Porsche 911: Six degrees of separation

It's hard to imagine any car design lasting close to 50 years -- let alone a low-volume sports car -- but Porsche's 911 has done just that.

Despite persisting with an antiquated rear-wheel drive, rear engine design, Porsche's 911 remains one of the world's most successful and recognisable performance cars.

Its ageless silhouette and 2+2 layout has not only proved long-lived but practical, at least amongst sports cars (ever tried squeezing a golf bag into a late-model Ferrari?!)

Continuous development, with the benefits of motorsport success, has seen it grow from a basic, sporty coupe to a techno-laden, world-class supercar with more variants than Ferdinand Porsche could have ever imagined.

So on the eve of the launch of the new '991' series -- and after the production of around 600,000 911s -- let's look back at 48 years and six generations of the Porsche flagship...

Following the formula of Porsche's first 356 sports car, the new 911 featured a 2.0-litre, six-cylinder, carburettored engine with overhead camshafts, five-speed gearbox, semi-trailing arm rear suspension and monocoque body.

Unlike today's broad-hipped 911s, the original's slim proportions, delicate bumpers and chrome detailing gave it a clean aerodynamic shape, still admired by collectors today. The shape would remain essentially unchanged until 1974, when US safety laws required higher bumpers.

Its boxer engine barely pumped out 100kW, but weighing just 1000kg it was still good for a spritely eight second dash to 100km/h and 190km/h top speed.

Combined with a responsive chassis and robust design, competition success came quickly, with strong results in European Championship rallying including Monte Carlo wins from 1968-70.

In Australia, Porsche importer Alan Hamilton almost pulled off one of the great upsets when his giant-killing 2.0-litre 911, up against V8 muscle cars, came one point short of winning the 1969 Touring Car Championship.

A cheaper, four-cylinder 912 was also available, as was an often derided four-speed Sportomatic semi-auto transmission, and the "world's first safety convertible", the 911 Targa, with fixed roll bar and folding rear window.

The 911 S with more powerful 119kW engine and desirable, light alloy Fuchs rims arrived in 1966; the same year Australia saw its first 911.

By the early-'70s, to comply with US emission laws, Porsche developed a 2.4-litre boxer engine that ran on unleaded, and the 911 became the first production sports car with a front spoiler.

But the highlight of the 911's first decade is undoubtedly the revered Carrera RS 2.7, described as "one of the ultimate road cars of all time". Porsche built just 1590 examples of the lightweight, competition special, with 157kW 2.7-litre boxer engine, wider wheels and fibreglass racing enhancements.

Australia is also home to an even more desirable 911 2.8 RSR, one of 46 built in 1973 for GT racing.  A former owner of the 2.8 RSR, Melbourne car dealer Jeff Dutton, once said of this factory-built race car: "It's the definitive 911. But then, there's never been a bad one either."

For that once-in-a-lifetime experience I can thank the Porsche engineers that developed the first, and vastly more temperamental, '930' 911 Turbo launched in 1975.

One of the fastest production cars of its day, it initially had a 190kW 3.0-litre engine with single turbocharger, and quickly developed a fearsome reputation for brutal acceleration punctuated by extreme turbo lag and potentially violent oversteer.

It also matched the Lamborghini Countach and Ferraris of the time in the menacing looks department; crouched low with flared guards, wide wheels, and big 'whale tail' rear wing.

The ultimate racetrack version of the 930 Turbo was the Type 935/78 "Moby Dick", the most powerful 911 derivative ever built. Unfortunately, reliability of this 630kW monster was never a strongpoint, and its competition career lasted four races, including eighth place overall at Le Mans.

More driver-friendly than the original, the second-generation 'G Model' 911, produced from 1973-88, saw the 911 coupe lose some of its prettiness with impact-absorbing bumpers required for the US market, while passengers were protected by three-point seat belts.

Hot-galvanised sheet metal for the 911 body substantially increased longevity, and a bigger 2.7-litre engine with Bosch fuel injection resulted in more torque and better fuel economy.

The early-'80s saw the 911 SC Cabriolet with its three-hoop soft-top roof, and the popular 911 SC become the 911 Carrera, with revised 3.2-litre flat six engine developing 172kW.

The Carrera Speedster of 1989 was a special version of the 911 Cabriolet, with shorter, more-angled windscreen, moulded hump-back and leaky soft-top. Limited numbers meant the open top sportster quickly became a collector's item, with some rare right-hand drive versions making their way Down Under.

And perhaps an early sign of Porsche's future SUV ambitions: a Rothmans-sponsored, jacked-up 911 Carrera 4x4 delivered a surprise victory at the punishing 1984 Paris-Dakar Rally.

BACK TO FRONT
By the early-'70s, and amidst a global fuel crisis 911 sales were down by about 25 per cent, and there was the increasing likelihood rear-engined cars would be banned in the US on safety grounds.

Porsche's plan of attack was to find a 911 replacement, rolling out a succession of front-engined models including the Audi-engined 924, four-cylinder 944 and 968 and V8-powered 928. But after 19 years it finally abandoned its front-engined experiment as the 911 continued to prosper and attract new buyers.

Arriving in 1989, the third-generation '964' kept the 911 juggernaut going for another five years. First off the rank was the all-wheel drive 911 Carrera 4 with 186kW, 3.6-litre engine and automatically extending rear spoiler, followed by the Carrera 2.

With almost 90 per cent of its parts new, interior comfort and safety took a big step up with climate control, power steering and dual airbags, while improved aerodynamics and a quieter engine reduced interior noise.

Other improvements included a new coil spring over shocker absorber suspension (replacing the old torsion-bar set-up), new Tiptronic automatic transmission and anti-lock brakes.

Thanks to the new Carrera Cup series, just over 2000 second-generation Carrera 2 RS were built. Another lightweight 'stripper', it came with manual windows, racing bucket seats, and 194kW, 3.6-litre engine.

The even more potent (and uncomfortable) 911 Turbo S arrived in 1992, with 284kW 3.3-litre turbo engine, no rear seats and no radio.

Available in eight versions, the 993 series really brought the 911 into the modern era, starting with chief designer Harm Lagaay's "muscular" reshaping of the classic shape, including new 'poly-ellipsoid' headlights that delivered 50 per cent more light.
New multi-link rear suspension with aluminium components transformed the 911's cornering grip and stability, making it the user-friendliest 911 to date.

The 3.6-litre flat six gained 16kW to compensate for the 22 extra kilos, making it quicker to 100km/h (5.6sec) and faster (270km/h max).

After a brief hiatus the Turbo 911 returned, with a vengeance, packing a 304kW twin turbo engine, more luxury, more speed but minus the 930's temper. As Porsche continued to fight the flab of its increasingly feature-laden 911, the new Turbo was fitted with hollow-spoke 18-inch aluminium wheels amongst other weight-saving measures.

The trophy cabinet at Zuffenhausen was getting overcrowded, too, after the 911-based GT1 sports racing car finished 1-2 in class (and second and third overall) at the 1996 Le Mans 24 Hours. Twenty-five, 400kW road-going versions of the Le Mans winner were built for well-heeled buyers.

BRAVE NEW WATER WORLD
Despite each new generation of 911 boasting extensive redevelopment, a common complaint of new 911s is the perceived lack of visual change.

This was less of an issue with the '996' series (1997-2004); its Boxster-like, integrated 'peanut' headlights such a departure from the norm even diehard enthusiasts took umbrage. The cleaner, fastback design delivered a low drag coefficient of .30cD though, so it wasn't all bad news.

With comfort features like climate control and a leather-lined cabin, the 996 was designed to take the German two-door upmarket and appeal to a wider audience.

While some lamented the air-cooled engine's departure, the water-cooled engine's design allowed four valves per cylinder. Although smaller, the new 3.4-litre flat six made more power (221kW) and torque and used less fuel than the air-cooled unit.

With improved brakes, chassis dynamics, suspension and handling, the 911 was now truly a car you could take from the showroom floor straight to the race track and drive phenomenally fast. As one tester remarked: "It flatters even average drivers and in such an unfussed way."

Channeling the spirit of the legendary RS, the 911 GT3 featured a high-revving 265kW 3.6-litre engine with dry sump lubrication; the Club Sport 'R' version delivering another class win for Porsche at Le Mans.

The 996 Turbo (and Turbo S) gained a five-speed auto, PSM stability control system and optional carbon ceramic brakes. And for those who liked to live on the edge, the 340kW GT2 was a lighter, faster Turbo offshoot with rear-wheel drive and no PSM.

This was brought home to me during a drive of a 997 Carrera coupe on a very wet, slippery Baskerville circuit in Tasmania. Despite my best heavy-handed attempts to lose control around bends, the 'hand of God' electronic system refused to let the car spin, repeatedly restoring grip and forward motion with driver-flattering ease.

After more than 40 years, the 911 had really become the supercar your Grandma could drive to the shops.

Stiffer, wider, more stable and more forgiving than any 911 before, the 997 also saw a return to traditional round headlights, despite the 996 series with more than 175,000 sales being the most successful 911 ever.

Now with direct injection, the aluminium 3.6-litre flat six had another power hike, to 253kW, while a 282kW 3.8-litre version powered the Carrera S.

A new six speed manual was joined by the PDK, double-clutch auto 'box, allowing Jim Richards-speed shifting with accompanying downshift throttle 'blips'.

Variable rate rack-and-pinion steering delivered pin-sharp response, and PASM with active damper control provided comfort around town or taut handling on the track, all at the press of a button.

In the 911 Turbo, achieving sub-four seconds for the 100km/h sprint was as easy as dialling up the electronic launch control and putting the pedal to the metal.

Throw in six airbags, side impact protection, and 30,000km service intervals, and 911 buyers really were getting one of the most sophisticated and best value sports cars in the world.

And just to prove you can't get too much of a good thing, the 997 911 is also remarkable for the mind-boggling array of derivatives it has spawned: 42 at last count.  The seemingly never-ending supply of limited editions or race specials has ranged from a sexy 'Black Edition' to the wicked GT3 RS 4.0, which boasts the biggest 911 engine to date: a 4.0-litre flat-six engine with Pirelli-frying 368kW.

While it continues to improve and adapt to a world of depleted oil stocks and rising fuel costs (hybrid or electric 911, anyone?), there's no reason Porsche's evergreen sports car won't be around for many more years and generational changes to come.