124CE Wide Body over Porsch 989 Chassis

[TerryA]

In my June issue of Road & Track page 52 photo F there is a photo of a MBZ 124CE in the Porsche Museum overflow warehouse. It is hidden with the abandoned prototypes.
It looks like a 500E Coupe. The car has Porsche 989 running gear w/ all wheel drive. Does anybody know anything more about this car? It would be interesting to know the story.

Since the 989 was a 1987-1988 4-door Porsche it appears to be pre-500E.

 

[fudgitive]

Re: 124CE Wide Body over Porsch 989 Chassie

Can you scan and post the Photo Terry?

 

[TerryA]

Re: 124CE Wide Body over Porsch 989 Chassie

Sorry NO,

I have no computer.Someone else on the board will have to do it.

You can go online to roadandtrack.com the June 2013 issue. It is the article on page 50 about the Porsche Museum.

Take Care

 

[2phast]

Re: 124CE Wide Body over Porsch 989 Chassie

Sorry NO,

I have no computer.Someone else on the board will have to do it.

You can go online to roadandtrack.com the June 2013 issue. It is the article on page 50 about the Porsche Museum.

Take Care

The current issue won't be online, otherwise who would ever purchase the print version?

 

[fudgitive]

Here it is...

 

[TerryA]

I thought that it was worth some discussion. Maybe somebody can find out the details on it.

I was curious as to when it got built.

Was it a pre-500E?
Did Porsche use this car to show Mercedes what they could do with the 124?

I think it looks pretty cool.

 

[need2speed]

Maybe it was a test mule for the 989...

 

[2phast]

I thought that it was worth some discussion. Maybe somebody can find out the details on it.

I was curious as to when it got built.

Was it a pre-500E?
Did Porsche use this car to show Mercedes what they could do with the 124?

I think it looks pretty cool.

That CE body could be from 88-93, so its hard to say if its pre-500e or not.

 

[Bogeyman]

I'll quote the caption from the pic in R&T:

"Mercedes coupe shell hides running gear of a four-seat 989, a Panamera 20 years before the fact, canned by the economic downturn."

I don't think MB had anything to do with it.

 

[2phast]

I'll quote the caption from the pic in R&T:

"Mercedes coupe shell hides running gear of a four-seat 989, a Panamera 20 years before the fact, canned by the economic downturn."

I don't think MB had anything to do with it.

The fact that the shell is a Mercedes shell, does indicate Mercedes had something to do with it. A Porsche project wouldn't be using a Mercedes body shell at all, but a Mercedes project sure would.

There was only one prototype 989 made and Porsche still has it and this car is not it. Given the 989 project was scrapped around 1991, this could of been some sort of project Mercedes commissioned after the 989 project was cancelled.

Think about it, if this was some sort of Panamera off shoot, why are they using a coupe body? The CE has a wheel base of 106.9" and the wheel base of the 989 was 111.3". It would make more sense to use a W124 sedan body (wheelbase 110.2") and it would be more in line with the original project of a four door touring sedan.

This is something totally different.

Also, look at the picture of the CE closely. The front/rear fenders are flared and the rocker panels are also flared out at both ends. The rockers are not W124.036 either, looks like they are custom rockers. The wheels are also 928 wheels, could be 16x8/16x7.5 front and 16x9 in the rear. The rear fenders have a massive flare to them.

 

[TerryA]

Now that I have generated some interest.
Maybe one of our Euro friends near the museum could make some inquires.

How about Jelmer, Christian or Arnt.

Maybe that's a bad idea I have no idea where you guys live but at least your on the same continent.

 

[2phast]

Now that I have generated some interest.
Maybe one of our Euro friends near the museum could make some inquires.

How about Jelmer, Christian or Arnt.

Maybe that's a bad idea I have no idea where you guys live but at least your on the same continent.

I agree. If this was some sort of failed collaboration between Mercedes/Porsche, it would be very nice to know the history behind it and what the end goal of the project was.

 

[Jelmer]

I'll need a few months for that, but who knows

 

[bing]

Isn't the Site Honcho going to Zuffenhausen, part of his annual Euro trip?

 

[gerryvz]

Yes he is, and at present is making arrangements to speak with certain executives and visit their corporate Archiv.

Perhaps ReVox would like to join me in Stuttgart/Zuffenhausen for these meeting(s).

 

[TerryA]

Wow!!

That would be cool.
A report direct from the site Honcho.

We all have seen his level of detail.

 

[JordiC]

I like the 924 GTS languishing in the back.