Which Apal GT Coupe to buy: 1.6 MT or 1.2 MT
If you are choosing an Apal GT Coupe, the catalogue has one generation (1961–1965), one body (Coupe), and two versions: 1.6 MT and 1.2 MT. Both share the same 680 kg kerb weight, Rear Gasoline engine, Opposite 4-cylinder layout, 2 valves per cylinder, No boost, Carburetor, Manual 4-speed gearbox, RWD, Independent torsion suspension front and rear, and Drum brakes front and rear.
Which Apal GT Coupe to buy: 1.6 MT or 1.2 MT
If you are choosing an Apal GT Coupe, the catalogue has one generation (1961–1965), one body (Coupe), and two versions: 1.6 MT and 1.2 MT. Both share the same 680 kg kerb weight, Rear Gasoline engine, Opposite 4-cylinder layout, 2 valves per cylinder, No boost, Carburetor, Manual 4-speed gearbox, RWD, Independent torsion suspension front and rear, and Drum brakes front and rear. The buy decision is therefore not “which generation” or “which body.” It is whether 1.6 MT’s 60 hp (44 kW) from 1582 cm³ is worth taking over 1.2 MT’s 40 hp (29 kW) from 1192 cm³. Torque, 0–100, top speed, fuel use, tank, ground clearance, wheels, and gross weight are not measured for either version, so those cannot be used as tie-breakers.
Apal GT Coupe versions compared (specs)
| Version | hp | Nm | Displacement (cm³) | Fuel | Cylinders | Layout | Boost | Gearbox | Drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6 MT | 60 | not measured | 1582 | Gasoline | 4 | Opposite | No | Manual 4 | RWD |
| 1.2 MT | 40 | not measured | 1192 | Gasoline | 4 | Opposite | No | Manual 4 | RWD |
Fuel grade in the data is 80 for both. Engine position is Rear for both. Power for 1.6 MT is quoted at 4500 rpm; rpm for 1.2 MT is not measured. Compression ratio is 7.5 on 1.6 MT and not measured on 1.2 MT.
Which generation changed what
There is 1 generation of the Apal GT Coupe. Production of that generation is 1961-01-01 to 1965-12-31. Body type is Coupe. Number of versions in the generation: 2 (1.6 MT, 1.2 MT). Both versions carry the same start and stop dates, so there is no later facelift, no second generation, and no year split that puts one engine in a newer chassis. Searching “Apal Porsche 1600 GT Coupe” does not add a third catalogue version: the two named versions remain 1.6 MT and 1.2 MT.
Because generations do not differ, “what the extra money buys” cannot be a newer platform, a different gearbox, AWD, or extra doors. The extra equipment in the numbers is displacement, power, and (on 1.6 MT only) a stated compression ratio and a stated power rpm.
Engine: power per litre and what 20 hp buys
1.6 MT has 60 hp and 44 kW. 1.2 MT has 40 hp and 29 kW. The gap is 20 hp and 15 kW. Relative to 1.2 MT, 1.6 MT has 50% more horsepower (20 ÷ 40) and about 52% more kilowatts (15 ÷ 29).
Displacement: 1582 cm³ versus 1192 cm³, a difference of 390 cm³. In litres that is 1.582 L versus 1.192 L.
Power per litre (hp ÷ displacement in litres):
- 1.6 MT: 60 ÷ 1.582 ≈ 37.9 hp per litre
- 1.2 MT: 40 ÷ 1.192 ≈ 33.6 hp per litre
1.6 MT is not only larger; it also makes about 4.3 hp more per litre (37.9 − 33.6). That lines up with the only extra engine number the larger version has: compression 7.5, which 1.2 MT does not list.
Both engines are Gasoline, 4 cylinders, Opposite, 2 valves per cylinder, No boost, Rear, Carburetor. Do not treat 1.6 MT as a different architecture. The catalogue does not give a different cylinder count, a different layout label, or a turbo. The arithmetic is “same layout, more cubic centimetres and 20 hp.”
Nm is not measured on either version, so you cannot rank them on torque or on Nm per litre. Fuel is Gasoline / 80 on both, so octane is not a reason to pick one.
Weight per horsepower (same 680 kg)
Kerb weight is 680 kg on 1.6 MT and 680 kg on 1.2 MT. Gross weight is not measured on both. The heavier-feeling car in the numbers is therefore the weaker one, because mass does not rise with power.
Weight per horsepower (kerb kg ÷ hp):
- 1.6 MT: 680 ÷ 60 ≈ 11.3 kg per hp
- 1.2 MT: 680 ÷ 40 = 17.0 kg per hp
1.2 MT carries about 5.7 kg more per horsepower (17.0 − 11.3). Put another way, 1.6 MT has about 33% less mass per hp than 1.2 MT (5.7 ÷ 17.0). If the question is “which version to buy for the strongest power-to-weight in this model,” the answer is 1.6 MT. If the question is “which version to buy for the smallest engine while keeping the same 680 kg Coupe,” the answer is 1.2 MT.
Both use Manual with 4 gears and RWD. There is no Automatic, no extra gear, and no drive-type split to justify choosing the weaker engine for an easier gearbox.
Performance, mpg, and economy: not measured
0–100 is not measured for 1.6 MT. 0–100 is not measured for 1.2 MT. Top speed is not measured for either. City, highway, and combined consumption are not measured for either. CO2 is not measured. Eco class is not measured. Tank size is not measured.
You cannot honestly pick 1.2 MT as the “economy” version on mpg, because mpg is not measured. You cannot pick 1.6 MT as the “faster” version on 0–100 or top speed, because those are not measured. The only performance-related numbers that exist are power, displacement, (for 1.6 MT) 4500 rpm and compression 7.5, and the shared 680 kg. Any claim that one version uses less fuel, or that one reaches 100 km/h sooner, would be a number that is not in the data.
Dimensions, weight, clearance, wheels
| Version | Kerb weight | Gross weight | Ground clearance | Tank | Wheels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6 MT | 680 kg | not measured | not measured | not measured | not measured |
| 1.2 MT | 680 kg | not measured | not measured | not measured | not measured |
There is no dimensional reason to prefer one version. Independent torsion front, Independent torsion rear, Drum front, Drum rear: identical labels on 1.6 MT and 1.2 MT. Reliability and problems are not in this dataset; do not invent them. Chassis, brakes, and suspension do not separate the two cars in the catalogue.
Which version to choose
Choose 1.6 MT if the goal is the stronger Apal GT Coupe in this generation: 60 hp / 44 kW from 1582 cm³, compression 7.5, power at 4500 rpm, about 37.9 hp/L, about 11.3 kg/hp. Versus 1.2 MT you gain 20 hp, 15 kW, and 390 cm³, and you do not gain kerb weight (still 680 kg).
Choose 1.2 MT if the goal is the smaller-displacement version of the same Coupe: 40 hp / 29 kW from 1192 cm³, same 680 kg, same Manual 4, same RWD, same Rear Opposite 4-cylinder Gasoline engine with No boost and Carburetor. You give up 20 hp and accept about 17.0 kg/hp. Compression and power rpm are not measured on this version.
There is no third version, no restyling generation, and no measured gap in consumption, tank, clearance, wheels, 0–100, or top speed. For an Apal GT Coupe buyer working only from these specs, the split is engine size and power: 1.6 MT for the extra 20 hp at unchanged 680 kg; 1.2 MT for 1192 cm³ and 40 hp in the same Coupe package from 1961 to 1965.