Actually it was Porsche's attempt to enter the lower price market, with the P name and mostly VW parts including the four cylinder engine and VW suspension. Unlike the regular Porsche, the 912 had a usable trunk at both ends. The engine is truly a mid-engine location, very difficult to work on except from underneath. A large amount of body filler was used to eliminate intricate tooling of body panels. They suffer from rust in places the VW does not, due to the throw-together aspect of the design.