There’s A Subaru WRX Engine In This Tiny Porsche 914

The unusual Porsche project looks to be well-built and has been listed for sale on Bring a Trailer

18 Aug 2022

There’s A Subaru WRX Engine In This Tiny Porsche 914

It’s unlikely that many of you will have had this combination on your engine swap bingo cards. This 1972 Porsche 914 has had its engine replaced by a turbocharged Subaru motor that’s some four decades newer than the original Volkswagen lump. Still, both are flat-fours, so maybe it’s not as crazy as it first appears. The 914 WRX is currently listed on Bring a Trailer, and it’ll be sold to the highest bidder.

To be specific, the Porsche’s new power unit is a turbocharged 2.5-litre flat-four which supposedly began its life in a 2013 Subaru WRX. The seller hasn’t revealed official power figures, but this engine produced around 300bhp in the WRX it allegedly came from. Considering 914s weigh less than 1000kg before modifications, that’s a healthy amount of power for such a small machine.

The engine’s power is delivered to the car’s rear wheels through a Subaru-sourced five-speed manual and a limited-slip differential. The engine has been rebuilt with APR head struts, forged pistons and connecting rods, a high-volume oil pump and chrome valve covers. You’ll also find an aftermarket Garrett turbocharger bolted onto the engine, along with a new air-to-water intercooler, engine management system and an upgraded battery. We’d expect it probably makes a bit more power than stock.

The targa-top German sports car (which originally had less than 100bhp) rides on 17-inch Rota Fuchs-style wheels. Bilstein rear shocks make an appearance, along with torsion bars from a 911, a chassis stiffening kit and cross-drilled rotors with Boxster callipers. A custom exhaust system has also been added for good measure.

The 914 is finished in an unmissable shade of bright yellow with black accents, and the colour scheme is continued on the car’s interior. Here you’ll find GT classic black seats, a Luisi steering wheel, an 8000rpm speedometer with an inset boost gauge, readouts for the car’s vital fluids and an odometer showing just under 500 miles.

The car is located in Portland, Oregon, and you’ll have the chance to bid for this black-and-yellow ‘70s sports car on Bring a Trailer until Wednesday 24 August.