The Soviet Union’s Porsche 911 Is As Bad As You Might Expect

Weird car lovers, this one’s for you. Back in the 1970s, Skoda was in need of a sports car. So, the designers likely thought to themselves, “who does a sports car really well right now?” The answer, it would appear, was Porsche. Only it wasn’t Skoda that thought that, it was Czechoslovakian manufacturer AZNP. Skoda just did the badging. Kind of like “Handling by Lotus.”

In any event, the result was the orange coupe you see here, evidently heavily inspired by the mechanical underpinnings of the Porsche 911. This is a rear-engine, rear-driven car that isn’t a Volkswagen Beetle. It’s also up for auction.

However, don’t go thinking this is a great way to end up in a budget 911. Not only does this USSR-built car not have the show, it is also severely lacking the go. The Skoda S110R was based on an earlier Skoda 100 sedan and made a whopping 62 hp, a far cry from what Porsche was doing at the time. Notably, that 100 sedan was also rear-engine and rear-driven.

Regardless, this is a weird one. It also benefits from a full restoration. The work was handled just six months ago, guaranteeing all 62 hp is being produced in as healthy a way as possible. That 1.1-liter engine responsible for making that power is also paired to a 4-speed manual, the only transmission option for the car.