The Economy Car Porsche Designed But Couldn’t Build

Every gearhead knows that Porsche is a special brand. For several decades, they’ve stubbornly stuck to their rear-mounted engine philosophy for most of their sports cars; the brand has honed its rear-engined craft to the point that most experts agree that Porsche makes some of the best-driving cars in modern memory. The Porsche 911 Carrera is often referred to as the quintessential sports car, beloved by enthusiasts in any of its iterations.

However, Porsche hasn’t just made cookie-cutter cars throughout the years; the marque has dabbled in vans, sedans, and even economy cars. Speaking of Porsche econo-boxes, the Stuttgart-based company only tried it once – and it failed. The attempted model in question was called the C88, and it was meant for the Chinese market only, back in the mid-1990s. It’s a weird-looking thing, with even weirder features. But it’s one you have to see.

Are… Are You Sure It’s A Porsche?

1994 Porsche C88 Quick Facts

• Built for the Chinese market.
• Featured a built-in child seat.
• Its model name is steeped in Chinese superstition.
• Concept completed in just four months.

Yes, we’re sure it’s a Porsche. Back in the early 1990s, China had a big problem. Their population was booming, but their road networks and infrastructure paled in comparison to what we see today. One thing those new families needed was affordable transportation that could also deal with China’s then-poor road conditions. So, China invited some 20 automakers from across the world to propose economy car concepts, and Porsche was one of them.

The C88 did not feature a single Porsche badge on it; instead it used a sort of triangular shaped badge that to modern eyes looks like a fidget spinner. It was meant to represent two parents as two points of the triangle, and one child as the third point. This is due to the time of the C88’s inception, as China’s one-child-per-couple policy was in effect. The effect of the one-child policy was seen in other ways in the C88 too, as it had a single child seat built into its rear passenger compartment. The C88’s name itself actually stands for something, too, as the “C” stands for China, and “88” stands for fortune and good luck in Chinese culture.

Competition Was Fierce

In just four short months, the C88 concept was completed. It was a race against the clock, as China’s then-untapped market potential was assumed to be huge, so every single one of those automakers invited to show their stuff to the Chinese authorities wanted their concepts to be built well and on-time. The C88 was first shown to the public at the 1994 Beijing Motor Show, and with its strange, not-at-all sporty looks, it could have easily been mistaken for something like a basic Daewoo.

Porsche C88 Specs & Features

The C88 sedan was one of a few concepts Porsche had in mind for the proposal, including a three-door hatchback and another concept that could realize as a wagon, sedan, or pickup truck. The C88 was the only one of these that actually realized as a prototype, chosen perhaps for being the largest and most suitable for the family-oriented goal.

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As you can imagine, the C88’s designation as an economy car meant it wouldn’t be tasked with beating lap records or setting its tires on fire between the lights. It was to be built with durability and fuel economy in mind, so Porsche sourced a tiny, 1.1-liter flat-four motor for the thing. Reportedly, it would produce anywhere from 48 to 68 horsepower had it gone into production, as Porsche planned a few different versions of the C88 with different power outputs. Some Porsche historians also speculate that it would have also been offered with a diesel if the C88 had entered production.

It’s reported 0-62 mph time was a lethargic 16 seconds and it could theoretically reach a top speed of 100 mph. While pitching an idea for an economical family car doesn’t have to include any assertive performance, was this the reason the C88 failed to impress?

What The Porsche C88 Had To Compete With

Porsche had to wow the Chinese motoring authorities with their concept, as around 20 other automakers were given the privilege of producing concepts for the Chinese market. Among those 20 were big names such as Volkswagen, Audi, General Motors, and even Jeep. While some manufacturers’ concepts were unsuccessful, like Porsche’s C88, others made it, albeit in altered forms.

The Volkswagen Santana And The Audi 100 Rebadge

These two titans of the Chinese automotive industry made it through the scrutinous Chinese motoring authorities and onto the roadways of China, albeit a bit earlier than the Porsche C88. The Volkswagen Santana was a popular car in China, having been introduced in 1983. By the time the Porsche C88 would have made it onto the scene, The Santana already had 12 years of Chinese sales under its belt. Despite its tenure, the C88 still needed to compete with it if it was chosen for production.

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The Audi 100 wasn’t actually sold under that name in China, instead being offered as Hongqi CA7200/CA7220. The Hongqi-Audi was first offered for sale in China in 1988, and it lasted from then until 2018 after a few generation refreshes. The C88, had it become the new kid on the block, would have had quite a difficult time competing with the Hongqi CA7200/CA7220, though its tiny engine would have certainly meant it would get better fuel economy than the Hongqi-Audi mashup.

China Pulled The Plug

Despite Porsche’s efforts and speedy concept production, the C88 just simply couldn’t cut it when it came to getting a stamp of approval from the Chinese authorities. The cancelation of the entire project by China is given as the reason for the C88’s failure, with all the other automakers also having to shelve their proposals. The C88 was also tasked with attempting to widen Porsche’s market reach into India; the brand engineered the C88 as a potential export that was fully compliant with emissions and safety regulations of the time. But this did not materialize, either. Just under a year after its initial inception, the C88 died a swift death, with the only remaining model sitting proudly at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, Germany.

According to the Museum spokesperson where the one-and-only C88 now resides, China may not have accepted the C88 back then, but it didn’t ignore it either:

Sources: Porsche, Hagerty, Motor1