Some say the relationships like a complex soap opera, others reckon it’s filled a hollow empty space, but what do you think?
Let’s just say, we think that the wheel world would have been a whole different ball game and have a massive empty space in it had it not been this cracking connection between this German pair. So, many people have joked about the Porsche 911 as an expensive glorified Volkswagen (VW) Beetle, but we don’t think so.
So where did this Porsche-Beetle thing start? Well, the story goes, Ferdinand Porsche, who made Porsche’s first production car, the 356, and was the son of the companies founder, also designed the Beetle too. Given that these beauties were both made by the same person and both feature a four-cylinder, air-cooled engine right at the back and also share many parts, you could say that this is what first connected them together.
Rewinding back to the Beetle, this resulted from Hitler’s formulation of objectives and Ferdinand’s epic skills as an engineer. Basically, Hitler wanted a car for the masses. It needed to be reliable, cheap, and fit to serve Germany’s new road links, and that it was. The first Beetle ruled the road and was a sight for sore eyes. Looking back at it now, Hitler must have been loving it to see it’s first performance. And if truth be told, you could say that the VW now has more in common with Audi, Jetta, and Scirocco than the Porsche.
But maybe it’s more than that, just because they’ve got a common heritage, doesn’t mean that the pair is full-on connected and the same. Way back then when the 356 came out, the automotive industry as we know it today didn’t exist. The first 356 hit the road in 1948 and barely 50 cars were made in the first two years. When the 911 arrived in 1956, about 70,000 odd has been produced by then.
Fast forward to now, the guys at Porsche are true innovators, but you don’t need us to tell you that. Some would call them trendsetters, So why should we treat them like a VW afterthought? They’ve done so much for the brand more than any other for years.
The funny thing is about this whole 911 vs Beetle connection is that if we compare them both, is that when the 991 (current 911 generation) and the Beetle came out in 2011, the 991 uses a new platform, whereas the Beetle is based on an old Golf 6. Last but not least, let’s not forget about the fancy awards that the 911 has won too! Setting a benchmark for its competitors in the industry, it just a shame that the Beetle wasn’t able to live up to this and shine a light.
With all this being said, the Beetle is a beauty and is a great buy for anyone looking for a lifestyle car to get them about, and the engines are pretty decent too. It’s amazing for many things, but sadly the Porsche just tops it.
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