You've never heard of the cheapest Porsche ever made because it's so odd

If you’ve ever wondered what the cheapest Porsche ever made would look like, allow us to introduce you to the C88, designed for China.

Would the most affordable model perhaps simply be a badly damaged or poorly modified 911 or Cayenne?

Perhaps it’s some sort of tiny, one-person prototype from the 1950s?

Instead, it’s none of things – it’s actually from the 1990s, and it’s remarkably…normal.

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Cheapest Porsche ever made was thanks to China

The cheapest Porsche ever made is something beyond anything you can imagine.

This remarkable, unknown story comes to us from the year 1994 – and it comes from China.

In the early 1990s, China was starting to emerge as an up-and-coming economic superpower.

Its car industry naturally – and slowly – followed suit in starting to grow and develop.

Back in 1994, the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology officially put the word out across the globe.

It invited 20 car manufacturers from across the world to present an idea for a cheap, mass-produced people’s vehicle.

All the usual suspects showed up on presentation day, such as Ford and Chrysler.

One extremely strange name also decided to show up at the party – Porsche.

But this is not the branch of German marque you’re at all thinking of.

Instead, Porsche Engineering Services, the lesser-known arm responsible for contract work and technical consulting, showed up at the Chinese government-organized party.

And it brought the strangest, least Porsche-inspired Porsche of all time.

May we present to you at this point – the Porsche C88.

And yes – this car actually is made by the German marque

The “C” in C88 stands for China, whilst the 88 represents a lucky number in Chinese culture.

A 1.1-liter, inline-four engine was produced in order to make 48 to 68hp.

When it was first unveiled, the cheapest Porsche ever made was built to retail for just $8,000.

That price tag was dirt cheap even by the standards of the 1990s.

Of course, such a cheap price tag is only possible by including the bare basics.

The interior is, to put it simply, more reminiscent of a modern Dacia Sandero than a 911.

C88 never came to light – now a museum piece

So, what actually became of the C88 design – and why did it never see the light of day?

Well, the Chinese government decided to scrap the project in 1995.

But it didn’t scrap the project before pulling an extremely sneaky, underhanded move.

Despite not being a “Porsche”, the brand was very outspoken regarding the cheapest model it ever made.

“The Chinese government said thank you very much and took the ideas for free. And if you look at Chinese cars now, you can see many traces of our C88 in them,” Porsche museum director Dieter Landenberger bluntly stated.

The marque would later try to salvage its budget project by selling the design to India.

Of course, nothing ever came of it – so the single prototype remains just that: a prototype museum piece.