Innehållsförteckning för No. 148 från Total 911

Billed as the largest ever offering from a private automotive collection in Europe, RM Sotheby’s Duemila Ruote sale broke a number of auction records, generating over €51 million from 817 eclectic lots. Of that, exactly €7,895,000 was accounted for by 58 different Porsche 911s, offered for sale without reserve in Milan. Leading the way for the Zuffenhausen machinery was a 1988 Porsche 959 ‘Komfort’, the hammer falling on lot 875 at €1,008,000, the only 911 to break into seven figures. Believed to have lived its entire life in northern Italy, the silver example of Porsche’s original supercar had completed less than 29,200km from new. The next best Porsche performer was a 993 GT2, run by Brun Motorsport in the 1996 BPR Global GT Series, which sold for €616,000. 996 GT2s…

1 Porsche 959 €128 As beautiful as it is informative, (and limited to 2,500 copies) if there’s one book you need to buy, it’s Jürgen Lewandoski’s homage to Porsche’s original supercar. Stunningly presented in a special box, this is a collection of three books: a small 64-page tale of the car’s development, a fact book and a 210-page hardback celebrating the 959 with stunning, bespoke photography. www.delius-klasing.de ISBN: 978-3-667-10695-7 2 The Track Day Manual £18.99 If you’re planning to make 2017 the year that you do your first trackday, this informative guide, written by Mike Breslin, is the book for you. Packed with useful tips (from tyre pressures to venturing on track for your first laps), The Track Day Manual is a necessity for any trackday virgin. What’s more, if you…

History of the 3.2 Carrera It cost a little over £23,000 when it arrived in 1984, but according to experts like Hexagon’s Jonathan Franklin, you’ll pay more than twice that sum to secure a good example of the popular 3.2 Carrera today. We’ll come to that later, but the 3.2 marked a return to form for Porsche. At its heart was the 930/20 air-cooled flat six that Porsche boasted was 80 per cent new with improvements, including a rather more reliable hydraulic system of timing chain tensioner. The 3,164cc capacity came courtesy of Nikasil-lined 95mm cylinder barrels from the SC, married to the 930 Turbo’s crankshaft for a 74.4mm stroke. New forged pistons allowed for an increased compression ratio of 10.3:1, and there were numerous changes to the induction and…

Starting a mechanically-fuel-injected Porsche is always a tactile, pleasurable thing. There’s a sense of occasion that is somehow lacking in today’s modern, ready-to-go-from-cold engines. Slide into the tombstone seat but be sure to leave the door open. Insert that slim, elegant key, with no central locking buttons or immobilisers to fatten it, and then twist. Ignition lights on, there’s a few seconds of high-pitched buzz from the Bosch fuel pump pressurising the system. A single stroke of the throttle for good measure, then turn the starter. There’s that mechanical sound common to all air-cooled Porsches as it cranks over, then a suddeness in the way it comes to life. Check for oil pressure and gently tickle the throttle as it clears its throat and enjoy inhaling that aroma of fuel,…

For any petrolhead, it’s very likely the most scintillating moment of driving nirvana you could wish to experience: piloting a truly exquisite sports car on some of the world’s most renowned roads and racetracks. Of course, as a Porsche owner, the majority reading this fine publication will already have that aforementioned sports car in the bag. However, unless you live near to the famous Nürburgring Nordschleife or Spa Francorchamps circuits, that illustrious driving utopia cannot quite be completed – and that’s where RSR come in. RSR is otherwise known as Ron Simons Racing, an eponymous company dating back to 1995, when Ron himself helped develop suspensions for sports cars while racing an Alfa GTV6 and gulf-liveried Ferrari 308 GTB. Ron’s impressive résumé doesn’t end there though, the Dutchman also instructing…

Wales is a bit of a Total 911 favourite for Great Roads, and we make no apology for highlighting routes in this corner of the UK. In terms of square miles per number of routes, North Wales likely offers the greatest number of possibilities for an enjoyable drive. This time we’re looking at one just outside our past haunts and road test classics of Snowdonia: the Horseshoe Pass – or the A542 – a pass between the Llantysillio and Cyrn-y-Brain mountains. A simple arc over the hills, we rise from just over 100 metres in Llangollen to a summit of 416 metres, so bends aside, there’s plenty to work against. It is challenging and enjoyable, so expect to see enthusiasts on four wheels and two. And the gem of the…

Porsche is considering developing an all-new platform for the next-generation 911, Total 911 has learned from sources close to Zuffenhausen. A switch to a new modular chassis for the car – likely to be known as the Type 992 – would mark the third time Porsche has carried out a wholesale overhaul of the 911’s underpinnings since the model’s launch in 1963. Only the 996 and 991 generations have sat on all-new platforms. In an unusual move, the new floorpan would be shared within the Volkswagen Group, potentially being used on the next Audi R8, as well as the next-gen Cayman and Boxster. While this could suggest an overhaul of the 911’s engine placement, Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser confirmed at the 911 RSR launch that Porsche has no plans to change…

It’s cold. Winter photoshoot experience shines through as photographer, Dan Pullen, has brought coffee, and I’ll admit here, publicly, I’m in long johns and my thickest coat. Man up, you might think, but given the drive down to a windy but beautiful Beachy Head was in a 1968 911S, a short wheelbase car with all the reputation that brings, then I’m happy with my testosterone levels. My extra layers were warm, which, given the famously poor heating in early 911s and the usual standing around for photography that goes into making these pages, is a good thing. Not that I’m complaining. When the Editor’s email header read, ‘Fancy driving this?’ with a link to this car, currently in Paragon’s stock, I could barely reply ‘yes’ quickly enough. We’ve just driven…

3.0-litre SC The only normally aspirated 911 available at one time, don’t be put off by the modest performance. From the looks to the driving experience, it’s a model that brims with classic appeal, and could soon see a rise in values. 964 C2/C4 A huge technical change for the 911, it has taken time to be appreciated but buyers are now being drawn to the classic styling. And the modernity of power steering, ABS, and four-wheel drive give a unique feel. 993 C2/C4 Well suited to everyday use, examples in this price bracket are likely to have higher mileages. Not that it should put you off, as the 993 is a robust vehicle with a number of innovations, including VarioRam.…

If you’re an avid motorsport fan, you’ll have noticed that, thanks to the ever-growing reputation of prestigious events such as the Spa Six Hours and the Goodwood Revival, historic racing has never been in better shape. To compete in these blue riband events at the wheel of a Porsche 911 though, requires a short wheelbase car built between 1 January 1962 and 31 December 1965 (known as ‘Period F’) and which adheres to the FIA’s stringent Appendix K rulebook. The aim of these regulations is to “preserve the specifications of their period and prevent the modifications of performance and behaviour, which could arise through the application of modern technology.” Built to the old Group 3 specification, only modifications homologated in period by Porsche (along with modern safety provisions) can be…

1. The original circuit, founded in 1920, was based on public roads (routes 32, 23 and 440) running through the Ardennes forest between the villages of Francorchamps, Malmedy and Stavelot. It was 14.982km in length. 2. Motorcycle racing began at the circuit in 1921, the first Grand Prix following in 1925. Spa featured on the first F1 World Championship calendar in 1950 (Fangio winning the first Belgian GP), but was removed in 1970 due to safety fears. The reworked, shorter track was reintroduced to the Formula One calendar in 1983. 3. Raidillon is commonly – and erroneously – labelled Eau Rouge. Eau Rouge is the shallow river running under a small bridge at the foot of Raidillon (see corner 2 on our map, right). The old circuit would veer left…

1968 Porsche wins the Monte Carlo Rally Three years after its first outing in the 1965 event, a 911S driven by Vic Elford won the Monte Carlo Rally. Indeed, if it weren’t for having the wrong tyres, he would have won in 1967 too. Porsche has Elford to thank for making the 911 a championship rally winner. Disillusioned with chronic unreliability of the works Fords, Elford persuaded Huschke von Hanstein to loan him a car for the 1966 Tour de Corse, the rally of a thousand corners. Noncommittally Porsche provided just a 911S and two mechanics with a van – Elford had to pay all his own expenses. When he asked von Hanstein why there were no spares, he famously replied: “It’s all you need – Porsches don’t break.” Elford…

My super SC Dear Sir, My life-long dream of owning a Porsche 911 was finally recognised in May 2015, when I was fortunate enough to come across a near perfect Grand Prix white 1983 SC Cabriolet located here in Melbourne, Australia (only 40 minutes drive away from my home). The moment I laid my eyes on the stunning 911 SC I knew I was going to buy it. I had to stay calm and control my enthusiasm, focusing on the car and final purchase price. I never really wanted a Cabriolet. Like most Porsche dreamers, I always envisaged myself driving a Coupe with a whaletail but I think at my ripe age of 49, maybe the racer boy image wasn’t as great as the racer boy desire of just owning…

911R The lightest production 911 ever built, the R badge is now on a de-winged, manual GT3 RS, but the original R was the 911S, stripped to the bone with an 800kg kerb weight and a 2.0-litre, 210bhp flat six. Just 20 were made, the R (for Racing) competing to good effect in prototype classes, the engine also used in various other racers. Largely forgotten by all but obsessive enthusiasts, the R was thrust back into the limelight with the return of the 991 R, and deservedly so. 911T/R Porsche’s entry ‘Touring’ 911 was the lightest offering, and the basis for some homologated competition use. Power came from either the S’s 160bhp 2.0-litre engine (a development of which was the 180bhp version with the Rally Kit), or the 906 racing…

Lee Sibley Bournemouth, UK Model 996.2 Carrera 4 Year 2004 Acquired February 2016 After a year of copious track days and foreign road trips, it’s fair to say my 996 had taken its share of stone chips. In particular I wanted the front bumper resprayed, so I wasted little time in taking the car to Poole Accident Repair, one of just 15 Porsche Approved repair centres in the UK, and situated just five miles from me. I pointed out the blemishes in question with group director, Leon Coupland. Relaxed and personable, Leon walked around the car with me before asking, “Would I consider a light renovation?” I was interested in what Leon had to say, to which he respectfully showed me one or two imperfections elsewhere on the 996 that…

A few years ago, in this very column, we asked, “Why is the Porsche 911 SC not more sought after?” It’s a question that we could have applied to the current state of the 911 market, until earlier this year at least. Over the last six months, the ‘Super Carrera’ has been enjoying a resurgence, so what does the future hold in store for the once unloved 911 SC? “Prices are certainly rising,” affirms Mikey Wastie, proprietor of specialist, Autofarm. “These cars were always the underdog, partly because there were a lot of cars around.” Prolificacy hasn’t hurt the 3.2 Carrera market though. So is the 911 SC’s larger-capacity sibling dragging up its value? “I think they are pulling each other up,” Wastie asserts. “As older pre-impact cars become too…