jake3261

just found this on google image search. looks pretty spot on.

andys-944

I know the feeling Ryan, a large part of my job is "innovation" and the ugly (un spoken) truth is almost everything has been done before whether we know it or not the only way to look at finding some one has done it already is that your on the right track!

intrepidagent

Here's the rendering James was referring to:



I like this one as it preserves the coke bottle shape of the 944. Don't think the pop up headlights would make the trip however. The last production cars with those were the 2004 Lotus Esprit and C5 Corvette.

Tiger2

I love the Gooyear Eagle F1 tires on the Ferrari 612 Concept car, they should make these.

Tiger2

I like the Goodyear Eagle F1 tires on the Ferrari GTO 612 concept car, Goodyear should produce these.

Cyberpunky

Well I don't have any pics but the new 944 maybe the Porsche 550 Mimo or 356 mimo. If it goes ahead, it will be a 1.9 litre(possibly turbo) flat four mid engined car, designed to line up below the Boxter. Producing about 210 HP. It is meant to be a lotus elise beater. Codenamed 9X1, it may be also called a 356. It depends which blog you read. best info seems to be from here
peace
Cyberpunky

hacker-pschorr

That may be, but that's irrelevant.

Fact is, Porsche is not going to take the Panamera into a two door version and price it down below or at Boxster levels with a 4-cylinder engine.

Like it or not, the spiritually successor to the 944 is the Boxster / Cayman.
The only platform that could be used to bring back the 944 is the TT or A4 from Audi. No way Porsche will develop a fresh design / chassis for an entry level car. Which ironically is how the 944 came to be, started as an Audi.

The rumor mill has been full of an Audi based mid-engine sports car since the merger first hit the wire. At one time VW even talked about the new Beetle (introduced a few months ago) as a rear engine car to kick-off that platform.

I have mixed feelings about this. I don't see Porsche releasing a "bare bones" car to compete with the Elise. People have come to expect a certain amount of luxury with a Porsche you don't find with the Lotus, which is what makes that car work.
Fact is, the majority of buyers of the bargain basement Porsche will simply be buying the only Porsche they can afford. It will not take long for the newness to wear off and the complaints to come in about the rough ride, noise, comfort, no cup holders, basic stereo etc...all the ingredients that make the Lotus what it is.
By the time you option out this new Porsche, it will weigh so much the Elise will walk away from it.

Yes the GT3 offers up this "bare bones" experience, but at a much higher price point which insures most buyers know what they are getting into.

Personally I would love to see a sub 2,700lb, mid engine Porsche priced under the Boxster.

Cyberpunky

Do you work for Porsche making such decsions ? Did you read the link or do any research ? I think you will find that there is more to it than just rumours, and when you read the link I provided you will see that the whole concept is based on a new modular production system so it is actually fesable
peace
Cyberpunky

Matt O.

If true, that would be an exciting time at Porsche. I think far more exciting then launching the Cayenne, or even the Boxster. Pretty cool.

hacker-pschorr

Yes I've read that link and many others, I've been following the possible development of a joint VW / Porsche / Audi budget sports car since before the merger news broke many years ago.

There are always a lot of concepts, talks, drawings etc... So unless you work for Porsche and their marketing team, you don't know an ounce more than I do.

I still stand by my statement I don't see Porsche releasing a "bare bones" sub 2,000lb sports car priced below the 987 - weight being the key factor around my opinion.
Will they release a 4-banger powered car slotted below the Boxster? I have no doubt they will, eventually.

I simply don't see Porsche offering a bare bones car with less features / creature comforts than the Audi it's based on (which is what it will take to reach the Elise curb weight). I honestly hope I am wrong, a super-light affordable Porsche is something I would get very excited about.

As for the "best info" being in that link, that article is from July 2010, a lot has changed with this project, that page is a bit outdated.

Fintro11

only way i could see them coming out with something lower than the boxter is if they run into money problems, more than likely they will help volkswagen develop a car or something like that

JimV8

If the 944 was launched today it would be a front engined rear transaxle car, very light and minimalist, 2 seater with a turbocharged one litre putting out 275hp. Thirty + years of tech advances and a huge VW/Audi/Porsche parts bin opens up a lot of possibilities.

vicvtr

2013 Cayman will get a new four-cylinder engine

Cyberpunky

we have all been speculating what the 944 would be like today. The 944 was always an entry level Porsche. I find a series of blog articles about Porsche doing a new entry level car, and post what I have found, because if they are doing this, it will be a the spiritual successor to our beloved 944.

The fact we are all speculating *what if's* and then public domain information becomes available of Porsche's actual plans to do a modern day entry level car, seems to me kind of relevant to this thread. This is not random musings of 944 fans, it is what Porsche is actually planning, and so even if it never sees daylight, it does answer some of the question originally put forward, in that the new 944 would be a mid engined turbo'd 1.9 litre pocket rocket, designed to take on the elise.

If you knew of all this, then you could have posted what you knew, and helped answer the question put forward, rather than waiting for me to post what I found and then deriding it because in your opinion it will never happen. If you have followed this closely, as you suggest, then share the wealth of your knowledge and let us less informed make up our own minds, as to Porsche's intentions.

I spent a sum total of about 30 minutes googling the MiMo, and posted what I found, and what I thought was the most comprehensive(and therefore the best) info on the subject. I did say *seems* the best, and at no point said it was categorically the best, but if you have better info please share, as this is highly relevant to this discussion, regardless of whether it eventuates or not.

I love all the pics ppl have put forward, as some of them are really well thought out and stunning examples of *what if's*, but if Porsche are saying this is what we think an entry level car will be, then that ends any speculation, and I would love to know as much as possible, as I am sure many others here would too.

Are you really saying you doubt the best minds at Porsche could not produce a powerful light weight car only because current Porsche owners now expect a car loaded with heavy accessories ? You even point at there GT cars saying well they can make light weight cars but only because some clients expect it and will pay extra... but a cheap car wouldn't work ? Seriously ?

I think you are mistaking those who can afford new Porsches at current prices, as the *Porsche market* and the only market, even though there are those of us who would love to own a new Porsche, if they were cheaper.

Many ppl, in this part of the forum, are here because we love what many think of as a cheap Porsche. We all know they may be cheap to buy, but can be as expensive as any other Porsche to keep running. I for one, would love a cheap entry level, stripped back, elise eater. I already own one

The fact a cheap Porsche saved the company once before means there is a precedent for it happening again. Personally I have faith in Porsche engineers being able to make another one, whether they do or not isn't that relevant, it's the fact they could and how they would do it, that's what is relevant, at least to this discussion.
peace
Cyberpunky

Cyberpunky

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