Innehållsförteckning för No. 198 från Total 911

At long last, the production GT3 is nearly ready. Delayed this year by COVID but also emissions regulations, insiders at Porsche admit it’s getting harder and harder to evolve performance while also adhering to such stringent measures. Very soon we’ll be able to bring you the results of an afternoon with Mr Andreas Preuninger and a final prototype GT3, and provide insight into what we can expect from the finished article, expected now to arrive in very early 2021. And, if that’s not enough to whet the appetite for Porsche’s modern-day GT products, while ‘AP’ was rolling out a late GT3 mule, our spies were at the Nürburgring to capture a prototype 992 GT3 RS in testing on the Nordschleife. We’re currently unsure when exactly to expect a production reveal…

It’s incredible to think we are just two years away from the 911 Rennsport’s momentous half-century. Through 50 years of renewed excellence, an RS is the reference point for the 911, representing the model in its ultimate form for the road and track. Porsche’s Rennsport lineage is rich: each new model is considered a halo car in its own right, defining the era in which they hail from. Many remain highly sought after by collectors as well as enthusiasts today, with even the most financially humble RS setting you back in the region of £130,000. And at the other end, you might well be chasing seven figures. The programme is bookended by the 2.7RS and 991.2 GT3 RS, two models which, rather serendipitously, we’ve lined up for a spirited drive…

Beachy Head, 9.30am. The conversation stops briefly as we pause to watch a Mk1 Escort driving past. Instinctively, Neil Plumpton and I switch to listening for a bit as it goes out of sight, an appreciative nod from each of us before the conversation resumes back to the topic in hand. A similar moment happened in that Escort, we witnessed it, the driver turning to look at the black 911 parked up. His response, a similar, reverential nod. Did I want to drive a GT3? Stupid question really from Editor Sibley, 2020 being understandably light on drives. When I found out which GT3, specifically, my interest was piqued even further. You’ve got to love social media if you’re one of the flat six afflicted, and Plumpton’s car appears regularly on…

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 Data file Full specs, ratings and market values of every 911, including the early 2.0-litre models, can be found beginning on page 76…

992 GT3 RS breaks cover on track Spy shots capture new details on next-gen Rennsport Total 911’s spies have captured the mighty 992 GT3 RS in some hot-lap tests around the Nürburgring Nordschleife. The all-black mule was still sporting a large degree of camouflage, but was nevertheless recognisable as a road-going Rennsport thanks to its GT3-style front and rear PU and centre-exit exhaust (mid-engined RSR 911s have a much larger rear diffuser). As you can see from our spy photographs, the next-gen 911 Rennsport is set to feature a mammoth, bi-planed and fixed rear wing with swan neck strut design. The large, square end plates spotted on the mule are not thought to be production-spec at this stage. Underneath that huge wing, a small ducktailstyle lip appears to be present,…

HISTORY AND TECH The 3.2 Carrera was the final evolution of the original torsion bar 911 of 1963. Improvements to performance, handling and economy came incrementally as Porsche developed the 911 over two decades. The flat six was conceived from the outset to be used in both production and competition cars and as such was designed to be enlarged. From 1969 it grew in stages from 1,991cc to the 3,299cc of the 1977 930 Turbo as Zuffenhausen progressively increased bore and stroke. The 3.2 was not only a development of its immediate 911 predecessor, the 3.0-litre SC, but also borrowed the Turbo’s crankshaft and connecting rods, though those fitted to the 3.2 were thinner and lighter. The new Carrera 3.2 also featured an entirely new Bosch DME and LE Jetronic…

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 2021 Q1 will be January. The review for 2020 Q4 was October. Ratings Each model is rated out of five in our half-star system according to their performance, handling, appearance and desirability.…

Ceramic coating has become a bit of a buzz word in the detailing world over the last six to seven years. At first only used occasionally, now most owners of new or prestige 911s are seeking to use the product to help protect the car’s paint against inevitable marks, swirls, or stains picked up during the life of a car. This has taken on added importance in recent years as the values of Porsches have steadily risen, as protecting the paint and its condition is to protect the value of the vehicle itself. A ceramic coating is a liquid polymer applied to the exterior of a vehicle (as well as paint, it can also be applied to plastics and glass), which then chemically bonds to your 911’s paintwork. This creates…

PORSCHE CAR COVERS The Car Cover Shop If your Porsche 911 is destined for a winter hibernation, make sure it’s properly protected during its storage period with a premium cover from the Car Cover Shop. Designed specifically for the 996, 997 and 991 generations, these covers are custom, waterproof and breathable, with both indoor and outdoor covers available. Priced from £265, for more information and the full range of covers visit carcovershop.co.uk/covers-indoor-outdoor-porsche.asp. ‘AIRHEADS’ CASUAL T-SHIRTS RPM Technik Independent Porsche specialists RPM Technik are well known for their expertise in servicing, selling and restoration of Porsches. Their range of t-shirts come from years of working with a talented group of graphic designers and photographers, giving them plenty of cool Porsche content. Priced at £24.99, visit the website rpmtechnik.co.uk and use the…

There’s a slight crest that I’ve never really noticed before. Shortly after the exit of Goodwood’s Lavant corner, it coincides with the GT2 R reaching 4,000rpm when the turbos really start to make their presence felt. The rear goes light, there’s the slightest squirm as the 11-inch rear tyres hunt for traction, before the GT2 R’s rear hunkers back down, the engine runs around to its redline and I reach for another gear. Lavant Straight is far from it, being kinked, uphill but fast, and it’s here that the GT2 R’s engine forcefully reveals its potency, with fourth gear quickly devoured, the shift light flashing in the instruments in front of me as I push the clutch and reach for fifth. There’s no time to think. Just drive. That’s just…

993 Carrera The last of the air-cooled cars, 993 devotees revere it as the best of them. More sophisticated and with a top speed of 166mph, the undeniably handsome 993 is a more advanced 911, but our specialists concur, a 993 at this price will be useable, but likely to require considerable expenditure to maintain it. 996 Turbo Often held as the ultimate affordable supercar, a turbocharged 996 at this price should be in good order with no major spending required. An explosive performer when asked, but otherwise a relaxing GT, the 996 Turbo is recognisably 911, but likely to attract a different buyer from a 3.2 Carrera. 997.2 C2S £50,000 suffices for a low-mileage and full-history Gen2 997S. With a manual rather than PDK, the 997 will feel distinctly…

A generation that’s been largely lambasted for years, at last the 996 era is enjoying something of a renaissance as enthusiasts begin to come round to its merits. If you’re in the market for one, the good news is there’s plenty of models to choose from. The bad news is unless you want to pay top money, you might have to settle for a high-mileage example. So, with the many perceived perils of the 996 widely known, does an example with senior figures on the clock represent an even greater risk, financially? Chris Wright at the Oxfordshire-based specialists, Wrightune, doesn’t think so. “Even the youngest 996s are now 20 years old, so whether an example has a lot of miles on the clock or not, they are more likely to…

Michael Mauer joined Porsche in 2004, just as the company was coming out of the throes of its much-documented financial woe, the sales success of the 996/986 line, plus a cash boost from the new Cayenne SUV line, meaning the company could at last look up. The 997 generation was just coming to market, though Mauer had little to no say in any of its overall design development. While the 997.1 was released to wide acclaim, Mauer’s first masterstroke was to re-introduce a full-width rear reflector to the C4 and C4S for the equally popular 997.2 generation, a move which has since evolved into a full-width light bar and become synonymous with the styling of wide-bodied 911s. Mauer’s genius would again come to the fore with the 991.1: longer and…