Innehållsförteckning för No. 141 från Total 911

24 Hours of Le Mans 2016 race preview Porsche hopes to restore GT honour at La Sarthe after difficult 2015 The 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans is a race that the GT department of Porsche Motorsport would probably rather forget. An engine failure in the first hour for the no. 92 entry gave Porsche Team Manthey the ignominious honour of being the race’s first retirement, while the sister no. 91 car’s podium challenge ultimately ended with fifth in class after reliability problems late on in the race. Le Mans will mark the return of the factory Porsche 911 RSRs for their only FIA World Endurance Championship outing of the year, Weissach having decided to take a sabbatical from the series it dominated last year in order to focus on…

The 9A1 Rennsport flat six fills the cabin with a howling crescendo of noise as the 991 dashes at an astonishing rate along the asphalt. My right foot buried into the floor, I glance down to see the tachometer needle thrash round towards the redline as the car’s crank spins wildly. Approximately 200 yards dead ahead, three pylon-mounted arrow signs point left as the road duly sweeps round and out of sight. Action is required to prepare the car for the upcoming corner, and quickly. Then something strange happens. After scrubbing some speed with a dab of the brake pedal, convention in a 991 GT car dictates that a mere pull of the left PDK paddle on the steering wheel is all that’s needed to change down a gear, a…

If the car featured here has whetted your appetite then you’d have been disappointed by Porsche’s decision not to offer the 996 in rear-wheel-drive ‘S’ form. But by 2004 things were relatively back to normal, with the 997 generation offered as a Carrera S. Unlike the air-cooled 993 generation though, this was no cosmetic exercise: the car looked much more like a Carrera than a Turbo, with a 3.8-litre engine boasting a handy 355bhp (the regular model used a 325bhp 3.6-litre engine). Fortunately, it came with the 330mm cross-drilled stoppers from the Turbo with PASM suspension and 19-inch wheels as standard. And the game moved on again with the Gen2 launched for 2008. This time there was 385bhp to play with, a top speed of nearly 190mph, and the option…

From its introduction in 1964, the 911 has featured a flat six engine cooled by air. This design, which started at 1,991cc, proved unimaginably adaptable and with Porsche’s ingenuity it doubled in capacity and power over three decades while gaining in economy. However, the march of emissions regulations meant that by the late 1980s, the writing was on the wall for the last remaining production air-cooled engine. It was clear that a four-valves-per-cylinder head would be essential to create the more efficient combustion required to improve performance and economy and address looming CO2 reduction targets. Experience with the 959 had shown that while it was possible to build a multi-valve cylinder head on an air-cooled block, the head would require water-cooling and the complications of this made series production too…

991.2 TARGA 4S TO LAND’S END Total 911 embarks on a coastal road trip to find out if turbocharging has boosted the appeal of Porsche’s grand tourer 996 V 997 TURBO HEAD TO HEAD Is the updated 997 worth its price premium over the venerable 996? 50 YEARS OF THE 911 AT LE MANS Historical look over the 911’s success at La Sarthe including 2016 race report PORSCHE 959 AT THIRTY What legacy has the hyper 911 of the 1980s left behind today?…

The 991.2 generation has been keeping our Total 911 spies busy in recent months, first with the facelifted 991 GT3 (featured in issue 139) and then last month with the 991 GT2 RS prototype. This month it has been the Gen2 GTS’s turn to be caught on camera though, with a Targa-bodied test mule spotted uncamouflaged on the roads just outside the Nürburgring. Like the Carrera and Carrera S models, the 991.2 GTS will make the switch to the twin turbocharged, 3.0-litre ‘9A2’ flat-six engine (as evidenced by the cooling vents in the corners of the rear bumpers). While there has so far been no word on power output, with both the Gen2 Carrera and Carrera S variants getting an extra 20hp over its 9A1-engined brethren, expect the second-generation 991…

Porsche has announced its latest list of N-rated tyres, including a new range of rubber approved for use on classic 911s. After extensive research and testing, the list includes tyre choices for all historic Neunelfers from the early short-wheelbase cars through to the water-cooled 996s. On top of the existing tyres that have now been approved by Porsche, the latest list also includes a number of new releases from Pirelli, designed specifically for classic cars. The Italian tyre manufacturer has relaunched its CN36, P7 and P Zero Rosso rubber using original sizes and tread patterns. However, while the look of each tyre is purely period, the construction of the new releases is thoroughly modern, using the latest compounds and techniques. Thanks to the extensive testing required to meet Porsche’s N-rated…

Indications that the Porsche 911 collector’s market is finally slowing down were once again felt at the latest round of prestige auctions. At RM Sotheby’s sale in Monaco (coinciding with the Grand Prix Historique), three of the Neunelfers sold below estimate while no Porsche 911 realised more than its upper expected hammer price. One of the stars of the evening was the only road legal Porsche 911 GT1 Evo, converted from a genuine race car (rather than starting life as a Straßenversion). With an estimate guide price of €2.7-€3 million (£2.1-£2.3 million), the 911 made headlines around the world in the run up to auction and it just about justified its hype, realising €2,772,000 (£2,144,000) on the day. The same could not be said of the 959 Komfort on offer,…

“The car would remain in the UK until June 1977 when it was shipped to Trinidad, where it stayed until 2016” “Isort of stand back and look at the classic car market and wonder what it’s all about, and ask myself where is it going to be when I’m long gone,” explains Josh Sadler, Autofarm’s resident RS polymath. “There are the investment cars – that’s a nice investment RS there,” he says, pointing to an immaculate 1973 RS under a car cover, “or do you want something like this, something that has a story? For me, life is about people, and the stories associated with them.” This car, his car, has him conflicted, though to look at it you might wonder what all the fuss is about. Let’s backtrack to…

From the company’s early motorsport exploits in the 1950s through to the 1980s Group C heyday, Porsche’s racing posters helped to immortalise Zuffenhausen’s multitude of track and stage successes. More often than not it was the works cars, resplendent in their various liveries, which adorned these iconic artworks. As a privateer, your triumph had to be truly tremendous in order for your car to even be considered worthy of celebration. However, Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 2.8 chassis no. 0885 was not the star of just one victory poster. Thanks to an especially successful 1973 season, its black and orange colour scheme was commemorated in two completely separate prints. For an independent entry, I don’t believe it is a feat that has been repeated. This remarkable RSR – one of just…

Essential info LOCATION: Central Fuerteventura COORDINATES: 28.4249 -14.0573 TOTAL LENGTH OF DRIVE: 20 miles POINTS OF INTEREST: Betancuria Town; Morro Velosa Statues; Iglesia Catedral de Santa Maria; Viewpoint Las Peñitas; Vega de Rio Palmas; FOOD AND ACCOMMODATION: Restaurante Abuelo Alfredo, (+34) 928 87 87 64 Don Antonio, Calle Teofilo Perera, (+34) 928 87 87 57 Avanti Boutique, Corralejo, Las Palmas, www.avantihotelboutique.com Barceló Castillo Beach Resort, www.barcelo.com You’d be forgiven for assuming the Canary Islands have little more to offer than stretches of overcrowded beach and a tirade of drunken brides-to-be with their customary L-plates. But some of the world’s finest driving roads can be found hidden away across this small cluster of Atlantic islands and, situated just off the west coast of Morocco, the incoming Sahara winds guarantee you won’t…

After heading up Research & Development at Porsche AG for more than five years, Wolfgang Hatz has officially resigned from the Executive Board at Zuffenhausen. Dr Michael Steiner, the former Vice President of Complete Vehicle Engineering/Quality Management, has replaced him at Weissach with immediate effect. After news of the Volkswagen diesel crisis broke last September, it was initially reported in the German media that Hatz (a member of the Board in Wolfsburg) was set for the sack. However, the 57-year-old engineer instead chose to be placed on temporary leave while his role in the scandal was investigated. While no wrongdoing on his part was found, Hatz has decided to leave Porsche after a glittering career that saw him oversee the development of the record-breaking 918 Spyder and the Mission E…

1 Porsche 917: Archive And Works Catalogue €98 Rightly regarded as one of the greatest racing cars of all time, the Porsche 917 earned its place at the top table of Weissach icons with a glittering career. Written by Walter Näher, this book charts the car’s entire history (from prototype to turbocharged Can-Am monster), complete with genuine factory drawings, documents and unpublished photographs, making it a must for any Porsche motorsport enthusiast. www.delius-klasing.de ISBN: 978-3-7688-3837-5 2 One More Than 10: Singer And The Porsche 911 $95 Across its 276 pages, ‘One More Than 10’ tells the incredible story of Rob Dickinson’s switch from Britpop frontman to founder of Singer Vehicle Design, one of the most esteemed Porsche 911 restorers/modifiers in the world. Full of lavish photos taken behind the scenes…

R support for Porsche Dear Sir, Lee’s “Welcome” piece in issue 139 highlighted one of those “good problems to have” for Porsche (or any car manufacturer); namely that their special, limited production cars like the 991 R are in such high demand that many customers are frustrated by their inability to get them, irritated by what they see as subjective decision making by OPCs as to who will be the lucky owners, and then enraged by the exorbitant prices these cars command on the resale market. I discussed this situation with my local OPC, Hennessy Porsche, to hear their side of the story, and thought I would share some other perspectives. First, let’s acknowledge that a limited production car by its very nature is intended to be limited, meaning a…

Born out of necessity, the Targa is an enduring if sometimes unloved model in the 911 range. Its inception was the result of Porsche’s obvious desire to offer an open-topped version of the 911 in the 1960s, though early 911s lacked the structural rigidity to offer a full open top. Fate would intervene, with proposed US safety legislation effectively killing development of conventional Cabriolets thanks to the anticipated demand for roll-over protection. Given the potential of the US market and as Porsche is not one to shy away from the insurmountable, it took a more unconventional approach to give customers an open-air choice. The solution was the Targa in 1967, which featured a full rollover hoop, to which a removable panel was fitted. On the earliest, short-wheelbase cars there was…

“The extra 60mm across the rear wheel arches further beefed up what were already fine looks with an extra helping of Turbo style” As well as being the last outing for the venerable air-cooled flat six, the 993 was a fine model in its own right, both of which pretty much cement its place in Porsche 911 folklore. Indeed, it barely needs any sort of introduction, although for the sake of completeness it’s worth the briefest look into its background. Smoother looking, more aerodynamic and designed by the Briton, Tony Hatter, the 964 replacement arrived on the scene in 1993 boasting a design that was reckoned to be 80 per cent new. And not only did it appear a little sleeker than the previous generation, it was stiffer, too, allowing…

Outwardly, today’s 911 duo are almost identical. It would take a keen eye to spot the 991.2 Carrera S’s 10mm lower ride height from more than a few paces away from its Carrera white bodyshell. However, delve underneath the metal and the whole picture changes dramatically. As standard, the latest Carrera S enjoys a 50hp boost over the Carrera (thanks, in part, to revised electronics and bigger turbochargers), a mechanical limited-slip differential with Porsche Torque Vectoring, and 350mm ventilated front discs clasped by ‘Big Red’ six-pot calipers. And that’s just as standard. The gap can widen even further with a trip to Porsche’s Car Configurator and a liberal application of the extensive options list offered by Zuffenhausen. Nominally, the price difference between the Carrera and its S-badged brethren is £9,445,…

If you’re in the market for a 3.2 Carrera but want to stand out from the crowd, you don’t have many options. You could try and find a Clubsport version, however, you’ll be landed with a significant premium over a standard car (think strong six-figure list prices). That leaves the Turbo-bodied 3.2 Supersport (also known as the SSE). With their added rarity compared to a narrow-shelled 911, SSE values are undoubtedly north of a normal 3.2, but by how much? We enlisted the help of two experts to give us a clearer picture. “I sold a really good 3.2 narrow-body (which had done 70,000 miles) recently for £49,000. A 70,000-mile SSE, you would probably see on the web for the £70,000 mark,” explains RPM Technik’s Sales Director, Greig Daly. “They…