AutoCult Porsche Experimental Prototyp P.E.P. (1985) (Germany)

About the Original

The multifunctional One

Porsche Experimental Prototype, or short P.E.P., was the designation for a multifunctional test car of the Porsche factory in 1985. The term “Experimental” made the big difference to other pre-production cars. Contrary to ready-built prototypes, which were built as close as possible to the later on production version and often had to be multiply modified due to individual alternations, P.E.P was distinctly different. It was created to empirically test a wide range of different components and their interaction concurrently. P.E.P was not built like a usual car, it featured four combinable modules that were universally changeable. The Chassis – designated as Propulsion Module, the driver’s cab – named Central Module and the Front and Back Module. The Central Module was assembled with a range of production components form various Porsche models and was also the module on which the other modules were fitted to.

P.E.P. was specifically designed and built to test the handling of the car with different drive systems and different weight distribution. P.E.P.’s basic drivetrain powered all four wheels but it was also laid out so that the car could be only front- or rear driven. Additionally it was possible to adjust the wheelbase of the test car. The multifunctional structure of the concept was such sophisticated that it was even possible to fit the engine in the front instead of in the rear.

After the concept vehicle was published in various journals and magazines the initial hype came to an end and also Porsche’s interest in the car dried up as P.E.P. fulfilled its purpose.