Given that the Porsche 911 is widely considered the king of all sports cars, with the Corvette and Nissan GT-R being considered just imitations, it’s interesting how few others have adopted its quirks. It’s one of the last rear engined cars you can buy, and that has long made from some very scary handling. It’s also incredibly expensive compared to its rivals and the optional extras are comically expensive. So what do people see in it?
The original Porsche was an engineering consulting business run by Ferdinand Porsche. Ferdinand, with help from Hitler, was able to build his People’s Car, or Volkswagen. But after the war, Ferry was thrown in prison for war crimes and his children Louise and Ferdinand Jr. decided to go into business building sports cars. The first creation was the 1948 356. It used numerous components from their father’s creation, the Beetle, including the air cooled rear engined layout. By 1963, the 356 was outdated and needed replacement.
The name 911 was simply an internal project number. It was originally named 901 but Peugeot objected stating that 3 digit names with a zero in the middle violated their copyright, so it became the 911 and was launched in 1963. There is something to be said for a name so technical and authentic, rather than being a product of focus groups or consultants. The 911 was leaps and bounds ahead of the 356 it replaced, it was larger, more powerful, and much more comfortable.
The first 911 would last until 1989 and be built in a bewildering array of variants that I cannot possibly go through. The one I will cover is the Turbo, introduced in 1975. Turbocharging was a very exotic thing back then, not like today where you can get it in a Ford F-150. The Turbo got upgraded brakes, suspension, and a big fat spoiler, all these were needed given the monster that lied under the trunklid. There was a 3 liter 6 cylinder Turbo engine that made 256 horsepower and could get to 60 in 5.2 seconds. That’s quick today and was blisteringly fast in the 70s. But that much power and a rear engined layout made for a scary combination. The 911 acquired a reputation for severe oversteer.
Pretty much every legendary car has had to thwart attempted replacements and the 911 ia no exception. By 1970, rear engined cars were going extinct, in no small part due to Corvairgate. Managing director Ernst Fuhrmann wanted the company to build a grand tourer to replace the 911, the result was the 928, launched in 1977. Its front mounted water cooled engine and much higher price compared to the 911 alienated purists. And Fuhrmann’s replacement, Peter Schutz, thought the 911 still had potential, so both cars sold side by side until the 928 was axed in 1995.
1989 was a pretty uneventful year in West Germany, with the exception of Porsche’s introduction of a brand new 911. The platform number is 964, but the 911 name was so famous that it stuck. While it looked like the old car with new bumpers, it was vastly different underneath. Unlike Ferraris, Porsches were designed as cars, not toys. The new 911 had standard antilock brakes and power steering. You could even get automatic climate control. The old torsion bar suspension was replaced by a fully independent coil spring system. The introduction of optional all wheel drive made the handling a little less terrifying. The turbo model returned, and could be had with as much as 380 horsepower, propelling it to 60 in 4 seconds.
The 993, introduced in 1994, saw the first clean break with old styling. The fully flush front end was very attractive and made it possible to tell a new 911 from one that was 30 years old. The new 911 shared just 20% of its parts with its predecessor. The introduction of double wishbone suspension further improved ride and reduced oversteer. For the first time, the 911 Turbo could be had with all wheel drive.
In 1997, Porsche sold out. The air cooled engine was replaced by a water cooled one. That, and the new “fried egg” headlights, were controversial. The truth is Porsche had no choice. Air cooled engines are noisy and produce lots of smog, and their less reliable cooling system didn’t work with the new 4 valves per cylinder. The problem of oversteer was finally cured by the introduction of electronic stability control, making the 911 less scary in the hands of novice drivers. The most powerful model was the GT2 RS with 476 horsepower.
The 997 arrived in 2005. Round headlights made a comeback and reception was extremely positive. The 2000s were a chaotic time at Porsche. They were now building an SUV. And their attempts to take control of Volkswagen failed due to the recession and instead VW took over Porsche. The 911 was a familiar face in an uncertain world. In 2009, the 911 got direct injection and a new twin clutch automated manual transmission.
The current 911, the 991, was introduced in 2011. It made use of electric power steering for the first time. The most powerful engine in the GT2 RS now makes 700 horsepower. With use of composites, aluminum, and high strength steel, it was lighter the old model. It is also one of the first cars to offer a 7 speed manual transmission. It also continues Porsche’s habit of completely illogical controls with buttons dumped all over the center console. The 911 continues to shine as a hard charging sports car that’s extremely easy to live with. It is shorter than a Toyota Corolla and has lots of glass area, making it very easy to park. It has a very comfortable ride and an extremely well finished interior. The 911 is truly a car that can justify its very high price.
The all new 992 was unveiled on November 27 in Los Angeles. It’s wider than the old one and uses lightweight aluminum body panels. It should continue to be excellent.
From its humble origins, the 911 has turned into a legend. A Corvette may be cheaper, a Nissan GT-R may be more reliable, and an Audi R8 may offer superior mid engined handling, but there is only one 911, a sports car built with the cold and ruthless efficiency of a Swiss watch. Even though Porsche is now building a luxury sedan and 2 SUVs, the 911 is still the crown jewel of the lineup. It should continue to be the sports car to beat.