Historically, Porsche had undertaken a great deal of development work on behalf of VW, and in the early 1970s it embarked on the collaborative EA425 project (conceived as a replacement for the slow-selling Volkswagen-Porsche 914). In 1972, Porsche submitted five design proposals.
From these, a 2+2, front-engined, rear-wheel drive layout was chosen. One which incorporated a finely tuned amalgam of VW/Audi and Porsche parts. The Beetle 1302 donated its MacPherson front struts, the newly introduced Golf the lower front arms, whilst Porsche’s proven torsion bar set-up was employed at the rear. Brakes, servo-assisted, were VW. Discs front, drums rear. The rear-mounted transaxle was a heavily modified Audi four-speed.
Concerns about ever-stringent emissions regulations, particularly in the all-important North American market, led Porsche to a Daimler Benz-derived 2-litre, four-cylinder, 1984cc, SOHC,…