Innehållsförteckning för No. 143 från Total 911

A step back to go forward Dear Sir, After I drove my brand new 991.2 Carrera 4S 2,500km a week in the mountains and fjords of Norway, I sold it and bought a 991.1 GTS. But first, a little background. I’m a Norwegian man who, having had a driving licence for 37 years now, has owned a number of 911s. For me, the act of driving is at its greatest in a 911, the agility and speed feels natural and, in a strange way, necessary. I love Porsche for their self-imposed mission of making usable sports cars. They are no nonsense, thrilling driving machines. For the last three years, my brother and I had found love in the 991.1 generation, for me it was with a Carrera 4S and for…

The year 1999 seems like an eternity ago now. The 996 was still box fresh, though Porsche took very little time to offer something special for customers wanting something a bit more focused. The GT3 brought a new, now familiar, badge to the range, adding sharpness for those wanting their 911 with a hint of homologation about it. It allowed Porsche to fulfil the wishes of the motorsport rule makers, creating a tangible link between road and track. Porsche’s answer with the GT3 wasn’t the usual lightened route it had taken with RSs, the GT3 actually heavier than its standard Carrera relation (by around 30kg). The addition of a high-revving naturally aspirated, dry-sumped, 3.6-litre Mezger flat six, with its DNA directly traceable to Porsche’s GT1 endurance racer, arguably injected the…

“The 991 is the most everyday-friendly 911 ever to sport the GT3 badge, ever the embodiment of a proper Porsche according to Butzi himself” We’ve previously subjected the first model to sport the GT3 badge, the awesome 996, to our Buyer’s Guide microscope. This time, we fast-forward more than ten years to the very latest. Make no mistake, Total 911 is a huge fan of the latest GT3, and having pitted it against a 997 GT3 RS back in issue 131, we were left staggered by its combination of technology, cosseting luxury, and exquisite handling. Not only is it the most breathtaking, it’s possibly the most everyday-friendly 911 ever to sport the GT3 badge, ever the embodiment of a proper Porsche according to Butzi himself. One of the reasons we…

Its brakes are the unsung heroes of the 911’s dynamics yet, surprisingly, Porsche was a reluctant convert to disc brakes, persisting with drums on the 356 as late as 1964. Drum brakes then were significantly lighter than the original steel disc combinations and, for Porsche, drums were justified because low unsprung weight contributed to those essential Porsche qualities; agility and control. But Zuffenhausen also recognised that the 911 would be heavier and more powerful than the 356 and opted for all-round disc brakes from the outset of the new model. The 911’s system was developed with Alfred Teves Break Systems (ATE) and comprised two-piston iron calipers on solid discs; the rear calipers were slightly smaller to reflect the greater work carried out by the fronts. Testing with the 911S in…

LOCATION: Morocco COORDINATES: 31.0802 N, 4.0134 W TOTAL LENGTH OF DRIVE: 349 miles POINTS OF INTEREST: Erg Chebbi Dunes; Atlas Mountains Viewpoints; Mosquée Touama, Oued Touama; Morocco National Auto Museum FOOD AND ACCOMMODATION: Haven La Chance, Hassilabied (+212) 535 577 269 La Baraka, Rue de Café, Rissani (+212) 535 774 913 Ali Mouni, Hotel Nomad Palace, Merzouga (+212) 535 882 089 Auberge Camping Ocean des Dunes, Ksar Hassilabied, Merzouga (+212) 676 461 377 Morocco is a nation socially at odds with itself; western, multicultural, cosmopolitan views combined with a strong, traditional Arab way of life. Nowhere is this cultural divide more apparent than on this nine-hour thrill ride, as the densely populated urban areas of Marrakesh fade away into the far reaches of the desert on our drive out of…

Ruf Automobile, the legendary manufacturer of the CTR ‘Yellowbird’ and other Porsche-based sports cars, has launched an official UK office in collaboration with car brokers Richard and Mark Sekula. Based in Royal Tunbridge Wells (45 miles south of London), Ruf Automobile’s UK office will act as a port of call for Ruf owners and potential buyers and, since the announcement in early July, Sekula has “already had a number of people come out the woodwork” expressing an interest. Sekula explains the focus “from day one” is on “brand building, with new UK-specific social media channels and a website set up, as well the foundations of a new Ruf UK owners club laid.” There are also plans for an online store “because we’re already having people ask us, ‘Can I just…

The first half of 2016 has been a successful one for Porsche AG as it announced that 117,963 new vehicles have been delivered worldwide between January and June. The figure is a three per cent improvement from 2015’s tally over the same period. The Porsche 911, buoyed by the release of the new turbocharged Carrera at the end of last year, is performing particularly well, with 18,579 Neunelfers – an increase of 10 per cent – delivered so far in 2016, while the Cayman and Boxster sports car also enjoyed double-figure growth. China continues to represent Porsche’s strongest single market, with over 30,000 cars delivered since the beginning of the year. But the USA was the country with the greatest improvement, where a rise of six per cent saw 26,708…

There are two core elements that create a collectable 996-generation 911. The first is the obvious requirement of rarity. Limited numbers 911s always make the cut. The second is the Mezger engine. This core element, carried over and constantly evolved and updated through the timeline of the 911, creates a tempo, a personality that utterly transforms the 996. At a moment in the 911’s history when the faithful may have wavered in the face of a water-cooled car, the Mezger-engined 911s showed that Porsche still understood its enthusiast driver market. They are and always will be something special, as Total 911 finds out when putting all five dry-sumped 996s to the test.…

It’s incredible, in terms of engineering evolution, what Porsche has achieved in 15 short years with the 911 Turbo. As the 996 Turbo sits silently next to its younger 991 brethren, their respective exhausts still making light ‘pinging’ sounds as they cool from our country blast, the overarching theme of change – even visually – is very much evident. For context though, we first need to look outside of Zuffenhausen and towards other manufacturers with sports cars who have graced the road for a similar length of time (and we’re talking here about a 15-year window, not the Turbo’s full 41-year lineage, which is unmatched in the automotive world). One of the most obvious examples is the humble Mazda MX-5. Through two generations from launch in 1989 right up to…

“I can imagine the purists thinking that converting a GT3 is sacrilege” Being a car enthusiast is a pleasure (although, having owned Alfa Romeos in the past, I can confirm it is sometimes a curse too). Living as a car enthusiast in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – once the land of camels but now firmly the land of Lamborghinis – was an even greater pleasure, giving me the opportunity to purchase and drive a reasonably new, exotic sports car at exceptional value. While in the Middle East, therefore, my search began for a car that could satisfy a number of criteria. First of all, the car had to be comfortable enough to be used as a daily driver and it also had to be engaging and special to drive.…

For a while now, 993 GT2s have sat near the top of the financial tree as one of the most expensive production Porsche 911s on the collector’s market; expect to pay upwards of £500,000 ($675,450) for a nice example of the original widowmaker. The 993’s successor, the 996 GT2, has lagged behind value-wise though. A year or so ago, a water-cooled GT2 could be found for under £60,000 ($81,000), making it one of our Neunelfers to buy in issue 126’s investor’s special, and, despite a price rise proving us right, they still languish behind 993 and 997 widowmakers. “There’s quite a handful of them on the market right now,” says Porsche specialist Lee Maxted-Page, “and they’re in a spread between £100,000 to £150,000 ($135,00 to $202,000).” With just 173 examples…

Over the years we have become accustomed to Ruf beating Porsche to the punch (launching the first five-speed 911 Turbo, for example). But this time it appears TechArt, one of Germany’s most prominent Porsche tuners, has got the jump on Zuffenhausen, the Leonberg-based firm launching their own extreme turbocharged 911 ahead of the hugely anticipated 991 GT2 RS. Based on the 991 Turbo S, TechArt is keeping the details of the latest GTstreet R close to its chest at the moment. However, with a GT3-esque vent under the bonnet, RS-style front arch louvres and a huge, double-plane rear wing, the new tuned 911 looks a suitably extravagant successor to the wild 997 GT2 RS-based GTstreet RS of 2012. Last issue we revealed TechArt’s latest Turbo S powerkit, good for 640hp,…

Maestro Müller storms to latest Supercup success for 2016 Porsche Junior takes championship lead with victory in Hungary Sven Müller took his third consecutive Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup win of the season to move to the top of the points table after round five of the 2016 season in Hungary. The Porsche Junior – who also heads the Carrera Cup Deutschland having won ten out of 12 races – led from lights to flag at the Hungaroring to add more silverware to his triumphs at Red Bull Ring and his last time out at Silverstone. Having started second, Müller outdragged pole man, Robert Lukas, on the long run down to the tight first corner to take the lead and, from there, the 24-year-old was never headed by any of his…

We trawled the classifieds and found this 912 looking a bit worse for wear. Here are the best of your reactions: Thoughts? Poor man’s 911 in that state? Not worth the effort. Dean Fairbourn I think that’s going to take a bit more than just bravery... @MigixToDaMix Bit of polish should sort it out. Although you may need the machine buffer. Ian Francis How many pieces in this puzzle? Patrick Fougues $4,000 worth of yard art. Jorge Mesa I fear stuff like this ends off as a ringing kit next step down the line. Hopefully used for spares. @M444TB Project? Just flush the money down the toilet, it’ll be quicker! @PaulGlavin…

For anyone investing in Mezger engined 996 Porsches, the GT3 RS has long been the default choice. Iconic in appearance and exceptionally rare, the 996 GT3 RS was a collectable for Porsche enthusiasts well before the current global 911 collecting phenomenon. But there are other 911s of that era produced in limited numbers that are equally collectable, just as challenging to drive, and in some ways could be more satisfying to own. We are talking, of course, about the 996 GT2 – and with both cars currently commanding the same money in the Porsche marketplace, suddenly a GT2 vs GT3 RS is a 996 showdown many serious buyers may look to ponder over. Introduced in 2001 and intended for those who felt the 996 Turbo was just too civilised, the…

“Frosted Alpine roads are a far cry from a dry Le Mans track, yet this is to be the setting for our mad test drive” When was the golden period for Porsche’s venerable 911? Your answer will probably depend on when you were born. Some 911 enthusiasts argue that pre-1973 911s are the real deal. Then, for some of us, an impact-bumper series car is the archetypal 911. All things considered, your preference may ultimately be determined by which of the aforementioned models captured your imagination the moment you saw a Porsche “in the wild” for the first time. I am a member of the latter group, but when I started reading about cars with real intent, it was the end of the 964/advent of the 993 era. The 993…

On the off chance that the GT3 doesn’t quite manage the lap times you were looking for, then the Rennsport version will provide the answer. Launched in 2015 and with around 60 UK examples, spending £131,296 ($174,407) secured a 911 that benefitted from a package of aerodynamic measures that substantially reduced lift at the front and increased downforce at the rear. Chief among the former were exit vents cut into the tops of the front wings, items fashioned from carbon-fibre along with the front and rear compartment lids and the rear wing. A plastic rear window and magnesium roof panel further contributed to weight saving, while 21-inch rear wheels completed the racer looks. Under the lid was a 4.0-litre, 500hp motor that drove through a PDK gearbox and shoved the…

In the sports car world, it is a well-established convention that each successive model is more powerful and faster than its predecessor, and Porsche has consistently stuck to this rule – except for a brief period in the 1970s. The rise of US emission regulations caught out all the motor manufacturers, especially America’s muscle cars, which were completely hobbled. However, thanks to its superior engineering, Porsche managed to avoid the worst of the power deficits: in 1976, the top-of-the-range Carrera 3.0 was only 13bhp down and had the same torque as the celebrated 2.7 of 1973-74. However, when the Carrera and the lower output K Series 2.7 made way in model year 1978 for the SC, there was considerable disappointment that the latest Porsche was rated at ‘only’ 180bhp. There…

“Without any computer controls, the 930’s limits seemingly match your own, the perfect synergy of man and machine” “It’s very stiff,” exclaims Autofarm’s Josh Sadler, wide-eyed as he clambers out of the black-and-orange Porsche 930’s roll cage-clad cockpit. “It just bumps around and wants to find its own path through the corners.” My heart skips another beat. Today’s test venue – Castle Combe – is not just one of the UK’s fastest circuits; it is universally renowned as the bumpiest, too. Therefore, as I’m sure you’ll appreciate, those weren’t the words I was hoping to hear just before donning my helmet and climbing behind the wheel for the first time. While I knew ahead of today’s Porsche Club GB trackday that I’d be piloting a tuned 930, I had little…