Innehållsförteckning för No. 197 från Total 911

There’s a school of thought that the 911 is peerless in its deliverance of performance while still offering a practical solution to everyday motoring. It feeds into that famous Porsche quote that a 911 by its definition should be as adept at taking you to the cinema as it is round a race track. Sure, other sports cars from rival manufacturers might be superior to the 911 in one aspect of motoring, but nothing does everything as well as a 911. It is the ultimate all-rounder. “Nothing does everything as well as a 911” It’s for this reason that for this issue we’ve decided to pitch the 911 against, well, itself. With no perceived rivals, we’ve decided to dive ‘in-house’ for an array of group tests that cover different aspects…

Porsche wasn’t the first manufacturer to release a turbocharged, petrol-engined road car. That accolade falls to the Chevrolet Monza, released in 1963. In fact, Porsche wasn’t even the first German manufacturer to achieve that feat, with BMW’s 2002 Turbo beating the 911 Turbo to market by a single year. However, while other car makers rushed to implement a technology used in the aeronautical and maritime industries since the start of the 20th Century in their production vehicles, the board at Porsche AG turned to Weissach’s racing department to prove the forced-induction philosophy in the most unrelenting of arenas: the race track. After the 917 was ruled out of international competition for 1972, Porsche turned its attention to a turbocharged version of the prototype designed to rule the US-based CanAm series…

“The Powerkit improved power from the flat six for generations” The Powerkit: derived in principle for those who desire a pinch of extra factory-honed grunt for their 911, it’s an intriguing optional extra best described as something of an enigma in Porschedom. Few get it, and most readily dismiss it. Yet the Powerkit has stubbornly remained on the options list for generations, first offered on the 993, though not particularly exercised by customers until the water-cooled era. The ‘40 Jahre’ anniversary edition 996 came with the Powerkit as standard, of course, but owners otherwise had to spec the factory-code X51 for their 996 and 997-generation Carrera S when purchasing, while Turbo models were ordered with the slightly different X50 code Powerkit. The X51 option could be ordered for a 991.1…

There was always an open-top Porsche: Ferry’s first model was an open barchetta and if production realities soon dictated a closed design, it was only a couple of years before a convertible 356 appeared. This was a vital model, especially in the US, for which Porsche’s gung-ho distributor Max Hoffman persuaded Zuffenhausen to build the Speedster, as featured in issue 128 of Total 911. By the late 1950s, consideration of the 356’s successor was in full swing at Porsche. Between the competing designs of Erwin Komenda (Porsche’s long-standing body engineer who saw himself as carrying the beacon for the late Professor Porsche), Ferry’s son Butzi who represented the first generation of automobile stylists, and Ferry’s own preferences, little thought was given to an open car. Moreover, high development costs of…

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 2021 Q1 will be January. The review for 2020 Q4 was October. Ratings Each model is rated out of five in ourhalf-starsystemaccording totheirperformance,handling, appearanceanddesirability.…

Devoid of the usual crowds, the rescheduled 2020 Le Mans nevertheless provided plenty of thrilling action on track. Here, Porsche GT Team complete a scheduled tyre swap on the no.91 RSR deep into the night. Ultimately both works RSRs were off the pace in GTE Pro, though 911 presence on the podium was achieved by the customer Dempsey Proton Racing squad in GTE Am, securing a 2nd-placed finish after a fine 24 hours of racing.…

Get out and drive Dear Sir, My everyday motor is a Macan S (2015) and whilst it’s a wonderful car I’m after a weekend motor to put 2,000-4,000 miles on per year. I have a budget of £20,000 and have always desired a 996 C4S. To me (apart from the GT models) it’s aesthetically the best 996. However, the more I read and watch, the more I believe the C2 is by far the better driver’s car. Particularly if you can find a well sorted one with M030 suspension. I note that you’ve a soft spot for your old C4S and currently own a 996 C2. Is the C2 a better driver’s car? I’ll be using it for country drives and may actually attempt my first track day. I’m not…

“It was the S that took on responsibility for cementing the 911 legend” These are the 911Ss. For six years they topped the 911 range; the fastest, the most luxurious, the most expensive. Then the RS was unveiled to an enthralled Zuffenhausen faithful in 1973. The S remained ‘Super’ for one more year but, as the 911 headed into the impact-bumper era it was usurped again, with the 911 Carrera 2.7 becoming prince to the Carrera 3.0 RS’s king. In 1978 the 911S died out altogether, amalgamated with the Carrera bloodline to form the SC. Its return to global-production 911s would take nearly two decades, with the launch of the 993 Carrera 4S in 1995 reviving the tradition of this smoothly snaking Latin letter. As of now, each generation of…

At its most reductive, the idea that certain activities can ‘make you feel alive’ is a peculiar one, especially when you consider the flipside; I have certainly never done anything that has made me feel dead. Yet this supposedly tangential notion is never more evident to me than when I am out on a racetrack, pushing a car to its limits. The often delicate and sometimes brutal dance on the edge of adhesion from corner to corner is enough to get thousands of petrolheads’ pulses racing. It is a sensation that is intrinsically woven into the fabric at Zuffenhausen and it is, therefore, the key ingredient in what is undoubtedly the 911’s most exciting and renowned subdivision: Rennsport. Based near the race teams in Weissach, Andreas Preuninger’s GT cars department…

Chris Wallbank Leeds, UK @chris_wallbank @chrisjwallbank Model 997.1 CARRERA S Year 2005 Acquired NOV 2012 It’s quite hard to believe that this is my second major service with my 997.1 C2S, which means I’ve now owned the car for nearly eight years, and I have to admit those eight years have been practically trouble free apart from routine maintenance! In fact, over the 23,000 miles that I’ve covered in the car, the only non-service items I have had to replace are the tandem oil pump and a seized radiator fan. The last minor service the car had was at Revolution Porsche Specialists in Leeds, West Yorkshire, and all the friendly help and advice they’ve provided since then has been priceless, so it was the natural choice to book the 997…

With one in five 911s ever produced hailing from the 991 era, there’s no denying it’s the most populous generation by quite some distance, well received in showrooms for the entirety of its eight-year production cycle. But how will the 991 be viewed by enthusiasts in 20 years? We asked the views of two specialists in the independent Porsche dealer network who have had plenty of experience selling many different iterations of 991 over the last few years. Karl Meyer, owner of Porsche buying specilaists 2911, is a huge fan of the 991-generation 911, and believes the Gen1 cars are most likely to capture the imaginations of enthusiasts in the coming years. “I think enthusiasts will seek out those last naturally aspirated cars from 2012-2015, particularly in GTS form. That…

Miserable return to Le Mans for Porsche 2020 a year to forget for works GT team at La Sarthe It was an occasion to mark half a century since Porsche recorded its first outright victory at this famous race in France, however any celebrations were to remain pointed at past glories after a miserable showing at the 2020 Le Mans 24 Hours. The 88th running of this twice-round-the-clock race will sadly be one to forget for the Porsche factory team and their no.91 and no.92 works RSRs, which looked off the pace in the highly competitive GTE-Pro class from the start. Then, after just five hours of racing, the no.92 car of reigning world champions Michael Christensen and Kévin Estre, plus Laurens Vanthoor, suffered a power steering fault, putting them…

It’s hard to believe the first-generation 997 GT3 RS is now over 13 years old, but when you digest that time as over 5,000 days of engineering evolution having elapsed at Weissach, you can be forgiven for dismissing the early 997 Rennsport’s technology as largely dated. The first track 911 to get PASM as standard (but not dynamic or active engine mounts), it is the only Rennsport of our quartet on test not to arrive with that coveted ‘five star’ Total 911 rating. Have we been harsh? In issue 135, we climbed behind the wheel of this first 997 RS in isolation from its younger Rennsport brethren, where our original 4.5-star rating was found to be justified. We said, “With a heavier flywheel than the 997.2 and 35bhp less power,…

Data file Full specs, ratings and market values of every 911, including the 964 generation, 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…

First delivered on a 911 in 997.1 Carrera guise back in 2004, Sport Chrono Package has proved a popular upgrade for 911 owners in the years since, its signature chrono clock now an almost ubiquitous sight in the centre of a modern 911’s dashboard. But what exactly is it? In truth, Sport Chrono Package is the combination of different settings all brought under one umbrella technology. Porsche says it “elevates the baseline power of a 911 in many exciting ways”. In short, Sport Chrono offers an increased state of tune in terms of engine, transmission and chassis. In 992 configuration, there are five different driving modes (normal, Sport, Sport Plus, Individual and Wet mode) all selectable by the driver from a steering wheel-mounted dial. In Sport Plus (exclusive to Sport…

Benjamin Dimson’s journey to Porsche began some 10,000 kilometres east of Weissach, in his home town of Manila, capital of the Philippines. It was here where Dimson studied industrial engineering, but it was a design degree that was ultimately lusted after, forcing a move to California and the Art Centre in Pasadena. After securing a degree in Transport Design, in 1981 Dimson (main picture, bottom left) was headed for Germany, to begin an eight-year working relationship that left a notable mark on Zuffenhausen and its favourite sports car. Assigned to the exterior studio under the guidance of Wolfgang Möbius, designer of the original 928, a redesign of it was the first project Dimson was actively involved with, along with the 944 Turbo, before his efforts were rewarded with input to…