As we have Boxster today, and there was 924 in 1976, 912 replaced 356 model, and was cheaper and "smaller" version of rather expensive 911. From 1965 through 1969, Porsche's 912 eased the transition between the 356 and the 911. Porsche factory announced the 912 in early April 1965.  With the great aerodynamics, ergonomics, style, and quality of construction as a six-cylinder 911, the 912 had other advantages as well.  Fans of the 356 appreciated the similarities to that model; for example a proven 356-based flat four-cylinder fuel-efficient motor delivering 64 SAE horsepower/ liter from behind the rear axle .  With the flat-four, an early 912 weighs less than a standard 911 (960kg) of the same year, resulting in improved front-rear weight distribution.

Built on the 911's chassis and sharing its bodyshell, Porsche was able to offer the 912 for much less than a base-model 911 by using the four-cylinder engine from the 356 rather than the 911's "flat" six-cylinder powerplant and by reducing the number of standard features. The proven reliability of the 356's engine combined with the 911 bodywork and low price made the 912 a very attractive buy to both new and old customers, and it substantially outsold the 911 during the first few years of production: Porsche produced slightly more than 30,000 units during its five-year production run. 912s were also used as police (polizei) cars in Europe, including Targas (Porsche's patented variation of a cabriolet with lift-off folding top, rollbar, and an openable plastic rear window). In April 1967, the Porsche factory's Christophorus magazine noted: "On 21 December, 1966, Porsche celebrated a particularly proud anniversary. The 100,000th Porsche, a 912 Targa outfitted for the police, was delivered."

Wheelbase 2,255 mm (88.8 in)[1]
Length 4,135 mm (162.8 in)
Width 1,600 mm (63 in)
Height 1,320 mm (52 in)

After updating the 911 line-up to include both a more powerful 911S and a less expensive 911T, Porsche executives began to feel that the 912 had become redundant, that the 911 platform was sufficiently diverse and that pricing had largely come into line with market expectations. Owing to this and the desire to introduce a new model, the 912 was discontinued and superseded as Porsche's entry-level model by the 914 in 1970; a vehicle which Porsche had thought would be less expensive for them to manufacture and sell than the 912.

Engines:
1582 cc flat-4 64 horsepower
1972 cc flat-4 90 horsepower

After a six year absence, the model was re-introduced to North America in 1976 as the 912E to occupy the entry-level position left vacant by the discontinuation of the 914, while the new 924 – the 914's official replacement – was being finalized and put into production. The new 912 featured the "G-Series" 911 bodywork and was powered by a 2.0 L version of the Volkswagen air cooled engine, previously used in late-model versions of the 914/4. 2,099 were manufactured in total, and were not officially sold outside the United States.

Overall for 1966, Porsche produced 9,090 912s versus 3,730 of the 911s.   The 912 won Car and Driver's 1967 "Readers Choice" Poll for its class.  With its nimble handling combined with high reliability, a racing 912 won the European Rally Championship in 1967.