In life, one has to make concessions. For example, the arrival of kids often means the sports car has to make way for a sensible SUV or minivan. Saying goodbye to your cherished 911 is never easy but the advent of vehicles such as the Porsche Cayenne has made it possible for expecting parents to have their cake and eat it, too.
When it came to developing its first SUV, Porsche simply took the rulebook and ripped it up. The result? An SUV that drove like no other. The motoring media heaped praise on the crisp handling and sharp dynamics, comparing it to the best sports sedans of the era. Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, we recently learned the Cayenne almost never made it to market; Zuffenhausen's engineers of the 2000s originally toyed with the idea of making a plush minivan.
Perhaps they got the idea from this little-known creation. While it may look like a neat Volkswagen T3 Caravelle, this boxy family hauler is actually a bona fide Porsche.
The B32 is one of the rarest Porsches ever made. Just seven units were produced, with this Mother of Pearl Metallic example belonging to none other than Peter W. Schutz, who served as CEO for most of the 1980s. Porsche's big boss couldn't be seen in an underpowered minivan, even on the school run.
To give the Caravelle much-needed oomph, engineers shoehorned the 911 Carrera's 231-horsepower, 3.2-liter flat-six in the rear. This resulted in a fairly impressive 115-mph top speed, more than enough for the B32's intended purpose. Engineers at Porsche's Wehrath workshop (near the Nurburgring) had the idea to create a speedy support vehicle for the Porsche 959 rally car, which took on the famed Paris-Dakar Rally in the late eighties.
Schutz's example certainly didn't see any desert duty and, as such, presents as new. It looks the part, thanks to a blacked-out grille and period-correct Fuchs wheels. Additional slats can be seen in the rear bumper to help cool its beefy motor.
Sadly, there aren't many interior shots of this example but various reports indicate the B32 received a Porsche steering wheel and gear lever. The spartan cloth upholstery has made way for a classier leather finish, which extends to the large door cards too. If you're looking at this B32 and have suddenly been overcome with the urge to have one, you're in luck - this one is for sale.
Here's the kicker, though. Priced at €364,900 (approximately $385,300), this slice of Porsche history is more expensive than a new Cayenne Turbo and 911 Turbo combined. It's certainly a lot of money but, then again, you are getting one of the world's rarest Porsches in exchange.
To put any doubts in your mind to rest, this really is a true Porsche. It even has a Zuffenhausen-supplied VIN to back up its provenance. The seller's listing on Germany's mobile.de classifieds site notes this delightful piece of heritage isn't perfect and requires minor paint and upholstery work to bring it to as-new condition.