Innehållsförteckning för No. 230 från Total 911

Shortly after sending another edition of this fine publication to the printers, I shall be off to Paragon Porsche to collect my new (to me) 40th Anniversary 911. It’s a special purchase for a number of reasons, which I’ll dive into in more detail on our 9WERKS Radio podcast and on YouTube via 9WERKS TV. However, in short I feel incredibly proud to own a numbered production 911 built to honour 40 years of our favourite sports car – one that’s given me a fantastic career and countless friends over the past decade or so. As a 996 evangelist, that it hails from the fifth-generation 911 is an added bonus. I appreciate that what might be a significant moment for me may hold little relevance to you, but there’s a…

Manual v Tiptronic Dear Sir, I’m a student from Ukraine, and wish to thank you for placing donation links on the pages of your unrivalled magazine. That means a lot to us! And now it’s time for a question. Being a student petrolhead, I want to gain a profound knowledge of the 911 lineup and its origins, because one day I’m going to buy one (or as many as I can!). My question is whether 911s with automatic gearboxes (before the introduction of PDK) are worth a look and deserve attention as cars not only for cruising, but for sheer driving pleasure as well? Thanks for your time and response! Dmytro Matolinets The Tiptronic gearbox, which was Porsche’s automatic gearbox for the 964 through to the 997 generations, is vastly…

When we drove Everrati’s restomod 964 two years ago (Total 911, issue 207), the idea of an electrified 911 seemed deeply divisive. Since then, registrations of new electric cars have soared 54 per cent, numerous brands – from Ford to Bentley – have committed to going fully EV by 2030, and the Taycan has regularly been Porsche GB’s best-seller. Perhaps a battery-powered 911 is no longer quite so controversial? “We’ve definitely seen a change,” says Vic Crofts, head of marketing at Electrogenic. “People used to ask us why you would convert a classic car to electric power. Now they ask us how to do it.” We’ll get to the why later, as it remains a valid question. But first, let’s focus on the how, because Electrogenic’s new drop-in EV conversion…

3.2 Targa breakfast run Enthusiasts of different ages will have contrasting views on the design of the impact bumper 911 series. I was born in 1981, and only later discovered that these bumpers came about as a direct result of new crash safety legislation in the USA. Then I realised why some enthusiasts (especially those building 911 outlaws) quickly remove these bumpers as they put together their personalised build – it gives any 911 a much smoother look. However, if you’re used to these bumpers then you quickly see past them. This year we celebrate no less than 50 years of this era of 911, which enjoyed the longest production, from late 1973 through to 1989. It’s the 911s from the final years of the impact bumper cars (think 1986…

This classic ‘rogues gallery’ photograph was taken at Porsche’s 1977 awards ceremony, which is traditionally held at Weissach every December. 1977 had been a good year for Porsche Motorsports: another Le Mans win, and German national and world sports car champions. Indeed, it would prove something of a high watermark. Ernst Fuhrmann’s restrictions on high-profile racing and further development of the 911 would keep Porsche works teams out of top-flight competition until 1981. The two ‘rogues’ on the left are familiar faces. Jochen Mass and Jürgen Barth were members of the Le Mans-winning Porsche-Martini team, as was Manfred Schurti on the far right of the shot. In the centre is the eternally shy Rolf Stommelen, who had not been a regular Porsche works driver since 1969, but whose Gelo-entered 935…

Porsche and Total 911 mourn the death of Harald Wagner, who’s passed away aged 99. A long-time director of sales at the company, Herr Wagner’s Porsche legacy is assured, for it was he who came up with the Targa name and who championed the concept of factory deliveries, as seen here (right) with a beaming 959 customer in 1988. Total 911 would like to thank the late Herr Wagner for his contributions to the history of our iconic sports car.…

Special 911s don’t get more so than a one-of-one car, which is exactly what this month’s Spotted focuses on. You might have seen the car on Porsche’s social media pages. This one-of-a-kind 911 Classic Club Coupe was produced in collaboration with the Porsche Club of America (PCA) alongside Alexander Fabig, who’s head of individualisation at Porsche, and famed designer Grant Larson of Style Porsche. To be honest, we didn’t pay too much attention when this car first appeared on our radar. However, reading about it now reveals that the project – dubbed Project Grey – has changes running far deeper than a mere cosmetic makeover. This is borne out by a build time of two-and-a-half years. It’s taken its inspiration from the limited 250 build series 997 Sport Classic from…

My first real contact with Porsche was at the end of 1980,” recalls Walter Röhrl, as we chat over breakfast at the recent launch of the 911 Dakar. Having won the 1980 World Rally Championship with Fiat in a 131 Abarth, Walter, along with Finish ace Ari Vatanen, had signed a multi-year contract to drive for Mercedes-Benz from 1981 in an SL. Soon afterwards, Daimler’s management got cold feet. They were concerned by the possibility of the company’s expensive flagship being beaten by lightweight, mainstream Opels and Fiats, generating adverse publicity for the upmarket brand. Mercedes-Benz hastily cancelled its rallying programme in December. It bought out Walter’s contract, but left the incumbent World Rally Champion without a drive. Spotting an opportunity, visionary Porsche engineer, Helmuth Bott, telephoned Walter with a…

For the enthusiast, a car is defined among other features by its exhaust note. TVR is one of the best examples of this. Historically, the mass manufacturers fitted the cheapest mild steel pipes they could obtain. This gave rise to a huge aftermarket for companies such as Peco or Speedwell, which sold chromed tailpipes and larger-bore stainless steel componentry in their hundreds of thousands to car owners seeking more noise and (often misguidedly) performance. At Porsche, things were slightly different. The rear engine meant the exhaust was much shorter and more convoluted, and the 911’s exhaust, like the rest of the car, was properly engineered to duct away waste gases without compromising performance. Few Porsche fans complained that 1970s or 1980s 911s weren’t loud enough! Indeed, the apogée of 911…

Data file Full specs, ratings and market values of every Porsche 911 model from 1963 to 2023, including the early 911S models, can be found starting on page 80 Plus Showroom Looking for a new 911? The classifieds from our independent specialist partners are the first place where 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…

Porsche leads fight for ICE survival eFuels could save the 911 from an enforced electric future, but while Porsche is an advocate, Volkswagen boss, Thomas Schäfer, has called the debate “unnecessary noise”… Porsche is leading the fight for sustainable fuels, which may be able to save the 911’s internal combustion engine (ICE) from extinction. In February, the brand opened its first eFuels production facility in Punta Arenas, Chile. The project is the result of a $100 million investment by Porsche into HIF Global LLC, a synthetic fuel producer and one that also counts ExxonMobil and Siemens Energy among its backers. The new Haru Oni eFuels plant is the result of the partnership. The facility enables Porsche to produce synthetic fuels on an industrial scale for the first time, generating 130,000…

It doesn’t seem like yesterday we were celebrating Porsche’s 70th anniversary, but five years have flown by and we figured it’d be wrong not to give some recognition to Porsche’s latest milestone. That’s 75 years of Porsche and some 60 years since the company introduced the car that’s the focus of this magazine. We’re taking those 75 years, adding three zeros and setting that as a theoretical budget for us to buy a 911. That £75,000 budget is a tidy sum, no question. However, it won’t stretch to a new 992 Carrera, which costs £89,800 before you’ve ticked a single option box. So we’re binning off the Porsche configurator today and instead going for a trawl through the marketplace. Because we’re currently on Porsche’s own website, though, we’re off for…

HISTORY & TECH In the early 1990s, sports car racing was in the doldrums. Partly at the instigation of Jürgen Barth, a new series – the BPR Championship – was created to bring together various one-make competitions. Initially, Porsche’s entry was the 3.8 964 RSR, but once the 993 Turbo was in production, Weissach entered the GT2 category with a lightened, rear drive-only Turbo 911: the 993 GT2. While never achieving the dominance of the 935 20 years earlier, the 993 GT2 upheld Porsche’s honour through five seasons. With the advent of the 996, Porsche chose to move down to GT3. This far less-costly class opened the field to many more teams and private owners, and potentially more business for Porsche – a strategy that the 20-year success of GT3…

Michelle Hambly collection Michelle Hambly’s garage is such an inviting place. Although primarily a place to store cars, it’s also a library, a coffee corner, and contains other memorabilia that pulls you closer to the Porsche brand. This is a place where you’ll want to learn more about the sports car from Stuttgart. A place that invites you to relax, take your cup of coffee and start paging through one of the many books on Porsche. A place that manages to successfully combine the atmosphere of a garage with a Porsche museum. Michelle’s Porsche shrine didn’t happen overnight though. There’s a long history behind her efforts in acquiring all of these cars, books and memorabilia. The floor on which Michelle’s cars are parked is the entrance to her house. Is…