While there are countless aftermarket engine, transmission, and brake upgrades for the Volkswagen Vanagon, what could be better than a factory conversion... from Porsche? The Porsche-branded B32 van you see above occurred back in the mid-1980's, when the automaker from Stuttgart was racing its awesome Group B 959 in the Paris to Dakar Rally and the factory found itself in need of a support vehicle. Using a Volkswagen Type 2 Transporter (Vanagon) as a platform, the van was modified to accommodate the 3.2-liter flat-6 engine from the Porsche 911 Carrera. The air-cooled powerplant was good for 230 hp and a top speed in excess of 130 mph. It obviously offered significantly more motivation than the largest VW factory engine at the time, a water-cooled inline-5, though testing its limits was likely akin to expressing a death wish. Porsche built up to eleven examples of the "B32" complete with upgraded suspension, brakes, and leather interiors. Thanks for the awesome tip, Mike!
[Source: Finalgear]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
RWD fan @ Apr 15th 2008 1:09PM
I saw a Vanagon on eBay a while back that had a Subaru powerplant conversion. Listing said a CA outfit was doing the conversions. Wonder if they've tried an STI engine yet?
Rob @ Apr 15th 2008 1:14PM
Ummm... April fools was 2 weeks ago.
Ken @ Apr 15th 2008 1:18PM
Ummmm, fail...
Rob @ Apr 15th 2008 1:26PM
Wow, loyal Vanagon supporter get angry at bad joke. Heck it was less a joke and more to point out how gross this thing is. The Cayenne has nothin on this.
Lupo @ Apr 15th 2008 4:41PM
its a vanagon not a luxury 4x4, the cayenne is still uglier
Ken @ Apr 15th 2008 1:18PM
If not saddled by endless regulations, I bet you would see a lot more of this stuff. Problem is, it is such a serious proposition to put a new engine in a car, they can't just 'do it', it has to be a long, expensive ordeal.
Imagine if Porsche decides to make 500 New Beatles with the Boxster drivetrain (bad example, but use your imagination), it would cost countless millions just in regulatory measures.
sledge @ Apr 15th 2008 1:26PM
Actually, as long as they kept it under the numbers for a specialty car (think Caterham/Brabus/SL65 Black Series), they probably would not have to meet all the standards that are set for production cars.
Heck Brabus have been swapping Mercedes engines with their own for years and been quite profitable. The reason why Porsche couldn't / wouldn't want to do it would be that it would damage their brand image (most Carrera GT owners would probably not like their car being associated with a Porsche Beetle) and would not really be worth it.
On a side note, a porsche powered original beetle would kick serious ass!
mk @ Apr 15th 2008 1:36PM
They did. The Porsche 356 did kick butt at the time. The boxer-6 911 did, too.
Both designs related and upgraded from the VW Beetle's design. Upgraded significantly, and porsche styled.
The 550 and 718RSK were even better, with mid-engined layout, which is also why the Boxster and Cayman are so good, and stunted so not to eclipse the current 911 version.
Justin C @ Apr 15th 2008 1:20PM
Is this for real? It seems too odd to be true.
tbyron @ Apr 16th 2008 2:19AM
It is true. I remember a long, long time ago, reading some car magazine at the time, either AW or C&D. They had a small feature on this, including comments from Porsche engineers about the shocked looks from fellow Autobahn drivers at the sight of a Vanagon cruising at obscene speeds.
Shakatar @ Apr 15th 2008 1:22PM
Sorry, but I don't want to be the one testing out that tiny crumple zone at 130MPH.
Victor @ Apr 15th 2008 1:26PM
Those cars were stiff as hell for the time, Here's the well known vanagon vs. Volvo test. http://www.vanagon.com/info/safety/volvo-crash/index.html
Mike S. @ Apr 15th 2008 2:01PM
Were they now?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ukq-UUQAcZs
Seoultrain @ Apr 15th 2008 2:02PM
stiff = no absorption of kinetic energy = broken collarbone from seatbelt at best, human projectile at worst
ChrisL @ Apr 15th 2008 2:04PM
Victor, stiff as hell? Here's the well known VW van crash test from youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ukq-UUQAcZs
Guenther @ Apr 15th 2008 7:08PM
If you hit something solid at 130mph, the only difference will be that noone might languish over pulling the plug on you later.
glenn jufer @ Apr 15th 2008 9:25PM
The Vanagon in the youtube video has about 1000kg of steel bolted to the bed. The video was shot as a demonstration of the testing facilities (MIRA in England if I remember correctly). It was also crashed at a considerably higher speed than normal 100kph, and into a solid concrete block, not the deformable/ movable barriers that are used for standard crash testing. Vanagons are very safe vehicles, I know I wrecked one hit a deer then a tree at around 60mph and walked away with only a bruise from the seat belt. You can look up actual crash tests of Vanagons (VW T3), not the test facilities, and see that they perform quite well in the standard tests.
Also the STi conversion has been do several times, so has a conversion using the H-6, and the SVX motor. I currently have one with a 2L golf motor. The VR6 is also pretty common. There are many with Porsche motors (and transmissions), and a few with Audi V8's.
The Race-Taxi is a VW splitwindow body mounted on a Vanagon platform, with Porsche running gear, and brakes.
John Neff @ Apr 15th 2008 1:37PM
I swear to you all this is not a belated April Fools joke. This thing is real and a neat-o piece of automotive history. I'd have it in my collection just for fun... if I had a collection.
Edsel @ Apr 15th 2008 2:06PM
OH MAN!
Now you've done it. I've suppressed years of brutal Vanagon memories and now you've just gone and peeled back layers & layers of really bad Karma 8-]
I purchased one of those suckers in 1987 and let me tell you, even the stock 90 HP engine was "testing the limits" of the Vanagon. I was at the dealership every week, parts broke & fell off faster that the dealer could fix them. We got know the first names of every tow truck operator within 50 miles of home. Our family named the Vanagon, "Hitler's Revenge".
Whoever was ordered to drive a 230HP B32 Vanagon must have had a gun pointed to their head.
Damn, I got'a call my therapist now....
2004m3driver @ Apr 15th 2008 2:37PM
that explains my friends 3 vanagons I never see leave his front lot. I am amazed the city hasn't forced him to move those unsightly things.