Innehållsförteckning för No. 194 från Total 911

A huge positive of all the various lockdowns incurred throughout the planet is the fact that it’s given us downtime to indulge in our passions ‘from home’. In Porsche circles, that has inevitably given rise to tinkering with our cars on our own driveway. Even if, like me, you’d usually consider yourself more of a ‘chequebook mechanic,’ this unique period has given us the opportunity to roll those sleeves up and undertake all manner of home-based tasks – I’ve heard all sorts, from the basic to the bonkers! Luckily, there’s a wealth of information at your disposal nowadays, should you want to get brave with the spanners, with plenty of YouTube walk-throughs, books, or even forums. “Our ‘Built not bought’ issue this month pays homage to the art of Porsche…

This 996 Carrera conforms to the ‘add lightness’ mantra, which has given rise to a unique Leichtbau project – as owner AJ Severino explains… Ever since I was very young, I had an innate fascination with the world of motorsports. The desire to ‘go fast’ wasn’t something I simply wanted – it was a need that possessed every aspect of my life. Since earning my driver’s licence, I’ve been the proud owner of countless vehicles (seriously, I have trouble counting all of them). Each one held a special place in my heart, but all of them pale in comparison to the sheer joy that I get out of this work of automotive art, which I have now owned for seven years. “The power to weight ratio is closer to that…

Data file Full specs, ratings and market values of every 911, including the 996 GT cars, can be found beginning on page 76 Plus Showroom Looking for a new 911? The classifieds from our independent specialist partners are the first place you should start your search Servicing & tuning Get the very best from your Porsche 911 with the help of our selected performance and maintenance specialists Porsche lifestyle Helping you make the right lifestyle choices to complement you and your 911. Don’t just drive Porsche, live the brand Insurance & finance Get your Porsche covered with the best insurance deals for road and track to ensure happy, safe motoring…

Usually our ‘tech explained’ columns feature hardware installed on the 911, and the science behind how they work. This issue though, we’ve a first, as we’re looking at software, in the form of Porsche’s Track Precision app. This free app, described by Porsche as ‘your virtual coach’, is a handy assistant for both live and retrospective driver training, recording real-time driver data to help you improve your driving. As such there are many functions to the app: for example, using GPS data from your smartphone, the app records each individual lap time and compares it to the driver’s reference lap for the circuit (the app now has over 300 worldwide circuits built in). The app gathers this data by connecting with the sensors on your modern 911: it connects to…

Hans Mezger 1929-2020 Legendary engineer passes away aged 90 Hans Mezger, the decorated Porsche engineer and father of the company’s flat six engine, passed away last month at the age of 90. Mezger has arguably had the most profound influence on engineering at Porsche since the company’s inception, his considerable talents producing motorsporting highlights for Weissach including the 917’s 12-cylinder engine, as well as the TAG Turbo Formula One engine. On the road, every air-cooled 911 owner owes his or her flat six to Mezger, who designed the legendary combustion unit which powered the Neunelfer for nearly four decades in various forms. Mezger was born in Ottmarsheim, a small village near Stuttgart, in 1929. Studying mechanical engineering at the University of Stuttgart, the young Mezger graduated in 1956, shortly receiving…

Right from launch in 1975, the Turbo has cemented its place as the ultimate all-rounder 911. The model which elevated the 911 into the realms of the supercar, its job in the 45 years since has been not just to deliver unrivalled acceleration, but provide a platform in which this 911 is the reference point for every driving scenario. With that, we’ve seen the technologically superior Turbo shift from a sports car with grand touring credentials to, arguably, a grand tourer with sporting intent, confirmed by the 991 generation with its PDK-only gearbox and electrically assisted steering. That led to us labelling the Turbo back in issue 115 as the indomitable Porsche 911 – it really is THAT good at doing just about everything. It’s a sentiment that’s seemingly echoed…

It’s 1983, and my first day as a paper boy at the local newsagent in Motspur Park, South London. I’m waiting outside the shop by myself at 6am for the manager to arrive; it’s quiet, a milkman is delivering his goods and pulls up just in front of the shop, double parking next to a throng of Cortinas, Vivas and Allegros – all rubbish British cars of the time! A Guards red 911 with a whaletail pulls up behind the milk float, waiting for a car to pass from the other direction. For a few seconds I’m mesmerised by the shape and the noise. It’s the first time I have seen one in the metal. The driver then overtakes the milk float and fully gasses it up the road, over…

The progress of modern technology means the performance capabilities of sports cars are increasing almost exponentially with each passing model year. Put simply, today’s fast 911 offers more power per pound than its more elderly relative. And that’s just the start of it: sure, models such as the Porsche 992 are already breathtakingly quick from the factory, but the nature of its turbocharged engine means even more power can be unlocked, should you wish to quench a serious need for speed. Companies such as UK-based Litchfield Motors are well suited to unlocking even more power from the Porsche 911, the Gloucestershire concern having recently fettled a 991 Carrera T to a whopping (yet usable) 480hp. Off the back of that highly successful Carrera T programme, Litchfield has turned its attentions…

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’s used value compared to the previous financial quarter. The review for 2020 Q3 will be July. The review for 2020 Q2 was April. Ratings Each model is rated out of five in our half-star system according to their performance, handling, appearance and desirability.…

Many Porsche icons have graced this page in past issues, but there’s no question Herbert Linge is right up there with the best of them. Joining the company from the age of 15, Linge is still no stranger to the odd Porsche event even at the age of 92, helping the company in the intervening years to grow both on the road and on the race track. Linge’s formative years at Porsche (both during and after the Second World War) were spent on production of the 356, participating in the build of the company’s very first in 1948. By 1952, Linge was sent by Ferry Porsche to North America, where a decisive contribution was made in creating and evolving the Porsche brand Stateside. That contribution is still felt today, with…

Rolling tyre noise Dear Sir, I recently had a little exchange of comments with Harry Metcalfe. We were talking about the rear-wheel noise of 911s, which is not… moderate. I have been thinking about trying to get a test drive with either a 991 or 992 from the importer to get an idea of how the rear-wheel noise has changed over time and generations. Then I started thinking how this could be done in the most accurate way. So I came up with this. The test would be maybe three people subjectively driving the same road of varying characteristics with a 911 SC, 964, 993, 996, 997, 991 and 992. We could compile subjective comments and a controlled dB measurements at two speeds over two different road surfaces: e.g. 50mph/80km/h…

“Since I had to replace my flares, wheels, and bumpers, I thought, ‘well, I might as well go RSR’” He had about two weeks to live. After months of struggle and years of slow decline, my dad’s heart was about to give up. He passed away December 2006. Seven months later, my mum passed away. My dad was expected, but my mum was a huge, awful surprise. That’s the thing about a garage. It’s the thing we rarely talk about. It’s our solace. It’s our meditation. It’s our fortress of solitude. It’s the one thing we can rely on when the rest of our life goes to chaos. I leaned on it heavily for a few years. The car began as a 1969 911T rust bucket, rotting away in a…

Engine displacement is everything in the US. The home of the Hemi is also the land where big V8s are shoehorned into just about everything, whether it’s for the school run or the race track. Bigger is supposedly better when it comes to cars, this a heavily enriched ideology ingrained into many aspects of general US society. However, in the world of Porsche, superior engine size has never formed part of the agenda. While Lamborghini’s first car in 1963 was the 3.5-litre, V12 350GT, for example, Porsche’s original 911 had a measly 2.0-litre flat six. Lamborghini still uses the V12 in its Aventador today, while Audi’s R8 is powered by a 5.0-litre V10, and Ferrari’s V8 and V12 powerplants are considered legendary among the wider car enthusiast population. Despite this,…

Lee Sibley Poole, UK @lee_sibs That Nine Eleven Guy Road to Redline Model 996.1 CARRERA Year 1998 Acquired JAN 2019 Well, it has been quite the month of tinkering with the chassis on ‘Little Irish’! At last, the 996 is looking absolutely resplendent and handling like a new car thanks to an arsenal of toys being bestowed upon it. You’ll remember last issue with the fitting of my new, genuine Fuchs wheels that the car’s ride height now looked safari-spec while it sat on factory suspension. I’d also come to realise those new wheels were tucked a little too far into the 996’s arches for my liking, despite the fact that my Fuchs are the same width, diameter and offset as the factory GT3 wheels which came off. Wanting a…

The first-generation 991 GT3 RS has been on something of a rollercoaster ride in the five years since its inception. Released into a frenzied marketplace in 2015 where the ‘flipper market’ was burgeoning, build slots (never mind physical cars themselves) were being traded at significant premiums over list price. Meanwhile, ‘used’ cars with only delivery miles were being freely advertised, with one example we reported on at the time coming with a £300,000 price tag via JZM. As for Porsche? The manufacturer, ever an expert at making hay while the sun shines, kept taking orders, which is why the 991.1 GT3 RS is comfortably the most populous 911 Rennsport of all time. Five years on, and with the 991.2 GT3 RS now usurping its predecessor in the performance stakes, those…