Porsche 984: Roadster model in MX-5 size

In the mid-80s, Porsche had four models in its lineup: the 924 and 944, the 928 and the 911. The 944 was new and drove well. With the Spanish brand Seat, Porsche wanted to bring to the market an affordable small sports car. Nothing came of cooperation, Porsche continued alone. According to the description, the 984 should be “as stiff, light and balanced as possible.”

The Porsche 984 was scheduled to be launched in 1989

In fact, the model from 1987 is only 3.75 meters long and 1.58 meters narrow – the manufacturers used the seat box to determine the minimum size of the interior. With a height of 1.90 meters, the start needs to be flexible. There is enough leg and head room, reminiscent of the Mazda MX-5. In fact, the small Porsche roadster should come to the market in 1989 – the same year the MX-5 was shown for the first time in Detroit. Porsche set a price of 35,000 to 40,000 marks, which would mean a slight premium over the Japanese competitor. And an affordable entry into the world of Porsche: the 924 S cost 47,900 marks in 1988, the model’s last year.

With a curb weight of less than 900 kg, sporty performance would be possible with a four-cylinder boxer engine. Water cooling was out of the question for design reasons. Despite air cooling, the engine should, if possible, be a four-valve engine. Similar tests were carried out at Dornier and at the University of Stuttgart in 1985, but according to the minutes of a meeting from December 1985, “no positive reactions” were observed. The upgraded 914 unit is built alongside a 2.4 liter engine.

Sports driving performance

The model, which was completed in early 1987, had a two-liter boxer engine with an output of 135 hp. The curb weight of 934 kg does not reach the optimistic goal in the measurements, but it is still less than a ton. Performance is sporty: According to the data sheet, the 984 accelerates from standstill to 100 km/h in eight seconds and sprints to 220 km/h.

However, the 984 did not hit the road: Porsche stopped development in October 1987. The prototype ends up in a museum warehouse. It wasn’t until nine years later that the open-top two-seater Boxster came on the market – although it was more upmarket with its six-cylinder engine.