Photo: kragyen/instagram
While SUVs such as the Cayenne and the Macan have strengthened Porsche's position, allowing Zuffenhausen to continue its sportscar mission, there's one gap the German automaker has yet to fill. This involves the entry-level sportscar in its line-up, with the rendering sitting on our screens portraying such a model as a revived 914.
Together with VW and Audi, Porsche was planning to release a baby sportscar about a decade ago. However, the scheme was eventually canceled back in 2014, but the rumors never went away. In fact, last year brought plenty of forum chat on the subject, with an electric twist, since Porsche's Taycan sees the company joining the EV revolution.
And since Porsche's 911 is the very definition of successful retro-inspired styling, it's difficult not to think of the 914 when discussing such a new-age machine. Built between 1969 and 1976, the targa top two-door used to be overlooked, with multiple fans talking about how this should've received the VW rather than the Porsche badge (admittedly, this was part of the initial plan, even though the final car only wore the Porsche crest).
However, with the popularity of older, air-cooled Porsche 911s having gone through the roof last decade, more and more enthusiasts are showing love to the more affordable 914, whether we're talking about restored models or extreme builds that contain V8s.
Well, the rendering we have here portrays a modern incarnation of the 914 - make that two: the first features a lower greenhouse, while packing the kind of LED lighting signature that, with some extra effort, could easily link to the automaker's showroom models.
Moving on to the second, it seems to sit closer to the look of the original, especially up front. The highlights include the dark targa roof bar and the NACA ducts sitting at the bottom of the windscreen, among others.
This exercise can be considered a doodle coming from Craig Kember. We're talking about an artist whose portfolio includes handling the design of multiple Toyota models, from production vehicles and racecars to concepts.
As for what the future holds, many expect Porsche to come up with an entry-level sportscar once advances in battery technology allows an electric model to be friendlier to the scales.
After all, a modern 914 would need to deliver a pure driving experience, regardless of its energy source, and while Porsche engineers are brilliant at covering such tasks, weight is the number one enemy of driving dynamics.
Of course, many aficionados, yours truly included, would adore the idea of a gas-powered Porsche sportscar slotted below the 718, but, aside from certain vague discussions, the clues pointing towards such a development aren't solid.
And since Porsche's 911 is the very definition of successful retro-inspired styling, it's difficult not to think of the 914 when discussing such a new-age machine. Built between 1969 and 1976, the targa top two-door used to be overlooked, with multiple fans talking about how this should've received the VW rather than the Porsche badge (admittedly, this was part of the initial plan, even though the final car only wore the Porsche crest).
However, with the popularity of older, air-cooled Porsche 911s having gone through the roof last decade, more and more enthusiasts are showing love to the more affordable 914, whether we're talking about restored models or extreme builds that contain V8s.
Well, the rendering we have here portrays a modern incarnation of the 914 - make that two: the first features a lower greenhouse, while packing the kind of LED lighting signature that, with some extra effort, could easily link to the automaker's showroom models.
Moving on to the second, it seems to sit closer to the look of the original, especially up front. The highlights include the dark targa roof bar and the NACA ducts sitting at the bottom of the windscreen, among others.
This exercise can be considered a doodle coming from Craig Kember. We're talking about an artist whose portfolio includes handling the design of multiple Toyota models, from production vehicles and racecars to concepts.
As for what the future holds, many expect Porsche to come up with an entry-level sportscar once advances in battery technology allows an electric model to be friendlier to the scales.
After all, a modern 914 would need to deliver a pure driving experience, regardless of its energy source, and while Porsche engineers are brilliant at covering such tasks, weight is the number one enemy of driving dynamics.
Of course, many aficionados, yours truly included, would adore the idea of a gas-powered Porsche sportscar slotted below the 718, but, aside from certain vague discussions, the clues pointing towards such a development aren't solid.
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