This $380K Porsche-Built VW Van for Sale Is a Wonderful, Speedy Brick in the Wind
One of only a handful in the world, this VW T3 van for sale has an incredible backstory and Porsche racing pedigree.
“Vans are good” isn’t just an immutable law of the universe, it’s also often forgotten. Like “bricks are hard” or “water is wet,” we all know these laws to be true, we just don’t spend all day thinking about it. Then, when something as good as this 1985 Porsche B32 based on a Volkswagen T3 comes around, we’re reminded of how good vans are like waves crashing on top of us or a brick hitting us right in the kisser.
Of course, the $380,000 price tag attached to this van should be an indication that this isn’t an ordinary van—it’s not even an ordinary Volkswagen T3, which is already cool. It’s a Porsche-built and Porsche-titled T3 specially built as a support vehicle for the Porsche 959 that competed in the Paris-Dakar endurance races, called the B32. That means there are all kinds of beefier and speedier bits bolted on to help VW’s little van that couldn’t keep pace on a desert racecourse.
That starts with a 3.2-liter flat-six plucked from a 911 3.2 Carrera and dropped in the tail of a VW T3. Putting that power to the rear axle, a Porsche 915 five-speed manual transaxle hooked to a limited-slip differential was fitted ahead of reinforced driveshafts. Bigger brakes and stiffer suspension helped the bus handle the uprated powerplant; compared to the T3’s typical flat-four that made up to 89 hp with its back to the wall, the B32 made 232 hp effortlessly. That considerable power bump gave the B32 a top speed of 115 mph.
Inside, the B32 is a mostly typical T3, based on the Carat trim, except for the 911 steering wheel in front of the driver and an extra set of gauges ahead of the shifter. This example will need new door cards and a fresh lick of paint to look factory fresh, but please keep the 16-inch Fuchs right where they are.
Allegedly, any shopper could purchase a Porsche B32 when it was new for about $150,000, inflation-adjusted. Considering not many people would spring that kind of money for a weirdo Porsche-VW van collab, there are reportedly between seven and 12 Porsche B32 vans around the world. This example, on sale from Porsche, was reportedly built for then-Porsche CEO Peter Schutz.
Vans are good. This one just happens to be great, with a pedigree to prove it.
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