Innehållsförteckning för No. 233 från Total 911

Porsche’s 75th birthday celebrations came and went with dealerships around the world holding various gatherings to honour three-quarters of a century of exceptional sports cars. Porsche AG chose the milestone to unveil its Mission X concept. The car and its racing inspiration proved timely, given that the birthday celebrations coincided – almost to the day – with the centenary edition of Le Mans. Really, there’s little to be said about Mission X – a dreamed-up hypercar running on electric power… are you still awake? A far more fitting tribute would have been to release the long-awaited 911 ST into the wild, a car the general public has expected for the past 18 months or so now. Instead, the company will wait until September and the official 60th birthday of its…

The 997 Targa. Chances are you forgot about that one, and indeed the 996 before it. Porsche took a bit of a diversion with the Targa version of the 993, 996 and 997, with these models not coming with the immediate Targa signifier of a rollover bar and expansive wraparound rear glass. The 991 would return to that format, with some added opening and closing automated theatrics, all of which leaves those interim Targa models somewhat overlooked. Not here at Spotted, though, because we’re going to champion them, and specifically the 997 Targa – or more correctly, the Targa 4/4S. With the 997 onwards Porsche exclusively delivered the Targa models with four-wheel drive. As well as the added security of some drive going towards the front axle, the 4/4S brought…

There are 25 differing choices on the Porsche configurator for the 911. Sitting here in front of the online tool is like being a kid marvelling at the contents of a pick ’n’ mix cabinet. There are the Carrera models, be it regular or Carrera S, and these are the foundation mainstays in the line-up. Think of them as the Cola bottles: the Carrera is regular sized and non-fizzy; the Carrera S adds some fizzy coating to that; and the GTS throws in some size variations in combination with the S’s fizz. Those Turbos are the Sherbet Lemons: familiar shaped and a solid performer, with a wild buzz inside when you crunch through that fine, tasty exterior. The GT3 and RS? They’re Flying Saucers: a lightweight package that once inside…

Please don’t wreck it. I need my car in Imola next week.” The words of Larry ten Voorde echo through my head as I roar down the main straight of Zandvoort, the infamous track on the Netherlands’ North Sea coast. I’m behind the wheel of Larry’s 911 GT3 Cup, the machine in which the Dutchman goes for the double in this year’s Porsche Supercup and Carrera Cup Germany. Besides the usual smell of oil and petrol there’s still a hint of fresh paint inside the cockpit. In a one-make series where each hundredth of a second counts, most of the teams enter brand-new cars each year. As is the case at GP Elite, the team that Larry belongs to. As the grandstands and the pit buildings flash by and I…

Porsche reveals Mission X Concept The long-awaited replacement for the 918 Spyder has arrived… Porsche has gifted itself a 75th birthday present to remember, in the form of its Mission X hypercar concept Porsche has revealed an all-new hypercar concept. The Mission X is a dramatic-looking two-seater that follows in the tyre tracks of the 911-derived 959, Carrera GT and 918 Spyder before it. Unveiled at a special evening to mark the opening of the ‘75 Years of Porsche Sports Cars’ exhibition at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, the new car is described as a “reinterpretation” of the hypercar. With its Le Mans-style doors and an all-electric powertrain, the concept is likely to heavily influence a forthcoming production model. Measuring around 4.5 metres in length and two metres in width,…

This, ladies and gentlemen, is the DLS Turbo – Singer Vehicle Design’s most visually extreme restoration yet of Porsche’s venerable 911. Once again based on the 964-generation 911, this DLS Turbo is a throwback to the dynamic days of the 934 and 935 endurance racers, their big wings and bulging bodywork the result of Porsche engineer Norbert Singer’s clever interpretation of the FIA rule book. A captivating era of sports car racing for many, this heyday of group 4 and group 5 racing clearly had an impact on Singer’s founder, Rob Dickinson: “I was 12 when my father’s friend showed us his Super 8 film of the 1977 Watkins Glen Six Hours. As the familiar face of a Porsche 911 morphed into impossibly boxed hips, gaping intakes and a giant…

The Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) was no doubt keen to maximise the occasion of the 100th year since the first running of the Le Mans 24 Hours back in 1923. However, every participating manufacturer would also be going all-out to make their own statement in the 2023 race and to ensure this was a truly memorable event. The question is, how memorable was it for Porsche? From the outset, the top-tier LMDh class looked to be a tantalising affair. Toyota’s dominance in the Hypercar class over the past three years would be hotly contested by Porsche’s unrivalled record of wins at Le Mans, and Ferrari’s desire to set the record straight after a near six-decade absence from the race with a factory team. Cadillac, too, couldn’t be written off…

Lee Sibley Poole, UK @9werks_lee 9WERKS TV 9WERKS Radio Model 996.1 CARRERA Year 1998 Acquired JANUARY 2019 Model 996 40 JAHRE Year 2003 Acquired APRIL 2023 Memories like this really are made to last a lifetime. Last month, I had the pleasure of driving with a group of seven Porsche to Norway as part of the 9WERKS 2023 Road Trip Spectacular. Encompassing 3,500 miles through seven countries in eight days, this epic journey would, of course, be completed in Little Irish, my trusty 1998 996.1 Carrera. My passenger for this trip of a lifetime? My father! Our 9WERKS group met in Calais, France, after a quick hop through the Eurotunnel from the UK. There, we headed for Norway, via a personal tour of Marc Wegh’s collection behind closed doors at…

PART TWO 1973-1989 The 911 entered its second decade as an admired and familiar sports car. Dealers’ sales data showed that having purchased a 911, the buyer was very likely to replace it with another one. And fast though it was – Tony Dron’s 2.4S held its one-way maximum of 150mph over 4km – competitors were catching up. However, in October 1972, Porsche retook the lead, as it were, with the launch of the Carrera 2.7 RS. Created at the behest of Ernst Fuhrmann, the 2.7 RS was designed to give Porsche a credible racer in Group 3. Based on the 2.4T, the lightest of the 911 range, the shell was lightened further with the use of thinner-gauge steel on upper body panels, thinner glass except for the windscreen, while…

For someone who describes himself as ‘just a bloke’, Mike Brewer has enjoyed an exceptional career. The car dealer turned TV personality has been on our screens for years, recently celebrating the filming of the 20th series of his popular car show, Wheeler Dealers. On it, Mike secures a deal for a car in mechanical disarray, before handing it to his trusty mechanic, which these days is Marc ‘Elvis’ Priestley, to turn it around, before Mike flogs it on for what is hopefully a decent profit. The show has been watched by millions in the UK and US for years, with the odd Porsche making an appearance from time to time, too. This is telling, because away from the TV cameras, Mike has a real passion for Porsche, evidenced in…

Data file Full specs, ratings and market values of every Porsche 911 model from 1963 to 2023 can be found starting on page 78 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…

The homely setting of Ferry Porsche’s front room provides the backdrop for this informal gathering one evening in March 1974. This was a preliminary discussion on the possibility of cooperating with a car manufacturer in what was then the Soviet Union. Engineering consultancy has always been a significant income source at Porsche, and gathered here are engine-build chief Paul Hensler (back to camera); Horst Marchart, who managed technical cooperation with major suppliers such as Bosch; Hans Mezger, chief engineer; Wolfgang Eyb; and styling Studio director Tony Lapine. Ferry’s wife Dorothea is on the right, while not in shot is Ernst Fuhrmann. The following month, Horst, Hans and Wolfgang flew to Moscow, with Ernst leading the group, for what Hans described as four days of informative, but inconclusive talks. The inclusion…