Photo: Twistedvoltage/Bring a Trailer
Driving a classic car with an electric motor should be fun, and this Porsche 914 is living proof that the electrification restomod is a smart way to upgrade some older vehicles.
Most older vehicles are more valuable when still sporting their original engines, but that's not the case with this Porsche 914. To put it into perspective, an inline-six Impala is much more desirable than an all-original 914. Here is why.
This car was also known as VW-Porsche for a reason. The car appeared in the mid-'60s when the two carmakers decided to cross a bridge together. While Porsche needed a lower-budget sportscar, Volkswagen needed a car to replace the aging Karman Ghia sporty coupe and convertible.
The resulting car was this: the Porsche 914. Unfortunately, the base version sported a weak flat-four engine, and the handling couldn't compensate for the lack of power. Later on, Porsche dropped a flat-six in the engine bay, located behind the cabin.
With just a bit over 100,000 units sold in eight years, it became the best-selling Porsche of its time. The little open-top sports car was launched in 1969 and remained on the market until 1976.
One owner found a better way to restore a 1975 Porsche 914 by adding modern power. There'sOf course, there's nothing wrong with a decent restomod, isn't it? The car was restored in 1992 and acquired by the current seller in 2020. But they didn't like the smelly flat-four behind the cabin and took a drastic decision: they converted it into an EV. After all, Tesla was launched by using a Lotus Elise chassis.
Underneath the Zambezi Green bodywork, the restorer dropped an electric motor supplied by NetGain motors and five Tesla battery modules. But that's not all. All bulbs were replaced with LEDs, and the wires were carefully arranged inside the frunk and the mid-mounted motor.
Unfortunately, the builder had a big problem: they couldn't connect the motor to the wheels just like that, so they took a bold decision by transferring the power to the rear wheels via a five-speed transaxle manual gearbox.
The drivetrain was upgraded with 930 axles. During the process, the car's weight was increased by around 200 lbs (90 kg), and the mass distribution was biased towards the rear. But the final result is a great-looking timepiece 914 that can run effortlessly for about 105-120 miles (169-193 km), which is not bad at all. Yet, we were not told about quarter-mile time or the top speed.
Charging from 10% to 100% at a 220v, 32 Amps outlet takes about eight hours, and, as the Twistedvoltage seller says, "it definitely feels more stable at high speeds than in ICE configuration." But the seller doesn't want to keep this green Porsche 914 and offers it for auction on the Bring a Trailer website. Sure, you might pay a visit in Purcellville, Virginia, if you want to see it for yourself, as other bidders already did and said that the craftmanship is spotless.
But you should hurry, since the car will find a new owner on March 11, when the auction ends.
This car was also known as VW-Porsche for a reason. The car appeared in the mid-'60s when the two carmakers decided to cross a bridge together. While Porsche needed a lower-budget sportscar, Volkswagen needed a car to replace the aging Karman Ghia sporty coupe and convertible.
The resulting car was this: the Porsche 914. Unfortunately, the base version sported a weak flat-four engine, and the handling couldn't compensate for the lack of power. Later on, Porsche dropped a flat-six in the engine bay, located behind the cabin.
With just a bit over 100,000 units sold in eight years, it became the best-selling Porsche of its time. The little open-top sports car was launched in 1969 and remained on the market until 1976.
One owner found a better way to restore a 1975 Porsche 914 by adding modern power. There'sOf course, there's nothing wrong with a decent restomod, isn't it? The car was restored in 1992 and acquired by the current seller in 2020. But they didn't like the smelly flat-four behind the cabin and took a drastic decision: they converted it into an EV. After all, Tesla was launched by using a Lotus Elise chassis.
Underneath the Zambezi Green bodywork, the restorer dropped an electric motor supplied by NetGain motors and five Tesla battery modules. But that's not all. All bulbs were replaced with LEDs, and the wires were carefully arranged inside the frunk and the mid-mounted motor.
Unfortunately, the builder had a big problem: they couldn't connect the motor to the wheels just like that, so they took a bold decision by transferring the power to the rear wheels via a five-speed transaxle manual gearbox.
The drivetrain was upgraded with 930 axles. During the process, the car's weight was increased by around 200 lbs (90 kg), and the mass distribution was biased towards the rear. But the final result is a great-looking timepiece 914 that can run effortlessly for about 105-120 miles (169-193 km), which is not bad at all. Yet, we were not told about quarter-mile time or the top speed.
Charging from 10% to 100% at a 220v, 32 Amps outlet takes about eight hours, and, as the Twistedvoltage seller says, "it definitely feels more stable at high speeds than in ICE configuration." But the seller doesn't want to keep this green Porsche 914 and offers it for auction on the Bring a Trailer website. Sure, you might pay a visit in Purcellville, Virginia, if you want to see it for yourself, as other bidders already did and said that the craftmanship is spotless.
But you should hurry, since the car will find a new owner on March 11, when the auction ends.
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