Porsche 911: A triumph of engineering over physics

It could never work…could it? Slinging the engine out behind the rear axle was well and good for Ferdinand Porsche’s Volkswagen Beetle but the 911 was set to be the Porsche brand’s first six-cylinder coupe, a step beyond the Beetle-esque but beautiful 356. It was to be the brand's definitive sports car.

Of course, things have a way of working out. Despite challenges of near-bankruptcy and internal competition, the 911 survives to this day, 50 years young and stronger than ever.

Few cars have dominated their field, or scores of group tests and comparisons, in quite the same fashion as the 911. That it has done so over five decades is worthy of celebration.

Ur-911 (1963-1973)
Pretty as the Porsche 356 was, it was struggling in the value and power stakes. Porsche wanted to expand its range with a larger car to seat four; however, it feared opening itself up to mass-market competition. Thus it was decided to retain ‘occasional’ rear seating in a larger body. The project was a family affair, Dr Porsche’s son ‘Ferry’ overseeing the concept, while grandson ‘Butzi’ was credited with the styling.

Initially called ‘Typ 901’ the new car was renamed 911 after discovering Peugeot held the trademark for three number model designations with a zero in the middle.

Revealed at the 1963 Frankfurt motor show, the 911 featured a new air-cooled 1991cc horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine developing 96kW. A five-speed manual gearbox, MacPherson strut front suspension, independent torsion bar rear suspension, four-wheel disc brakes and rack-and-pinion steering foretold of the 911’s technological influence in the ensuing 50 years.

The 911 quickly became notorious for its ‘taily’ handling, which led the company to introduce the ‘B-Series’ for 1969. The wheelbase was extended, weight distribution changing from 41.5/58.5 per cent to 43/57 per cent (front/rear) as a result.

Key car: 1967’s 911 R (for ‘Racing’) mated a 157kW, 1991cc Carrera 906 engine to the 911 bodyIt weighed just 830kg and only 20 were built. A prototype is credited with winning the 84-hour Marathon de la Route at the Nurburgring.

1963 Porsche 911 2.0
Price (new): $7370
Engine: 2.0-litre six-cylinder petrol
Output: 96kW/161Nm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Wheels / Tyres: Steel 15 x 4.5-inch, 165-series tyres

G-Series to Carrera 3.2 (1974-1989)
By the introduction of the G-Series in 1974, the 911 had grown from being a single model to offering several trim levels, and even the option of a Targa open roof. The engine had also grown to 2341cc, producing 142kW in S form.

The G lost the purity of the Ur-911’s lines, thanks to the fitment of US-mandated impact bumpers.

All was not lost, however, as the new regular-production 911 Carrera included the 157kW, 2687cc  horizontally opposed six from 1973’s Carrera RS homologation special, along with its wider hips. A detuned version of the 2.7 was also installed into the base 911 and 911 S models, with 112kW and 130kW respectively.

Inside, all got new sculptured front seats with integrated head restraints.

For 1975, the Carrera could be optioned with the famous ‘whale tail’ rear spoiler first seen on the 1974 911 RSR racer and used on the 930 Turbo (see below). The Carrera would also receive an ‘atmo’ version of the Turbo’s 2993cc six for 1976.

An internal threat to the 911 arrived in 1978, in the form of the front-engine V8 928. Despite winning several ‘Car of the Year’ awards, the sleek four-seater lacked the rawness or involvement of the 911, the car it was designed to replace. Instead the 928 became an executive GT that sold alongside its sibling.

For 1982 a 911 Cabriolet was made available, with a 3164cc engine available as the Carrera 3.2 from 1983.

Key car: The 911 Turbo debuted in 1974. Taking an aluminium crankcase six of 2993cc as the base, Porsche added a KKK turbo to boost output to 194kW. The Turbo was built to homologate Porsche’s turbo race cars, but has since become a production stalwart.

1974 Porsche 911
Price (new): $15,157
Engine: 2.7-litre six-cylinder petrol
Output: 112kW/235Nm
Transmission: Five-speed manual (Four-speed in some markets)
Wheels / Tyres: Steel 15 x 5.5-inch, 185-series tyres

964 (1988-1993)
Given Porsche’s strength as a brand today, it’s hard to believe the 1980s were so problematic.

Despite several revisions, by decade’s end the 911 was still outwardly a 1970s vehicle in appearance and amenity. As a result, the Carrera 3.2 was suffering on showroom floors.

The substantially updated 964 generation came on-stream in November 1988. Under the new body was a first for the 911: all-wheel drive. Inspired by the limited-production 959 supercar, the 964 Carrera 4 ran a permanent system and actually beat the rear-drive Carrera 2 to market.

Also introduced in 964 was the Tiptronic automatic gearbox, Porsche’s first (Sportomatic, a semi-auto, was briefly available in earlier derivatives). Tiptronic was a four-speed unit that allowed driver intervention by ‘tipping’ the selector to change gear.

Under the rump of the thick bumpered 964 remained an air-cooled six cylinder, but now 3600cc and producing 184kW. The 964 Turbo initially ran an updated version of the 930’s 3.3-litre engine, before a bespoke 260kW, 3600cc unit arrived in 1993… Just as the 964 was being phased out.

Key car: Noted as the most hardcore 911 RS of all, the 964 revived the RS nameplate in 1991. Weighing 1230kg, the 194kW RS was 120kg lighter than the Carrera 2.

1989 Porsche 911 Carrera 2 (964)
Price (new): $174,499
Engine: 3.6-litre six-cylinder petrol
Output: 184kW/310Nm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Wheels / Tyres: Alloy 16 x 6.0-inch / 205/55 (f); 16 x 8.0-inch / 225/50 (r)

Key to the 993 experience was the inclusion of an alloy multi-arm rear suspension and subframe which allowed for more stable handling and reduced the traditional 911 tendency to punish slack driving with mass-induced oversteer.

A new six-speed manual accompanied an updated 964-based engine with power up to 200kW. The Carrera 4 gained a viscous coupling in place of the centre differential of the 964, further smoothing out the handling characteristics.

With all-wheel drive and twin turbocharging, the 993 turbo was a true weapon, its 304kW now capable of being fully deployed.

Key car: The 993-series introduced a moniker taken straight from GT racing. The 321kW 1995 911 GT2 was rear-wheel drive and nicknamed ‘The Widowmaker’ for its spiky power delivery.

1993 Porsche 911 Carrera (993)
Price (new): $179,900
Engine: 3.6-litre six-cylinder petrol
Output: 200kW/330Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Wheels / Tyres: Alloy 16 x 7.0-inch / 205/55 (f); 16 x 9.0-inch / 245/45 (r)

996 (1998-2004)
Despite being despised by some purists, the 996 was a solid success for Porsche. The purist position was understandable (and is reflected in the second-hand market) but its broader appeal ensured Porsche’s future.

A significantly larger 911, the 996 retained the horizontally opposed six, but the new 221kW 3387cc engine eschewed air-cooling, favouring a ‘greener’ water-cooled system.

The car’s exterior was redesigned for a smoother look, losing the trademark hips and integrating indicators into the controversially reclined headlights, while the interior grew substantially in size and quality.

The change to water-cooling enabled Porsche to adopt four-valve heads, though early 996s suffered from some teething troubles. These were largely rectified by 2001’s 235kW, 3596cc upgrade.

Rear and all-wheel drive models were again offered, the 313kW Turbo available for the first time with Tiptronic. Its wide body added visual aggression and was also available on the naturally aspirated Carrera 4S.

Key car: Another race-bred road car, the GT3 debuted in 1999. It utilised an incredible naturally-aspirated version of the 3600cc ‘Mezger’ dry-sump race engine, producing 268kW at 7200rpm.

1998 Porsche 911 Carrera (996)
Price (new): $184,200
Engine: 3.4-litre six-cylinder petrol
Output: 221kW/350Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Wheels / Tyres: Alloy 17 x 7.0-inch / 205/50 (f); 17 x 9.0-inch / 255/40 (r)

997 (2004-2011)
Typ 997 reflected more traditional 911 styling, re-establishing the circular headlight look and trademark curved hips of earlier cars, which added 88mm to rear width. Overall, the look was smoother, but as has always been the 911’s want, evolutionary rather than revolutionary.

Of greater significance was the introduction of a 256kW 3824cc engine for the Carrera S. The regular Carrera retained the 996’s 3596cc unit, massaged to 239kW.

For the 2009 model year the 997 was substantially refreshed, introducing a seven-speed PDK dual-clutch automated manual gearbox and direct fuel-injection. Capacities shifted slightly, to 3800cc (now with 283kW) and 3614cc (254kW) for Carrera S and Carrera models respectively.

Revised LED tail-lights and indicators were standard-fit; HID headlights and touch-screen sat-nav become options for the first time.

Initial 997 Turbos had 3600cc and 352kW; the facelift upping capacity to 3800cc and 368kW.

Key car: The limited-run 997 GT3 RS 4.0 produced 373kW at 8250rpm and was a fitting swansong to the 997 range. Only 600 were built, and it will go down as the last manual GT3 ever made.

2004 Porsche 911 Carrera (997)
Price (new): $195,225
Engine: 3.6-litre six-cylinder petrol
Output: 239kW/370Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Wheels / Tyres: Alloy 18 x 8.0-inch / 235/40 (f); 18 x 10.0-inch / 265/40 (r)

991 (2011-present)
As usual with the 911, the 991 series has been gradually being rolled out. ‘Base’ models predated the 2013 releases, a new GT3 and the fastest 911 road cars ever, the 991-series Turbo and Turbo S. In a sign of things to come, the top 911s are now only offered with PDK boxes.

With a yet-longer wheelbase, lower roofline and wider tracks, the 991 platform is more stable and roomy than the car it replaces, while achieving a drag co-efficient of only 0.29cd in the base Carrera.

With its seven-speed manual gearbox, idle-stop technology and downsized engine capacity, the standard 991 is comfortably the greenest 911 ever. The base Carrera (still available in rear- or all-wheel drive form) receives a 3436cc engine producing 257kW with claimed combined fuel consumption of 9.0L/100km; down from the 10.4L/100km of the 997. Adding PDK reduces this to just 8.4L/100km.

The Carrera S ups the ante with 294kW from its 3800cc motor. Capable of more than 300km/h, its combined fuel consumption is 9.5L/100km (8.7L/100km in PDK form).

Controversially, the 991 also introduced fuel-saving EPAS (electric power assisted steering) to the 911 range.

Today Porsche is as well known for its acronyms as any other German manufacturer, with PTV (Torque Vectoring), PASM (Active Suspension Management), PDCC (Dynamic Chassis Control), PSM (Stability Management) and PCCB (Carbon Ceramic Brakes) all available across the 911 line-up.

Fear not, however; the 991 generation presents another milestone in 911 history, still offering a unique dynamic experience with all the comfort and convenience you’d expect in a modern sports car starting at $206,500 (plus on-road costs).

2011 Porsche 911 Carrera (991)
Price (new): $206,500
Engine: 3.4-litre six-cylinder petrol
Output: 257kW/390Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed manual
Wheels / Tyres: Alloy 19 x 8.5-inch / 235/40 (f); 19 x 11.0-inch / 285/35 (r)