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Chevrolet's Rear-Engine Flat-Six Was Porsche's Forgotten Predecessor
Photo: HotCars
by Hank O'Hop· via HotCars · Jan 9, 2026

Chevrolet's Rear-Engine Flat-Six Was Porsche's Forgotten Predecessor

"The Corvair proves that being first means nothing if your suspension geometry wants to kill the driver—Porsche's engineering obsession made all the difference."

— Revvly Take

The Chevrolet Corvair (1960-1969) beat the 911 to market with a rear-mounted flat-six, but Chevy's engineering gamble came with a steering behavior that made it genuinely dangerous in untrained hands. While Porsche refined the concept into something manageable, the Corvair became a cautionary tale about how good ideas can get weaponized by poor execution.

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Hank O'Hop

HotCars · Jan 9

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