The Porsche 904 Proves That 4-Cylinders Are Plenty

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While Porsche might be best known for the wail of its iconic flat-six engines, a large portion of the brand’s most sought-after machines actually pack four-pots under the skin. The Porsche 904 is one such car, and these short clips uploaded by Robbert Alblas on YouTube make it clear why the four-cylinder cars have diehard fans.

The Porsche 904 was produced between 1964 and 1965, arriving as a replacement for the mid-engined 718. The 904 marked the first time that Porsche utilized a ladder chassis layout, complete with a fiberglass body penned by Ferdinand Alexander Porsche himself. In order for the car to compete in Group 3 as Porsche intended, the automaker was required to build at least 100 roadgoing cars. Porsche only built a handful more 904s than the rules stipulated, including a number of six-cylinder and eight-cylinder prototypes. That said, the vast majority of 904s came equipped with the Type 587/3 2.0-liter flat-four, complete with four cams and hemispherical combustion chambers. Output peaked at 180 hp, but that was more than sufficient for a car with a sub-1500-pound curb weight. The 904 was an instant success on track, taking home the overall win at the 1964 Targa Florio, as well as a 1-2 finish in class at that year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.

This particular example was delivered to Spanish racing driver Juan Fernandez in 1964. The pair would go on to have a fairly successful run in motorsports, with Fernandez taking home the first five race wins for the 904 nameplate, according to Uncrate. The car surely sounds like a racing machine, with a deep flat-four thrum wrapped in all sorts of texture. That sort of noise in a lightweight, mid-engined sports car is something Porsche still chases to this day.

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