The Porsche B32 Is The Coolest 911-Engined Van You Never Knew Existed

This is the Porsche B32. Never heard of it? That’s because only 15 examples were ever made (including prototypes) between 1983 and 1985. The reason for the van’s conception was because Porsche needed a fast enough support vehicle to keep pace during its Paris to Dakar rally campaign with its Group B 959 race car.

In the van’s rear, Porsche transplanted its 3.2-litre flat-six engine (231hp) from a 911 Carrera; the result was a top speed of around 130mph and a 0-62mph time of 8.0 seconds.

Along with the engine swap, Porsche also fitted the van with Fuchs wheels and bigger Porsche brakes, and upgraded the suspension components to cope with the substantial hike in grunt; the most powerful production model at the time was a 2.1-litre model with 112hp.

Inside the B32 you’ll find a Carrera steering wheel and the gearbox believed to be from a 911 SC.

What a shame, then, that the B32 never made series production. It was simply too expensive to build and would have proven unaffordable to buy, own and maintain. Thankfully, Volkswagen Type 2 owners do their own 911 engine swaps to keep Porshe’s stillborn legacy alive.