Innehållsförteckning för No. 167 från Total 911

Few generations of 911 have had a history quite as colourful as the 996. Pilloried from inception in 1997, Porsche’s first water-cooled 911 never found favour with enthusiasts who lambasted the 996’s build quality, reliability and driving experience… until now. Values of the plucky 996 have risen steadily for the last two years (it’s the only generation where values are still broadly on the up), yet last summer seemed to be an effective ‘line in the sand’ moment in terms of its public perception. “Time has most certainly been a healer for the 996, which at last is becoming widely accepted” Coinciding nicely with its 20-year anniversary, for me the moment came after I posted a ‘20 years of the 996’ video on YouTube (search ‘That Nine Eleven Guy’, if…

The 996 was a revamp in the evolution of the 911 as suddenly, by 1997, Porsche’s icon was thrust headlong into the 21st century. Improvements were introduced, while much-loved quirks were expunged. Enthusiasts found it instantly familiar yet disconcertingly different. It still divides opinion today. This guide details the evolution of the 996, from replacing the 993 in 1997 to being phased out by the 997 in 2004/2005. It includes the Cabriolet, Targa and Turbo, with the preceding feature having documented the GT cars. We’ll cover updates, specification changes and options added during the model’s lifetime, along with what to look for when buying one. Our story starts in the mid-1990s. Porsche was in dire straits, haemorrhaging money with the threat of takeover looming (GM, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota were all…

Rain drums incessantly against the windscreen in front of my eyes, water clearing momentarily by the silent swooping of the Carrera’s automated wipers. Its removal allows a better focus on the view ahead which, bizarrely, is enshrined in bright sunshine. It’s then I notice the road surface in front is barely damp, let alone wet; a glance out to the driver’s side mirror allays any fears of fictional rainfall, the dark sky behind a total contrast to the bright-blue hues ahead. Welcome to the Emerald isle, home to famously interchangeable weather on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. We’re in Northern Ireland, to be precise, the topography here as impressive in its majesty as that more commonly found in the Republic south of the border. The countryside is endless and…

The sun is piercingly bright, blazing down from a cloudless blue sky. After a long winter of cruel wind and rain, the day is beautiful and the warmth on the skin is very welcome. There’s a backing soundtrack of high-revving racing engines, and the aroma of race fuel is in the air. Yet this is not Le Castellet or Dijon in July. This is Donington Park and an unsilenced test day, surrounded by beautiful, historically significant racing machinery far from that pre-hybrid era of motorsport. We’re here to take a closer look at one of the most talked-about new series in Porsche racing circles in years: the Peter Auto 2.0L Cup. The fact this series involves cars all more than 50 years old, rather than showcasing modern technology, is testament…

911s in the data file are organised in rows according to release date, beginning with the very first model in 1964. Many models were available in Coupe, Targa and Cabriolet forms, with the option of automatic transmission. Here, data has been provided from the Coupe variants unless stated. All data here has been compiled, where possible, from Porsche’s own figures. General valuations This reflects the general market trend for a model’susedvaluecompared to the previous financial quarter. The review for 2018 Q3 will be July. The review for 2018 Q2 was April. Ratings Each model is rated out of five in ourhalf-starsystemaccording totheirperformance,handling, appearanceanddesirability.…

“The gearing of the fan would change on numerous occasions over the years” Open the engine lid of an air-cooled Neunelfer and you’ll instantly spot an item that’s defined the flat six from the beginning: that vertically mounted cooling fan sitting front and centre. Of an axial-flow design, it was more efficient than the radial type employed on the 911’s predecessor, the 356, and would serve the sports car well for more than three decades. But why choose to mount the fan vertically when race cars such as the 934 and 935 opted for a horizontal layout? There’s only one man to ask, and that’s Hans Mezger himself, who told Total 911 the reasons were really quite simple. Essentially, it was much easier to locate it this way and required…

991 Speedster in final testing Prototype special spotted in Spain ahead of imminent reveal Total 911’s spies have captured Porsche’s forthcoming 991 Speedster in final testing in southern Spain. Ahead of its likely world debut at July’s Goodwood Festival of Speed in Britain, our pictures show a mule being put through its paces on the public road in little to no disguise for the first time. As you can see the new Speedster will adopt a 1,852mm-wide body and chassis from Porsche’s current GT3, with the same 4.0-litre, naturally aspirated flat six engine housed aft of its rear axle too. The spec effectively creates a topless 911 GT3. The all-black prototype features a new window design for its doors, while rear three-quarter windows have been deleted, in keeping with the…

GT3: the most evocative, desirable collection of letters and numbers as you can ask for to be tacked to the rump of a 911. Add RS into the mix and that’s even more so. The GT3, as its name and subsequent RS spin-off highlights, has its tyres firmly rooted in Porsche’s racing activities. It’s enough to elevate all the cars here above the usual rhetoric spewed about the once ‘undesirable’ 996, the GT3 badge signifying something very special indeed. There are three GT3s in the 996 generation, the Gen1 available from 1998-2001, the Gen2 coming in 2003 until 2005, with the RS spun off that between 2004 and 2005. That Gen1 car is unique among GT3s, largely because it’s the only GT3 not to have a same-generation RS model based…

The 996 remains the ‘bargain’ 911, but prices have risen in line with its growing desirability and status. Greig Daly, sales director at RPM Technik, says: “It’s a great 911: new enough to avoid the savage corrosion issues of air-cooled cars, yet old enough to be small, nimble and relatively simple mechanically. It also punches well above its weight in terms of dynamics.” Jason Shepherd of Paragon Porsche agrees: “A correctly prepared and set-up 996 is a great car to drive. The relative smallness, simplicity and analogue feel has become far more beguiling to some.” Both also note the upward trend in prices. “They’ve been increasing steadily since 2015 as buyers wake up to their great value,” explains Greig. “Manual C2 Coupes especially. Expect to pay from £12,000 for a…

Few car companies survived with their founding families still significant beyond the second generation. Peugeot is one, Honda too and of course Ford. The best example though is Porsche where Oliver Porsche, son of the designer of the 911 and a fourth generation Porsche, sits on the company’s supervisory board. We look at the principal characters and their roles in this unique dynasty… Professor Ferdinand Porsche (1875-1951) Brilliant engineer whose inventiveness knew almost no bounds Ferdinand Porsche was a restless spirit whose enquiring mind led him, at the age of only 25, to design the Lohner Porsche, a horseless carriage which operated thanks to an electric motor in each hub. As combustion engines took over transport he worked for a series of car makers, notably Daimler Benz, before establishing his…

Backdating and other personalised modifications have been in practice since the dawn of the 911 itself (and even before, with bespoke specs and features on early 356s helping to form Porsche’s very own ‘Sonderwunsch’ department). Today, the universal popularity of a Porsche 911 reimagined by Singer has brought the idea of a truly bespoke 911 build into the eyes of the wider public, with many specialist Porsche businesses now offering to build you your dream 911… for a pretty penny, of course. Typically, the base car is a 964 or earlier, with an air-cooled flat six vastly reworked to kick out big power, while other discreet modifications help ensure the car is relevant for a 21st-century lifestyle. The build itself can take up to two years to complete, but nevertheless…

New 991.2 GT3 R breaks cover 2019 customer car boasts 550hp and naturally aspirated rear engine Weissach’s new customer racer has been unveiled with the 991 GT3 R heavily based on its 991.2 GT3 RS production road car sister. The new GT3 R boasts 550hp from a 4.0-litre, naturally aspirated flat six engine which, crucially, remains mounted aft of the 911’s rear axle. Porsche says the engine is ‘largely identical’ to that found in the 991.2 GT3 RS, it mated to a sequential six-speed gearbox with electronic shift actuator. Porsche has said particular attention was paid to aerodynamics on the GT3 R, most notable of which are wheel arch vents above the front tyres reminiscent of those found on the road-going GT3 RS, to improve downforce at the front axle.…

A different kind of Porsche investment Dear Sir, I wanted to write a letter first to say what a great magazine Total 911 is, but secondly to encourage readers to undertake some training to enjoy these fantastic cars even more. I, like a number of other readers, have been lucky enough to have a number of Porsche over the years, and again like a few others have been frustrated with the allocation of GT cars by Porsche, being unsuccessful in securing a GT3 Touring myself. Anyway, instead I booked myself on a day of driver training in my Golf R with CAT Driver Training at Millbrook, followed by half a day in my 991 GTS. While I have had training over the years at Porsche Experience Centre and a few…

The world remembers the 996 as introducing the GT3, but it also brought us the GT2… and we all know that car’s reputation. A mutant hybrid mix of GT department motorsport know-how with the 3.6-litre Turbo’s engine driving the rear-wheels only – with no electronic aids – it’s the best kind of hybrid. Power is 462hp, so it’s pushing out significantly more and mightier ponies, particularly at lower revs. All of this makes it a bit more of a handful, despite the plentiful rubber on the driven axle. For all its fearsome legend, the GT2 isn’t quite the raw, uncouth machine you might think it is. It needs some respect, but then so does any high-performance car of this pre-electronic nannying safety-aid era. Like its GT3 relations it’s unremittingly pure:…

As the winter rain and snow becomes a distant memory, thoughts can turn to summer, and what better way to enjoy it than from the cabin of a drop-top Neunelfer? Few sports cars blend history, performance and engineering integrity quite like this one, so it seems like the perfect opportunity to explore the genre in more detail. Back in issue 130 we sampled the one-of-a-kind 901 Cabriolet, and although that led to development of the Targa it was ultimately the progenitor of the model that’s been with us more than 35 years and seven generations. And whether you favour air- or water-cooled cars there’s a model for every preference. It might have become more sophisticated over those years, but the basic principle remained the same, and its first appearance also…

We’re happy to hold our hands up here and admit that improvements to the efficiency of the 911 – using less fuel and reducing exhaust emissions, essentially – isn’t the most entertaining of topics, or one we rarely cover. But it is one that has become ever more important over the decades, and that has required Porsche to use all of its engineering knowhow to ensure our favourite sports car remained relevant in the face of ever-tightening legislation. It’s only natural that establishing the Neunelfer as a sporting force to be reckoned with meant the early days focused firmly on power and performance, but as the important US market got tough on matters of economy and emissions it would act as a driver for many of the improvements Zuffenhausen developed.…

“For many people, buying a Porsche is fulfillment of a dream. They need guidance” Bristolian by birth, Phil Raby has gradually migrated east, fetching up in Sussex some 15 years ago. “I like this part of the world,” he says, “It’s good for the outdoor things I like doing like biking off-road and sailing.” He might also add that it’s not bad for driving Porsche of the 300 horsepower or below variety he favours. So how did this photography graduate come to sell Porsche? “Well I always liked cars: my father was of the generation that didn’t hesitate to work on its cars and I picked it up from him; as a youngster I owned and rebuilt several Triumph Spitfires. I went to work for an established photographer who had…

From the Solex of pre-1967 cars to the Webers of early 911Ss and Zeniths of later 911Ts, the air/fuel mixture in Porsche’s early flat six engines was fed into each cylinder by a pair of three-choke carburettors. A carburettor’s job is to mix together air and fuel before it is pulled into the cylinder during the intake phase of the internal combustion cycle. The inside of a carburettor is shaped like an hourglass, with a narrow section at its centre creating a venturi. At this narrowing, the air travelling through the carburettor is forced to speed up. When this happens the higher velocity air creates a low-pressure zone, forcing a vacuum effect that draws petrol out of the float chamber, through a jet and into the intake tract of the…