Test 912 - Motor Rundschau 20.65, 25. October 1965

[haul]

@all

I do have the follow up test for the 912 with the translation posted over at the 912bbs.....

https://www.912bbs.org/forum/threads...er-1965.62464/

to give you a teaser of the tested car, please do find the pic below.....


with very best regards out of Bavaria


haul



edit: on special request.....->find all further below...
enjoy

[Chuck Miller]

Should live over here Haul...

[haul]

Porsche 912

In a nutshell
A fast, sporty touring car with two very comfortable seats and two emergency seats. Elegant, well-made body, robust, reliable pushrod engine and very good suspension. However, with the engine behind the rear axle, there is still a slight tendency to oversteer and sensitivity to side winds. Nevertheless, this is a very safe car to drive, and you can achieve high average speeds on main roads and motorways.

First impressions and the competition
For many years the cars from Zuffenhausen were the only sports cars in Germany. Of course there was the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR, the 190 SL and now the 230 SL, but they were and are more expensive and have larger engines than the 'small' Porsche cars.
Only recently has Porsche had serious competition, and more will follow.

Competitor no. 1 is not really a competitor, but a sedan: the BMW 1800 TI. A sporty touring car at a very affordable price, with sports car performance. It spawned another competitor, the BMW 2000 CS coupé. It was heavier than the saloon, more luxurious and aimed at a different clientele. In terms of price and performance, this coupé is a direct rival to the Porsche 912. However, in terms of layout, displacement and power, the new Glas 1700 GT comes closest to the Porsche 912. But the Glas is considerably cheaper at DM 13,850 and Porsche has a lot to offer to justify the not exactly modest price of DM 17,590 for the 912.
The BMW 1800 TI T1 and Glas 1300 GT show all too clearly that you don't have to be rich to buy a sports car.
But in the price range below the BMW 1800 TI (DM 10,960), sporty saloons and small, nimble sports cars are springing up like mushrooms. They won't dissuade any Porsche enthusiast from buying a Porsche, but they are likely to discourage those interested in sports cars from taking a closer look.

The predecessor of the concept realised in the Porsche 911 and 912 was the 356 C.
Once developed from the 'Beetle' from Wolfsburg, it retained many of its characteristics until the end. In the meantime, however, the demands on driving characteristics and performance had increased so much that the old type could no longer satisfy them.
Further development was therefore ruled out.
The successor model was designed so that both the new six-cylinder engine (Type 911) and the 90 bhp engine (Type 912), developed from the 1.6-litre four-cylinder, could be fitted without major bodywork modifications. The 'sub-groups' of the 1.6-litre version that had temporarily been built in three output stages (60, 75 and 95 bhp) were also dropped; today there is only one Porsche four-cylinder car.
The chassis, body, steering etc. are the same for both the four- and six-cylinder models. Only at the IAA did Porsche introduce an open-top version, also available with either engine.

While the pushrod engine was still used in sports cars a few years ago, the factory now only uses the 6- and 8-cylinder ohc engines.
This is understandable, as a pushrod engine tuned for excessive power will never have the same mechanical reserves as an ohc engine designed from the outset for much higher speeds. Tuning the 912 is therefore out of the question, even though the chassis now has a lot to offer in this respect. If you want to compete with a Porsche, you should take the 911.

Porsches are still two-seaters, and you can occasionally find two children in the two small rear seats. The rear-mounted engine behind the rear axle and the air-cooling system used from the outset have also been retained. Other than that, not much was carried over from the old 356. The chassis was redesigned according to modern aspects, the interior space for passengers and luggage was enlarged and a five-speed gearbox was developed, the good qualities of which we already wrote about in the Porsche 911 report. The torsion bar suspension and the solid workmanship of all the details were retained.

The engine
While more and more production saloons, even in the lower price categories, were fitted with overhead cam engines, and while Porsche also used overhead cam engines in its sports cars and in the older Carrera and its successor, the 911, the 912 retained the pushrod four-cylinder engine, which was almost identical to the 1.6-litre engines of the 356 series. Its output was 'only' 90 bhp, although the last 'Super' from Zuffenhausen had already produced 95 bhp. However, as the 911 was designed with 130 bhp to satisfy the wishes of 'very fast' drivers, there was no reason to increase the power of the 1.6-litre engine at the expense of its elasticity at low revs and, nota bene, at the expense of its service life. So it is a good old friend, for better or worse, although it should be mentioned that it has also been developed. But you have to take a closer look at the car and the engine to see that.
In terms of design, it still resembles the engines from Wolfsburg: it is a four-cylinder boxer engine, air-cooled. There is only one camshaft, mounted in the crankcase just below the crankshaft. Long pushrods, tappets and rocker arms hang between the camshaft and the valves in the cylinder head. Cooling fan above the crankcase, driven by the crankshaft via the generator shaft. Two cylinders receive their air-fuel mixture from a Solex 40 PJJ-4 dual downdraft carburettor. The cylinders are light alloy with cast iron liners (Biral). The crankshaft is mounted in four plain bearings. The engine develops its maximum power of 90 bhp at 5800 rpm, compression ratio 9.3.
When driving, this engine is no different from other good production engines. It starts very well, both warm and cold. Good running immediately after starting. The engine oil (4 litres of single-grade HD-NI) warms up relatively quickly, but the oil thermometer should be divided into degrees of heat instead of showing only three heat ranges. Despite its 57hp/L, the engine is flexible and accelerates smoothly from 50 km/h in 5th gear (that's around 1600 rpm). However, it is much more fun to accelerate the car through all five gears. The maximum engine speed is 6000 rpm, but it doesn't harm the engine to rev it up to 6200 rpm for a while. You should never rev the engine higher than this, as the rising pistons will close the valves! This will result in an expensive repair.
We were surprised to find that this engine was far less wasteful with its oil than the two-litre six-cylinder. Even with very spirited driving we did not quite reach 1 litre of oil per 1000 km.
In normal driving, when the engine is only occasionally and briefly revving between 5800 and 6000 rpm, the oil consumption is between 0.4 and 0.6 litres per 1000 km. At full throttle on the motorway, the oil temperature remained in the middle of the 'working range' and did not even approach the red zone.
Fuel consumption is just as 'civilised'. On average we used 12.5 litres of (premium) fuel. When driven aggressively (several trips up and down our mountain test track, as well as acceleration and top speed measurements), consumption occasionally rises above 15 l/100 km, but with a careful driving style, 10 l/100 km is possible. You can't ask for more.
We did not notice any tendency for the engine to rattle when accelerating from high or low revs. The engine noise is loud throughout the rev range, but not unbearable even at high revs. Nevertheless, you can expect a lower noise level from such an expensive car. The question is how much quieter you can make an air-cooled four-cylinder boxer engine.

The five-speed gearbox
Porsche has also decided to equip the 912 with the five-speed gearbox we know from the 911. We think this was a good decision. This gearbox is so well synchronised and graded that it seems almost impossible to improve. First and reverse gears are on the same level. In theory this might seem problematic, but in practice it works without a hitch. From first gear, the lever slides 'on its own' into second, while from second back into first there is a slight resistance to overcome.
Shifting from first to fifth or from fifth to first is effortless and you will find yourself reaching for the gear lever more often than in any other car, just for the fun of it. The gear lever is within reach even when the driver's seat is pushed all the way back. The synchronisation is impeccable and can cope with any competitive shifting style. The occasional criticism that the new transmission is stiff disappears after a few thousand kilometres. The gearbox is quieter and more durable than its four-speed predecessors. Even when coasting, the gearbox in cars with 40,000 to 50,000 km on the clock do not make any noise.

Thanks to this very good transmission, the shifting pauses during the acceleration measurements are minimal, so that the acceleration values of this not overly powerful car are quite respectable. One criticism is that the engine revs well above its rated speed in fifth gear. The top speed of 186 km/h we measured is therefore theoretical. We simply didn't have the courage to rev the engine any higher without risking engine damage, although there was no sign of a drop in performance. After this experience we feel that the rear axle ratio should be tighter, if only to protect the engine. This does not make the car any less lively, as you can then use fourth gear at low revs on long motorway climbs. The clutch is easy to use and matches the performance of the engine.

Chassis and handling
Whereas the 356 had the swing axle of the VW cars, the 911/912 double-joint had a four-link semi-trailing arm suspension, which at first glance was very similar to its predecessor. More radical changes were made to the front axle. The old trailing arm axle with its large space requirement disappeared completely and Porsche developed a McPherson suspension with spring rods acting on the lower wishbones. As well as reducing the amount of space required, this suspension also reduces steering forces. At the same time, the rack-and-pinion steering that had been tested in the racing sports car was adopted.

The 356, even in the version built to the end, was a powerful oversteer car that had to be handled with care on twisty roads. But the powerful 911 already had a much lower tendency to oversteer, so it came as no surprise that the 912, with its lighter four-cylinder engine, was even easier to drive. It is as docile as a well-behaved production saloon, and only hard work on the part of the driver can make the rear end break out in a bend. On our mountain road, we achieved almost the same lap times with the 912 as with the 911.
Anyone who buys this car will immediately get used to the driving characteristics, even if they have previously owned a car with a front-mounted engine. If you take a corner too fast, the car is forgiving and easy to control, even for a less experienced driver.
The suspension is very comfortable for a sports car, so you can drive long distances without getting tired. The light steering also helps. However, this steering has the disadvantage that it is much too sensitive and reports every bump in the road to the driver's hands. On uneven motorways the steering wheel sometimes moves a lot. - The steering ratio is tight enough, even for a sharp driving style.

Another advantage is that the engine is lighter than the six-cylinder. In our review of the 911 we criticised the car's extreme sensitivity to side winds, which the driver had to correct by turning the steering wheel. On long, fast journeys, this can put a strain on the driver's arm muscles. The 912's sensitivity to side winds is much less pronounced. It is still noticeable, but to such an extent that this slight residual effect can be virtually eliminated by placing a small amount of luggage in the front boot.

Like the 911, the 912 has disc brakes on all four wheels, although the rear discs are larger in diameter than the front ones. The handbrake acts on the drum brakes in the rear discs. The foot brake is easy to use, although there is no brake booster.
The braking action is very good and even, both when the brakes are cold and when they are warm. Fading is hardly noticeable. - The handbrake works adequately.

Body and equipment
The 911 and 912 remained unmistakably Porsche despite their modified and modernised bodies. Even the 356 had a fastback design from the outset, before anyone had even thought of inventing the name for it. The flat, sloping roofline and large rear window were retained, while the front end was cleverly modified to reduce aerodynamic drag. This is confirmed by the very high top speed of 186 km/h for a car of this weight and relatively modest power.
The body and interior are of a high standard with good quality materials. Despite the belt-driven tyres, there is no rattling or droning noise even on very bad roads!
Of course, the 912 has well-designed individual seats in the front that can be adjusted to suit any size of driver. Visibility is good in all directions, but not so good backwards through the sloping rear window. All controls are easy to reach and clearly arranged. Sheet metal dashboard, painted in the same colour as the body. Upholstered top and bottom. Three instruments in the driver's field of vision above the steering column: central tachometer, right-hand speedometer, left-hand instrument cluster with oil temperature (without scale), fuel gauge and indicator lights. Two small emergency seats in the rear, the backs of which can be folded down to provide a reasonable amount of luggage space. Turn signal lever to the left of the steering column, three-speed wiper lever to the right, combined with the washer. Very good! Nice black four-spoke steering wheel with plastic trim. No grip on the dashboard in front of the passenger.
Heating only from engine heat via fan, no parking heater as standard.
Fresh air intake (via vents in front of windscreen) a little low, air outlet via rear quarter light. Wind noise at high speeds, even with windows closed and ventilation switched off. Other features as on the Porsche 911 (see our detailed report in MR 9/65).
Windscreen made of laminated glass, otherwise single-pane safety glass.

The 912 is a well-engineered, safe, high quality car with a reliable engine. It is fast - so fast that we would prefer it to the 911 because of its lower purchase price and lower running costs. Anyone who buys it and treats it sensibly will not be disappointed by the 912.

MotorRundschau wishes fulfilled

Included in the basic price of the car
1. Safety device to prevent the doors from springing open in the event of an accident. 2. External door locks on both sides of the car. 3. Door stops when the door is open. 4. Individual front seats.
5. Front seats and backrests secured against folding forward. 6. Elastic grab handle in front of passenger. 7. 3-point seat belt for front passenger. 8. Handbrake lever next to the driver's seat (right or left). 9. Precisely controlled rigid axle or almost constant-travel single-wheel suspension. 10. Body levelling.

Open requests
Elastic grip in front of the passenger on the dashboard.
More effective dashboard padding. Anti-reflective glass on instruments. Oil thermometer with scale. - Quieter engine throughout the rev range. Increased "mechanical speed reserves". - Steering less sensitive, even less sensitive to side winds and even less tendency to oversteer. - Better interior ventilation, less wind noise. Parking heater also standard.

Tester:
Ing. Ch. Bartsch and P. Behse
Cost calculation: Dipl.-Kfm. M. Schöpke
September/October 1965


To the Mark and Pfennig
at 20,000 km per year per month per kilometre
Commercial calculation 675 DM 40.5 Pf
Private calculation 352 DM 21.0 Pf




Technical Specifications
Porsche 912

Price 17,590 DM
Coupé, two-door, 2/2 seats.

Kerb weight
Ready to start (without driver) 995 kg
Weight distribution:
empty, running, front/rear = 435/560 kg = 43.8/56.2%.
with driver, front/rear = 465/600 kg = 43.7/56.3%.
Gross vehicle weight rating 1290 kg
Unladen weight to power ratio 11.1 kg/bhp

Engine type
Four cylinder four stroke boxer engine at rear.
Air cooled. Cubic capacity 1582 cc. Bore 82.5/74 mm. Compression ratio 9.3. 90 bhp at 5800 rpm. Maximum torque 12.4 Nm at 350 rpm (premium petrol).

Gearbox
Five-speed, fully synchronised. Gear ratios 3.09 - 1.88 - 1.32 - 1.04 - 0.86 (effective steps 3.6 - 2.19 - 1.54 - 1.21 - 1.0); R = 3.6.
Final drive ratio 4.43:1.

Chassis/suspension
Front: Independent with shock absorbers and lower wishbones, torsion bars,
anti-roll bar. All joints maintenance-free.
Rear: independent with semi-trailing arms, torsion bars.

Brakes
Four ATE disc brakes, diameter front/rear = 282/285 mm, handbrake on rear disc.
Drum brakes at rear, drum diameter 180 mm.

Steering system
ZF rack-and-pinion steering with hydraulic steering dampers, double-arm steering column.
column. Ratio 1:16.5, turning circle 10.3 m.

Top speed 186 km/h.
Transmission: I. = 0 to 45, II. = 15 to 85, III. - 25 to 125, IV. = 35 to 155, V. = from 40 km/h

Fuel consumption (Super) 10 - 15 L/100 km
10.2 - 10.9 - 11.5 - 12.1 - 12.5 - 14.3 - 15.0.

Tyres 165 HR 15
Tyre pressure front/rear = 1.8/2.0 atü
(0.2 atü more for mainly motorway driving)


Manufacturer: Dr.-Ing. h. C. F. Porsche KG, 7 Stuttgart Zuffenhausen, Germany













Image 1. Despite the modified body, the 911/912 duo remains a genuine Porsche.

Image 2. The front end is steeply raked, and the bumper is not simply placed in front, but organically integrated into the body.

Image 3. The smooth surfaces are also characteristic of this view. Nowhere does the body look 'fussy'.

Image 4. A view under the rear section with the engine and wheel suspensions. The semi-trailing arm design with the sturdy wheel carriers is clearly visible.

Image 5. The new front axle made it possible to significantly increase the size of the luggage compartment. The fuel tank and spare wheel are located under the luggage compartment floor.

Image 6. The gear diagram. The smaller the gaps between the gears, the better.

[Chris Pomares]

Thanks haul!

More 912 history. Porsche's look into a factory overhead cam four for the 912.
This article is about 11 years old. So reference to prices of Dean's POLO engine at the end of the article are not currently accurate.
12 years later, highly modified versions of the POLO and the Emory/Rothsport are making something like 230 to 260ish hp.
The English translation is at the end of the article.
https://www.reseeworks.com/netherlands-article.html

[sbtcabman]

Haul is a hoot! and a toot! but never a snoot! great contributor to all pertinent sites! he learned well in kindergarten, he shares! thanks so much Haul!!!

[haul]

Haul is a hoot! and a toot! but never a snoot! great contributor to all pertinent sites! he learned well in kindergarten, he shares! thanks so much Haul!!!

thank you very humble much for the compliment…

best regards out of bavaria


haul