is a much sought-after classic that can fetch an eye-watering price at car auctions.
Porsche were recently forced to recall thousands of motors over a braking issue.
Elsewhere, a car expert has urged drivers to seek out an “impressive” hot hatchback that was once £25,000 – but is now an absolute bargain.
How the Boxster saved Porsche
Today, Porsche is a financial juggernaut, and the company’s profits are the envy of the car industry.
But two decades ago, things were very different for the German giants.
A recession, coupled with their uncompetitive lineup of aging motors, led to dwindling sales that pushed them to the brink of ruin.
But the release of the Boxster in 1996 changed that.
Porsche were able to sell 7,500 cars in the US and Canada and by 1997, that number had nearly doubled. 20 years later, in 2017, that number topped 54,000.
That’s why the Boxster is considered one of the most successful but controversial sports cars to hit the market in recent times.
Over the years, Porsche purists have taken its water-cooled, mid-engine layout as an affront to the brand’s iconic rear-engine, then-air-cooled 911.
But the car’s supporters often praise the first-gen Boxster for its superb driving dynamics that defined its category.
What’s more, the windfall from the release of the Boxster allowed Porsche to make changes that put the company on the path to long-term success.