r8okf 4h5

99 96 C4S ROAD TRIP TO THE COTE D’AZUR 992 CARRERA V CARRERA S

Is the entry-level 992 a more engaging drive?

tal911.com

BE INSPIRED TO GET OUT AND DRIVE

E H C S R O P E T TH S I L T E K C U B

S T N E S E R P 1 1 9 L TOTA

G N I R O L P X E OF T S E B E TH RE U T L U C 1 1 9

PLAN YOUR PERFECT ROAD TRIP

PLUS TIPS FOR TRYING SOMETHING NEW

GET THE MOST FROM YOUR 911’S PERFORMANCE

SINGER INTERVIEW 997 GT3 RS 4.0 Maverick motorsport supremo Norbert Singer on how he ripped up the FIA rulebook

Comprehensive info and expert buying advice for the halo 997

DEVELOPMENT OF THE SC’S FLAT SIX EVERY MODEL RATED 1963-2020 ON TRACK IN A RUF CTR1 VIC ELFORD GUEST COLUMN ISSUE 188

DigitalEdition

3

Welcome

W

here’s the road ahead taking you this year? With Christmas and the New Year well and truly done and dusted, it’s time to start looking forward to the warmer months ahead, for those of us in the northern hemisphere at least. Daylight hours are getting longer, salt is disappearing from our roads, and already there’s a whiff of anticipation in the air as the year’s early car events take place. At last, summer will soon be on its way.

The sunny season will of course bring about plenty of opportunities to get out and drive, but for the big-ticket activities – namely track days and road trips with friends – careful planning will have begun in earnest.

It’s for this reason we present to you the definitive Porsche bucket list for 2020: our main feature this issue provides you with 20 activities that’ll help you to live your best Porsche life

and get the absolute most from your 911 and the thriving culture around it. Our list has been carefully compiled with the help of fellow enthusiasts to provide a well-rounded year of 911 fun.

It’s possible to complete our list with the one 911, regardless of wether it’s old or new, or what model type it may be. The question is, can you do them all before the year’s out? And is there anything else on your Porsche bucket list for this year that we’ve not included?

Issue 188 also brings to an end Vic Elford’s residency as guest columnist. Compiled by Tony McGuiness, we’ve all enjoyed 14 stellar instalments of Elford’s (above, at Goodwood recently) incredible insight as one of the most decorated drivers ever to pilot a Porsche in competition. Mr Elford, it’s been a pleasure aand d an h bli hi g your memoirs in our magazine. honour publishin

“We present to you the definitive Porsche bucket list for 2020” Facebook

Twitter

YouTube

/total911magazine

@total911

/total911magazine

LEE SIBLEY • Editor E: lee.sibley@futurenet.com T: +44 (0)1202 586200

www.total911.com Visit us for up-to-date news and debate

4 Zuffenhausen, Stuttgart, Germany

Opening Celebrating the birth of a legend: 2020 got off to a flying start with the release of a new 911 on New Year’s Day. Marking the 75th birthday of the legendary racing driver Jacky Ickx, the Belgian Legend Edition is the first special model of the 992 era, finished in a bespoke Paint To Sample colour. Here, the man himself is united with one of the 75 Belgian Legend cars to be built.

Photograph by Porsche AG

5

6 Contents

Contents ISSUE #188 FEBRUARY 2020

ESSENTIALS

Update Your Porsche-specific news, motorsports and a final guest column slot from Vic Elford

Views Highlights from your Porsche correspondence via email, social media and Total911.com

Subscriptions Become a loyal subscriber and get the magazine delivered early to your door

Living the Legend Real-world reports from our global collective of 911 owners

8

87

14

88

36

113

78

114

Premier Porsche All the industry contacts you need to buy, tune, restore or upgrade your Porsche 911

Data file Stats, specs, and updated market values for every 911 model 1963-2020

Coming soon Take a look ahead at the bespoke Porsche content awaiting you next issue

911 icon: Ferdiand Piëch The late Ferdinand Piëch pushed the boundaries with Porsche and the 911 in a quest for success on the circuit and in the sales room

F E AT U R E S

20 things to do with your 911 in 2020

A new year brings promise, and we’ve tailored a special bucket list of things to do with your 911 to get the very most from it

992 Carrera v Carrera S The Editor puts Porsche's Carrera S against its base model brother to see if the S is worth the upgrade

996 Carrera 4S road trip Steve Hall takes his wide-bodied 996 for a spirited blast along the French Riviera

The big interview: Norbert Singer Norbert Singer made his name reinterpreting the rulebook. He sits down with Kieron Fennelly to look back on his notable successes

114

48

16

56

28

64

38

70

48

96

Porsche Index: 997 GT3 RS 4.0 The halo RS 4.0 is more accessible than it has been in the previous three years. Here’s how to get yourself a good example

911 tech: the SC’s flat six Labelled as underpowered by critics, the SC’s flat six nevertheless boasted quiet revolution inside. We show you how Porsche evolved it

CTR genesis The original CTR is as much an engineering marvel today as it was when crowned the fastest car in 1987. We look at one made for Alois Ruf himself

Spotlight: Williams Crawford This Cornwall-based specialist has built a reputation for quality through its sales, service ands restoration projects

64

7

70

56

YOUR 911 HOME For Total 911 back issues & subscriptions ubscriptions visit

www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk

16

28

38

8 Update

8SGDʞH

Latest news, key dates, star products & race results from the world of Porsche

Belgian Legend Edition 992 revealed Special Carrera 4S pays homage to Jacky Ickx Porsche has revealed its first special edition of the 992-generation 911. The Belgian Legend Edition, made by Porsche Exclusive, pays homage to one of the greatest racing drivers of all time, Jacky Ickx, who turned 75 in January.

Based on a 992 Carrera 4S, the car is finished in a unique Paint To Sample hue of ‘X Blue’, inspired by Ickx’s trademark blue-and-white helmet. This colour combination features in the wheels, with white detailing on the 992’s Carrera Classic wheels executed in homage to the white

border around Ickx’s helmet visor. The car’s interior features black leather with pebble grey cross stitching throughout, the latter executed by hand. The ‘X’ made by the stitching is a direct reference to the special colour of the car.

Ickx’s autograph is embossed on the arm rest, while ‘911’ is embossed into the seat headrests, a unique feature for the 992 to date. A subtle Belgian flag and print of Ickx’s signature on the driver’s-side B-pillar rounds off the Belgian Legend Edition.

Limited to 75 units, the car will be on sale for Belgian customers only via the country’s official importers D’ieteren. The Belgian Legend Edition follows in the footsteps of the 991.2 C4 GTS British Legends Edition, a Porsche Exclusive model built for the UK market only in 2017 to honour Brit drivers Nick Tandy, Richard Attwood and Derek Bell. All three versions of the British Legends Edition were presented in colours reminiscent of each driver’s most notable race car livery.

New Porsche Club GB meet

Total 911 special for issue 189

Porsche Club Great Britain has announced details of an all-new gathering for members in 2020. ‘Das Feuer’ will take place on Sunday 22 March at the Fire Service College, opposite the PCGB club house, in Moreton-in-Marsh. The static event will feature rare road and race cars from throughout Porsche’s rich history.

The makers of Total 911 have announced issue 189 will be a special edition, where buyers and subscribers will be treated to a Porsche package containing the usual 116-page magazine plus a bumper buyer’s guide bookazine for every generation of 911. Readers should look out for the bagged package in all good book shops on February 28.

9

Last 991 rolls off the production line Final Speedster build marks end of an era at Zuffenhausen The 911 production line at Werk II will now be solely reserved for the 992, after Porsche announced it had built its final 991. A Speedster with Heritage Pack rolled off the production line as the last ever 991, bringing an end to the most popular generation of 911 in terms of build numbers.

A total of 233,540 991s were made since its inception in the autumn of 2011, meaning one in five 911s ever produced hails from the 991 era.

Michael Steiner, chief research and development officer for Porsche AG, was philosophical about the outgoing 911: “The 991 generation in particular has set new standards in terms of performance, drivability and efficiency. It fills me with pride, as well as a touch of sadness, to have to send it off into retirement.”

The end of 991 production paves the way for Porsche to ramp up its Taycan programme, which will be built alongside the 911 at Zuffenhausen.

The move also coincides with a soon-to-beannounced expansion of the 992 line-up, with models including the Turbo, Targa and GT3 set to be revealed this year.

Porsche deliveries up 10% in 2019

What’s on in 2020

Impressive figures despite tough economic conditions Porsche has released its vehicle delivery data for 2019, showing an impressive 10 per cent increase in cars delivered worldwide. Some 280,800 vehicles were delivered in total last year, though 190,000 of those were either the company’s Cayenne or Macan SUVs. The 12-month period saw an impressive upturn in Europe, where

Six Hours of Sao Paulo 30 January 1 February Round 5 of 8 in the 2019/20 FIA WEC sees the new RSR race for the first time in 2020

sales were actually boosted by 15 per cent, usurping both the US and Chinese markets, which are traditional strongholds for the Zuffenhausen company.

Despite tough economic conditions, Porsche is confident it will build on these results in 2020, with order books for its electric-only Taycan already full.

Formula E 2019/20 race 4 15 February Mexico City hosts the fourth e-prix of Porsche’s inaugural season

N w 993

elleased

Special edition celebrates 25 years of the last air-cooled 911 Th G The German publishing bli hi house Berlin Motor Books has released its first book dedicated to the Porsche 993.

Celebrating 25 years of the last 911 powered by an air-cooled flat six, the book features detailed buying advice, in-depth info on special models, plus an array of photographs

previously i l unseen ffrom the Porsche archive.

Made with the help of 993 project manager Bernd Kahnau, plus chief designer Tony Hatter, the book is limited to 1,998 copies and is available from berlinmotorbooks. de, priced at €99. The book is printed in both German and English.

Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance 6-8 March World’s finest concours follows high-brow auctions from leading houses Geneva Motor Show 5-15 March Porsche will use the show to debut a new addition to the 992 line-up Petrolhead Tour of Scotland 19-24 April Take in Scotland’s spectacular scenery with likeminded driving enthusiasts

10 Motorsport

Prominent news and results from racing series around the globe

Porsche sets out road map for 2020 motorsport success Driver changes plus programme commitments announced Weissach has revealed its plans for the 2020 motorsports season, as it looks to build on successes in a series of campaigns last year.

Although the factory team has pulled out of top-level competition in the WEC, Porsche has announced the two factory RSRs currently competing in the competition’s GT category will once again be joined by two further RSRs from the Stateside USCC for Le Mans in June, meaning four works 911s will tackle the famous 24-hour marathon at La Sarthe just like in 2019.

Porsche has also announced some minor changes to its driver roster for the 2020 season.

The most high-profile departure is that of Brendon Hartley, who most notably paired with Mark Webber in a 919 e-hybrid in the WEC. Long-time Porsche stalwarts Jorg Bergmeister and Timo Bernhard are retiring from the cockpit but will remain with the company as brand ambassadors.

They will be replaced on the 18-strong driver roster by Mathieu Jaminet and Matt Campbell, who are both from Porsche’s own

2020 Esports qualifying under way Online Supercup racing series returns for second season Porsche has again teamed up with online gaming platform iRacing to bring a second season of the popular Esports Supercup championship.

Qualifying sessions for the new series began in mid-December and will last a total of 12 weeks. Then, in May, the top 20 qualifiers will join the fastest 20 drivers from last season to compete over ten weekends at virtual versions of the world’s most iconic race tracks. The aim is to see who will follow in the footsteps of Australian Joshua Rogers and be crowned 2020 champion.

New additions for the competition’s second season include a two-day test on the Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona, for racers

to prepare for the demands of the season ahead.

Porsche Motorsport Esports manager, Marco Ujhasi, said at launch of the first qualifying session: “The first year of the Porsche Esports Supercup was dominated by thrilling races: in 20 races we saw ten different winners. We have achieved our aim of bringing together the best worldwide sim racers in a racing series. We are all the more looking forward to the 2020 season, where we race on the Circuit de La Sarthe in parallel to the Le Mans 24h race. In addition, drivers need to prove themselves at Nürburgring Nordschleife as the world’s most challenging racetrack.”

driver development programme. Porsche also announced 99X test drivers Simona de Silvestro and Thomas Preining will combine their roles in Formula E with commitments in GT racing for customer teams.

Briton Nick Tandy will once again race Stateside in the USCC alongside Frédéric Makowiecki in the no.911 RSR, with Earl Bamber and Laurens Vanthoor allocated the no.912 car.

The season kicked off with the Daytona 24 Hours as Total 911 went to print.

12 Guest column: Vic Elford

G U E S T

C O L U M N

Vic Elford

PART OF A SPECIAL MINI-SERIES

For more than a year, racing legend Vic Elford has shared the highs and lows of his unparalleled Porsche career with . In this, his 14th and final column, Vic sits down with Tony McGuiness to reveal some additional stories, anecdotes and thoughts uring my career, there were several drivers I respected and admired, including the late Pedro Rodriguez. I admired him the most and got on very well with him. He was a marvellous driver in the rain, and many drivers respected him.

He was very quick, and bloody difficult to overtake (although I managed it a few times). Above all though, he was absolutely, totally fair.

I drove around the outside of him in Buenos Aires in a long 180-degree corner. We were both coming out of it together at about 150mph. He could easily have put me off the road, but he didn’t. Pedro left me just enough room. Not too many people would have done that.

I mentioned previously that I didn’t get too close to other drivers, but I got close to Pedro as I knew I could trust him. There were certain drivers we didn’t want to be within six feet of unless it was going past them as quickly as we could.

Some were dangerous and often unnecessarily aggressive. In other words, they would rather put you off the road than let you by. Some basically weren’t aware of what was going on around them.

Many experienced race drivers felt there were a number of guys that had no business being in a race car, putting other lives at risk.

One of my attributes as a driver was, I had more confidence in knowing exactly where my limits were compared to most. I was always able to adapt to different conditions quickly. For example, in the wet; there aren’t that many people who are very good in the rain. I absolutely loved it and thrived in wet conditions.

Those who are good in the rain have terrific confidence, superb ability and more awareness of their own limitations. We can get much closer to the limit than others. I’d say Jacky Ickx, Jackie Stewart and Hans Stuck were like me. They were able to adapt to changing conditions quickly, and get closer to the limit without overstepping it than most drivers in wet conditions.

I was fortunate to have terrific relationships at Porsche. It is true when people say Porsche is like a family. The most influential person in my career with Porsche in the beginning was Huschke von Hanstein. He saw something in me and believed in me. Huschke was so confident in my abilities that he arranged for Porsche to lend me a 911 to race in Corsica.

D

As I revealed previously, and it is very difficult to imagine this now, but Ferdinand Piëch didn’t want the 911 to go racing. Porsche never intended the 911 to be a competition car. During that period, I became my own one-man development team with the Porsche 911.

Huschke let me do as I wanted to the 911, which gave me a huge amount of confidence in the car and what I was doing. I proved the 911 could be a winner, which created so much enthusiasm in Stuttgart; it changed the future of Porsche, my life, and the lives of many others as the 911 became a world beater.

The Nürburgring was by far my favourite track. I absolutely loved it. I was one of the best drivers around ‘The ‘Ring’. Not many people could remember the track in detail like me. I had six victories at the Nürburgring, which gave me the honour of being one of only four people to ever achieve that feat.

One of the reasons I decided to retire from racing is I started to realise what was happening with sponsorship wheeling and dealing. One thing I was good at was driving a race car. One thing I was lousy at was selling something. It got to the point back then, when many were selling themselves to sponsors, which gave them a drive.

Somebody would go off and sell themselves and come along with a pocket full of cash securing whatever drive they were after. That type of wheeling and dealing wasn’t for me.

Today’s 911s are fitted with technology we could never have dreamed of when I was racing.

I absolutely love the PDK transmission. There is no way in the world I would buy a Porsche with a manual transmission anymore. What’s the point?

PDK does it better than I can!

The first time I drove a 911 with PDK was at an event at the Porsche Driving School in Alabama.

While working the event with Hurley Haywood, Hurley suggested I drive a 911 with PDK. I was happy to give it a go, so I drove a few laps with it in manual using the paddle shifters.

Hurley then asked how I liked it and I replied, “I don’t like the paddle shifters. I never have liked paddle shifts on the steering wheel.” Hurley then told me not to bother with them, to stick the PDK in automatic and forget it.

Following Hurley’s suggestions, I put the PDK in automatic and drove off. It took me one lap

to think, “Why the hell have I been bothering trying to change gear?” By the time I had done five laps in it, I knew I didn’t ever want to change gear again! I couldn’t believe how good the PDK transmission performed. Why would anyone want to change gears again after experiencing that remarkable transmission?

I recently watched the Porsche video of the new GT2 RS with PDK setting the record on the Nürburgring. If you watch the close-ups inside the cockpit, the rev counter is always between 5,500 and 7,200rpm. It never moves except within that area. The driver not only can’t shift as quickly as the PDK does, the driver can’t even decide where or when to shift as well as the PDK does.

This engineering marvel from Porsche doesn’t surprise me because Porsche engineers are on another level compared to other automobile manufacturers. If only PDK transmission was around when I was racing!

My amazing journey with Porsche is unforgettable. To have been a part of the phenomenal evolution and advancement of the iconic 911 is very special to me. I am immensely proud of my contributions to the remarkable history and the unmatched success of the Porsche marque. *Total 911 and Tony McGuiness wish to sincerely thank Vic Elford for sharing some of his memoirs of his incredible career with us for the past 14 issues. Be sure to visit Vic’s Legends of Motorsport Memorabilia site over at www.vicelford.com.

Future PLC Richmond House, 33 Richmond Hill Bournemouth, Dorset, BH2 6EZ

Editorial Editor Lee Sibley

Contact Total 911

lee.sibley@futurenet.com 01202 586200

Facebook /total911magazine

Senior Art Editor Stephen Williams Production Editor Rachel Terzian Contributors Tony McGuiness, Gina Purcell, Peter Wilson, Joe Williams, Chris Randall, Chris Wallbank, Kyle Fortune, Daniel Pullen, Ben Przekop, Kieron Fennelly, Harold Gan, Nick Jeffery, Michael Meldrum, Ron Lang, Ian Harris, Jack Williams, Ali Cusick, Steve Hall

Email editorial@total911.com

The very best of your Porsche opinions

Cover image Total 911 library Photography All copyrights and trademarks are recognised and respected Advertising Media packs are available on request Head of Commercial - Sports Richard Hemmings richard.hemmings@futurenet.com Account Manager Garry Brookes garry.brookes@futurenet.com International Total 911 is available for licensing. Contact the International department to discuss partnership opportunities International Licensing Director Matt Ellis matt.ellis@futurenet.com

E C EN D ON P ES R R CO

R A ST

Subscriptions Email enquiries contact@myfavouritemagazines.co.uk UK orderline & enquiries 0344 848 2852 Overseas order line and enquiries +44 (0) 344 848 2852 Online orders & enquiries www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk Circulation Head of Newstrade Tim Mathers Production Head of Production Mark Constance Production Project Manager Clare Scott Advertising Production Manager Joanne Crosby Digital Editions Controller Jason Hudson Production Manager Nola Cokely Management !ǝǣƺǔ !ȒȇɎƺȇɎ ǔˡƬƺȸ Aaron Asadi Commercial Finance Director Dan Jotcham Brand Director Dave Clutterbuck Content Director Simon Kirrane Head of Art & Design Greg Whitaker Printed by Wyndeham Bicester, Granville Way, Bicester, OX26 4QZ Distributed by Marketforce, 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HU www.marketforce.co.uk Tel: 0203 787 9060 ISSN 1746-6130 We are committed to only using magazine paper which is derived from ȸƺɀȵȒȇɀǣƫǼɵ ȅƏȇƏǕƺƳً ƬƺȸɎǣˡƺƳ ǔȒȸƺɀɎȸɵ ƏȇƳ ƬǝǼȒȸǣȇƺ‫ٮ‬ǔȸƺƺ ȅƏȇɖǔƏƬɎɖȸƺِ The paper in this magazine was sourced and produced from sustainable managed forests, conforming to strict environmental and socioeconomic standards. The manufacturing paper mill holds full FSC (Forest Stewardship !ȒɖȇƬǣǼ٣ ƬƺȸɎǣˡƬƏɎǣȒȇ ƏȇƳ ƏƬƬȸƺƳǣɎƏɎǣȒȇ All contents © 2019 Future Publishing Limited or published under licence. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any way without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Future Publishing Limited (company number 2008885) is registered in 0ȇǕǼƏȇƳ ƏȇƳ áƏǼƺɀِ «ƺǕǣɀɎƺȸƺƳ ȒǔˡƬƺ‫ ي‬ªɖƏɵ RȒɖɀƺً Áǝƺ ȅƫɖȸɵً ƏɎǝ ‫ ׏‬ 1UA. All information contained in this publication is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Future cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. You are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers directly with regard to the price of products/services referred to in this publication. Apps and websites mentioned in this publication are not under our control. We are not responsible for their contents or any other changes or updates to them. Áǝǣɀ ȅƏǕƏɿǣȇƺ ǣɀ ǔɖǼǼɵ ǣȇƳƺȵƺȇƳƺȇɎ ƏȇƳ ȇȒɎ ƏǔˡǼǣƏɎƺƳ ǣȇ Əȇɵ ɯƏɵ ɯǣɎǝ Ɏǝƺ companies mentioned herein.

If you submit material to us, you warrant that you own the material and/ or have the necessary rights/permissions to supply the material and you automatically grant Future and its licensees a licence to publish your submission in whole or in part in any/all issues and/or editions of publications, in any format published worldwide and on associated websites, social media channels and associated products. Any material you submit is sent at your own risk and, although every care is taken, neither Future nor its employees, agents, subcontractors or licensees shall be liable for loss or damage.

We assume all unsolicited material is for publication unless otherwise stated, and reserve the right to edit, amend, adapt all submissions.

We are committed to only using magazine paper which is ƳƺȸǣɮƺƳ ǔȸȒȅ ȸƺɀȵȒȇɀǣƫǼɵ ȅƏȇƏǕƺƳً ƬƺȸɎǣˡƺƳ ǔȒȸƺɀɎȸɵ ƏȇƳ chlorine-free manufacture. The paper in this magazine was sourced and produced from sustainable managed forests, conforming to strict environmental and socioeconomic standards. The manufacturing paper mill and printer hold full FSC and ¨0I! ƬƺȸɎǣˡƬƏɎǣȒȇ ƏȇƳ ƏƬƬȸƺƳǣɎƏɎǣȒȇِ

The road trip of a lifetime Dear Sir, It was issue 115 when I first got Total 911 magazine in my hand. The most impressive article was ‘3.2 Carrera road trip’, which featured an air-cooled Carrera on tour from Passo Tourismo. From that very moment, I dreamed I would drive that 3.2 Carrera in the European alps some day.

Well, I visited Munich on a business trip recently, and the very first thing I did was to contact Passo Tourismo to repeat this awesome feature! Finally, I’ve got a wonderful day trip around Wendelstein!

Kentaro Ito

This is exactly what Total 911 is all about: inspiring others to make the most of the Porsche 911 and the magnificent culture around it. Your exploits, Kentaro, fit in perfectly with our theme for this issue in utilising the Porsche 911 to get the best out of your year, recreationally speaking. I’m so pleased your dream has been fulfilled with that beautiful 3.2 Carrera. A brilliant car on exacting roads – it doesn’t get any better than that.

WIN! Email us with your Porsche opinions and the star correspondence will receive a complimentary Wax & Liquid Sample Box from detailers Angelwax, featuring three different types of wax along with a variety of cleaning liquids, wax applicators, microfibre cloths and an air freshener.

My 996 journey Dear Sir, I thought I would e-mail over my story about my 996. I was looking for a Porsche 911 for a while, and in the end I found a bargain 996: it was everything people said not to buy. This was for two reasons: one, it’s a 996 and it’s a 1998 C4 with a sunroof.

Second, it’s a cheap 911. How cheap? Well I bought the car 18 months ago for £7,200. The ‘net was telling me I am in for high bills – “nothing is more expensive than a cheap Porsche,” etc.

I confess, when I first got the car I did not like it at all. I just could not get on with it. In the back of my mind, I kept thinking ‘what have you done?!’

I was ready to sell it off for parts. I phoned up a specialist and had them look over the car. I cannot

No Taycans please!

Dear Sir, As a long, long time owner of Porsches and reader of your magazine, I agree with the letter from Nathan Symes regarding the Taycan. I don’t want to read about Taycan cars in your magazine.

The duplicity of the ‘green movement’ to have us all in zero-emission cars is hypocrisy. Of course we all want cleaner air. There is no credible evidence to suggest battery cars advance that goal.

The Germany-based Ifo Institute for Economic Research released a study concluding that CO2 emissions from battery cars are “in the best case, slightly higher than those of a diesel engine.”

The study included everything that emits CO2 from the moment of production. Other studies have concluded the same thing (Bloomberg New Energy Finance, Berylls Strategy Advisors, Manhattan Institute, Greentech Media etc).

And no one addresses the massive increase of lithium mining that will be needed to supply the burgeoning demand for EV cars, or the recycling of toxic batteries. Also, battery cars are so heavy that the increase in tyre and brake wear is exponential.

An Ange lw Wax & Liq ax Sample Buid ox worth £49.95

15

Ask the expert Got a question for our Porsche technician? Email us editorial@total911.com

thank them enough for what they have done for me. The car needed only a few bits doing, nothing too bad. I had the front discs and pads, steering rack pipes and the exhaust replaced.

I then started to drive the car. Now I love it. As for selling it? No way! I’ve just got it back from a service at DW Performance with a clean bill of health. So far I am all in for just £10K-ish. What you see is how I bought it. The 996 boasts cheap road tax and is cheap to service. What’s not to love? The Porsche nobody wants is now the go-to car. It’s the only car that can make you smile by just thinking about it. They do get under your skin after all.

Stewart Stewart, your story is indicative of the journey many go through with the 996. Forget the rumours and hearsay clogging up the internet – these are great cars and exceptional value for money. Like any 911, they just need to be well maintained. Due to perennially low values among the generation for many years, most haven’t been cared for in the same way a 993 has, for example, but in terms of the driving experience, the 996 is the better car: it’s faster, quicker, lighter and cleaner. The looks aren’t for everyone, but you can’t see any of that when having fun behind the wheel, right?

Most people who drive battery cars lease them and then trade them off before the egregious costs of battery replacement is needed.

I have no desire to drive or own a Taycan. No matter how fast the car is, it weighs two and a half tonnes. Not a svelte car by any means to drive on a twisty mountain road. Keep your excellent magazine’s articles focused on 911s.

Stephen Gies We hear you, Stephen! Thanks indeed for the feedback, you can be assured you won’t be reading about Taycans in T911 going forward (not under my steer, anyway). I hope you keep enjoying both T911 and your combustion engine Porsches for many years to come.

Scott Gardner Job title Workshop manager Place of work Porsche Centre Bournemouth, UK Time at Porsche 13 years

Dear Sir, I’ve always thought that the 991generation 911 was fairly bulletproof mechanically, particularly in regards to the optional PDK transmission.

However, I’ve seen a few forum threads now pop up discussing transmission failure in the early 991s. The message that pops up on the car’s screen when this happens says: “Transmission fault Poss. no R gear Drive poss” on the dashboard and stops the car from changing gear – so you could be stuck in 6th if this crops up on the motorway! Has this been an issue you’ve seen? How reliable is PDK ?

James Chappell Scott’s answer: I would agree with you that the 991.1 generation is a fairly bulletproof car. They do, however, have a few small common trends.

Regarding the gearboxes, I am aware of a couple of PDK transmission replacements which we have carried out on these for the fault you describe, however just two gearbox replacements for the hundreds of 991.1s we have seen is minimal. I wouldn’t say therefore that this was a common issue.

The PDK gearbox has been with us for a while now and generally it’s great. We have seen a few oil leaks from the sump areas and also experienced a few comfort-related complaints with regards to the ‘driving away’ jerkiness, but this was more on the 997.2 beforehand.

When buying a 991.1, a good, detailed road test should highlight any issue. Ensure all the gears change smoothly in ‘D’ as well as manually. If it is possible to look underneath for any leaks, that would be advisable and likewise if you are concerned, a diagnostic system test will show any fault codes logged, which may be an early sign of a fault developing.

16 20 things to do with your 911 in 2020

TH E PO RSCH E BU C K ET T Prime your Porsche P h and d fire fi up that flat six: this is the year for making the most of your 911. Total 911 presents 20 activities you should do with your Neunelfer in 2020, covering all aspects of the culture surrounding Porsche’s automotive icon.

Can you tick them all off in just 365 days?

17

TRY A HILLCLIMB If taking to a circuit seems a bit daunting, then hillclimbing might just be for you. The 911’s superb traction and agile handling make it ideal, and this can be a very affordable entry into competitive action. It’s less intimidating because you’re competing against the clock, rather than against other drivers, and you can just focus on getting the very best from the car and yourself. In fact, these events tend to be a little less frantic than circuit racing, which means that you’ll have more time to concentrate on perfecting both the setup of your car and your own technique. Watching other drivers tackle the hill also means you can pick up hints on the best cornering lines to take, which will help you improve your own times. And just as importantly, there should be more time to socialise with other competitors, which is what enjoying a 911 is all about. Then there’s the matter of cost, something that may well be a factor if this is your first experience of competitive driving. Signing up to a full season of a track-based championship can be an expensive commitment, so being able to pick and choose which hillclimbs you tackle will be easier on the pocket. This approach will also reduce the potential for wear and tear on the car and the regular outlay for fresh tyres and brakes. Make no mistake though, this is no poor relation to circuit racing – it’s rather addictive and there are lots of great venues in the UK (including the historic Shelsley Walsh, in use since 1905) and further afield, so no matter where you live there is probably somewhere you can give this a try. Some venues offer tuition for beginners, and there’s lots of help and advice when it comes to getting started (the Hillclimb and Sprint Association in the UK, for example).

1

DO A TRACK DAY Peruse our Living the Legend pages and you’ll notice how many of our contributors enjoy spending time on track. When it comes to really learning about your car’s abilities, and fully experiencing the towering performance in a safe environment, there are few better ways to do it.

That point about safety is especially pertinent. Unless you have access to one of the unlimited stretches of Autobahn, then speed limits – both the 70mph UK limit and Europe’s 130kph maximum can easily be hit in third gear in a water-cooled 911 – will rightly curtail any high-speed antics. That’s why a track is the only ideal setting to really discover what our favourite

2

sports car can do in a safe environment. There are plenty of fantastic venues plus numerous companies and clubs arranging track days, so there’s no shortage of choice for you in terms of budget and ability. And we’d definitely recommend seeking the advice of other owners when it comes to finding the best circuit and event for your experience level – sharing track space with seasoned circuit warriors can be intimidating for the novice, and might put you off for good. Ultimately, you should have no trouble finding an event to suit you, with some tracks offering days just for road cars or for first-timers, while others are reserved only for race cars. Just make sure the car is prepared and insured properly.

18 20 things to do with your 911 in 2020

TAKE PART IN A CONCOURS DISPLAY It’s fair to say this isn’t an activity for everyone, with plenty of enthusiasts struggling to see the appeal of spending hours polishing their 911 rather than driving it. But preparing a car to a state of perfection can be immensely satisfying, especially if all of the hard work is rewarded with a trophy. Back in Issue 125 we enlisted the help of LTL contributor, Ben Przekop, to guide us through what’s required to turn your Neunelfer into a concours winner, and it quickly became clear that

3

plenty of time and dedication is essential. You’ll certainly become intimately acquainted with every nook and cranny of your car, not to mention the pleasure in standing back and admiring the results.

Indeed, there’s much to be gleaned from having a go at Concours d’Elegance: from correct presentation (for example, we’ll start by telling you the crest on any centre cap should always point to the tyre valve) to period factory specifications. It can be a really enjoyable experience and we reckon if you give it a try you might just become hooked.

VISIT YOUR NEAREST PEC It was 2008 when the first Porsche Experience Centre was opened at Silverstone, and Porsche has since expanded them across the world. There are currently seven with more planned, and if you’ve not yet paid one a visit then we’d urge you to do so in 2020. Why? Because they are simply a brilliant way to immerse yourself in the world of the Porsche 911 and hone your technical driving skills. Have a go at a range of different driving scenarios, from the handling circuit to low-friction surfaces and the ‘Ice Hill’, all specifically designed to test your different skillsets behind the wheel, and learn how to get the most from your car in each scenario. We’d also recommend the ‘Kick Plate’, which uses a computer-controlled plate in the road surface to put the car into a skid; not only will it teach you to correct a slide, it’s terrific fun. All of them will help you to hone your skills behind the wheel, skills that will make you a better driver on both road and track, and booking some driving tuition with one of the expert Porsche Driving Consultants will prove invaluable. Plus, there’s the opportunity to try out a variety of different 911s. This ranges from spending 90 minutes on track in a new Carrera, which costs £295, up to the ‘Ultimate’ package where you’ll get to try the epic trio of the 997 GT3 RS 4.0, 991R and the 991 GT2 RS. Visiting a PEC provides a thrilling variety of things to see and do, and we can’t think of a better way to spend the day.

4

19

TACKLE SPA OR THE ‘RING Should anyone ask you to name the most famous race circuits in the world, the chances are that SpaFrancorchamps or the Nürburgring Nordschleife will be at the top of that list. Both are steeped in motorsport history, not to mention that of Porsche itself.

The legendary Belgian track has been the scene of epic victories over the years, and just last year the 911 GT3 of Kévin Estre/Michael Christensen/Richard Lietz headed a one-two victory in the 24 Hours of Spa. As for the Nürburgring, who could forget the late Stefan Bellof setting the fastest ever lap of 6m 11.13s in the Porsche 956 (he would sadly lose his life at Spa in 1985) before the 919 Evo broke the record in 2018? And it’s not just racers: manufacturers including Porsche use the ‘Ring to set lap times for each new car they build, as a measure of its performance benchmark.

So with all of this history, tackling some laps in your own 911 will be an experience you’ll never forget. It costs from just €25 to drive the infamous ‘Green Hell’ – but be warned, one lap won’t be enough – and if you don’t want to use your own pride and joy, you can hire a Neunelfer from the likes of RSR Nurburg. If you don’t fancy driving, then there’s the option of enjoying one of the numerous racing events that take place at both tracks; we highly recommend the Spa Classic and the ‘Ring’s Oldtimer GP. Attracting visitors from all over the world, these legendary destinations are a must-visit.

5

GO RALLYING! A track certainly isn’t the only place where you can enjoy putting yourself and your 911 to the test, which is why we suggest trying your hand at this particular discipline. These events, which usually take place on the road as regulation rallies, are usually a mix of navigation skills, driving tests and longer stints behind the wheel to test both the car and crew’s endurance. Ideal for participating with a friend or partner (you’ll want someone who is good at map reading and accurate timing), there are events in the UK and abroad and most will cater for different skill levels. One thing to

6

bear in mind is if you take part in an event permitted by the motorsport governing body, Motorsport UK (formerly the Motor Sports Association), you’ll need an RS Clubman Licence, which is free. That aside, it’s easy enough to prepare your own car. A standard road car is absolutely fine; you’ll need a few additional items such as a first aid kit, although you may also want to invest in an accurate trip meter and timing equipment if you compete regularly. Companies such as HERO Events can rent you a fully prepared 911, their fleet including a choice of a 1968 2.0T or a 1970 2.2S. If you’ve not tried such events before we’re certain you’ll love the challenge.

20 20 things to do with your 911 in 2020

TAKE A HOME TOUR OF YOUR COUNTRY No matter where you live, the chances are there are places you’ve always wanted to visit, so 2020 is the time to do just that. And surely your trip should include a great driving road or two; as regular readers will know we’ve had a few ideas for those over the years! By all means take a longer break, but this is also the perfect way to enjoy a shorter tour, one you can fit in over a long weekend or even just grabbing one night away amongst a hectic schedule. Either will be plenty to re-visit a favourite destination or explore somewhere new, and there’s no better way than behind the wheel of a 911.

It doesn’t matter whether you take a tour with friends, a car club or just pack a bag and head off on your own: if your car spends too much time sat in the garage, this is the perfect antidote.

7

TAKLE A TOUR ABROAD There can’t be many petrolheads that don’t dream of takling an epic road trip, and in the 911 we have the perfect tool for the job: comfortable enough for long distances, ample luggage space, and a fantastic engine and chassis for when you encounter the twisty bits.

It’s a superb way to experience the sights and sounds of another culture, not to mention a great opportunity to bond with both your car and like-minded owners, and is certain to create some unforgettable memories. Plenty of companies offer organised tours, or you might prefer the fun of plotting your own route – if the latter, build in time for delays or mishaps.

Our own road trips should have provided ample ideas for cool destinations over the years, but if you’re still struggling, just get in touch – we’ll be happy to throw some ideas at you. 2020 is the time to grab your passport and head for a continental extravaganza.

8

21

VISIT THE PORSCHE MUSEUM If you own a Porsche then this is something you absolutely must do. You could incorporate it into a road trip, or make it a destination in its own right, but either way it’s a truly special experience. The Museum is an amazing journey through the company’s history, featuring the finest examples of road and race cars, and we particularly love the ‘Porsche Touchwall’ which is an amazing interactive display featuring more than 3,000 images.

Occasional special exhibitions are an added treat, and even if you’ve been before, the Museum rotates its cars and displays roughly every six months, so there’s always something new to indulge in. Open six days a week and with adult entry from just €10, visiting the Museum is both convenient and affordable, although we’d definitely recommend combining the visit with a factory tour, which costs an additional €15 (it’s worth noting that 23 March sees tours begin for the new Taycan, which is something you’ll definitely want to see). When you need a break from all the Museum exhibits, there’s terrific food to eat. As a homage to our favourite sports car, trust us when we say you’ll love this.

9

ATTEND A CARS & COFFEE There are plenty of fantastic events to attend throughout the year, but few things beat an informal gathering of like-minded enthusiasts.

Cars & Coffee events have become hugely popular over the last few years, and you shouldn’t have any trouble finding one on any given weekend. What they all have in common is the opportunity to admire terrific cars, meet friends new and old, and swap 911 stories in more of a relaxed environment. We particularly like the fact that there’s no pressure to buy or sign up to anything – it’s just a good, old-fashioned get-together for a chat and a coffee. We’ll be visiting plenty of them this year, so we’ll look forward to seeing you there.

10

22 20 things to do with your 911 in 2020

RIGHT American enthusiasts are leading the way with attitudes towards modifying, and we’d like to see the rest of the world’s 911 owners catch up

GET YOUR CAR DETAILED/PPF’D Getting your sports car detailed has become more and more prevalent in recent years as owners look to improve or protect the appearance of what has often become a substantial automotive investment. Skilled detailers can take the finish of your 911’s paint to the next level, even on a new car, or restore your 911’s fresh look if the bodywork is starting to look a little tired. Prices vary depending on the work you’d like done, with a basic enhancement to full-on paint correction. There are many reputable detailers out there, so just make sure you do your research beforehand.

PPF (paint protection film) takes things a step further. Essentially a clear wrap applied to your vehicle’s paint, these can last for years with proper maintenance and protect your paint against stone chips and other detritus flicked up from the road or track. PPF technology today is so advanced, the film is self-healing and is largely invisible to the naked eye, meaning the appearance of your paint will not be affected. If you value your car, PPF is a worthwhile investment.

11

MODIFY YOUR 911 If you’re a stickler for originality this will be anathema, but hear us out.

We’re not suggesting turning your 911 into the ultimate road or track warrior (not unless you want to, anyway), but instead focusing on adding subtle, personal touches to enhance the driving and ownership experience. While much depends on taste and pocket, don’t forget you can always opt for reversible mods to avoid re-sale worries. Whether it’s driver-oriented upgrades like a short-shift kit, more

12

extensive performance alterations such as a sports exhaust or simply personalising the looks, the possibilities are endless. There’s plenty of specialist advice out there, too. We reckon US enthusiasts are more receptive to the idea of modifying than us European folk, but we think it’s about time that changed. Owning a 911 is all about personal choice, and if you want to enhance the experience with some well-chosen alterations then that’s fine by us. So let 2020 be the year when we all embrace making the Neunelfer that little bit more individual.

23

LE MANS! Billed as ‘the world’s greatest race’, the name of Porsche is synonymous with Le Mans, so if you’ve not experienced this amazing track you should make it happen this year. It’s been the place where Porsche has claimed a staggering 19 outright victories – more than any other constructor – with the first in 1970 and the most recent in 2017 with the 919 e-hybrid. We’d encourage you to attend the iconic 24 Hour race, which takes place from 13-14 June this year – it’s truly epic, and an event like no other – but it would also be a shame to miss the delights of Le Mans Classic. Whereas the famous race is all about the cutting edge of motorsport technology, the Classic is a true feast of racing greats from the past – almost 200,000 visitors attended the last one and the 2020 event promises to be extra-special. Taking place from 3-5 July, it will be celebrating 50 years since Porsche’s first outright victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours. If that’s not a reason to point your 911 in the direction of La Sarthe, we don’t know what is.

13

GET YOUR CAR INSURED PROPERLY Owning a 911 is one thing, but just how well protected is your pride and joy in the event of it coming to harm? Unfortunately, the rate of classic 911 thefts in the UK has increased in recent years, perhaps as a result of the vehicles generally becoming more valuable.

It’s vital, therefore, that you don’t skimp on insurance to ensure you’ve got appropriate cover for you and your car in the event of an accident or theft.

Specialist brands such as RH Hiscox are well drilled in providing tailored policies specifically relating to you and your Porsche, and offer excellent customer service. Likewise, if the car does need a repair, your primary concern should be quality over cost. There are five Porsche Recommended repairers in the UK

14

who have all the latest tooling and technology needed to repair your vehicle, even if it’s a matter of days old (remember, in the event of an accident you’re legally entitled to have the vehicle taken to whomever you wish, so do your research to make sure your car is in the care of the best possible hands).

The same goes for track days: did you know most policies in the UK do not cover the Nürburgring Nordschleife? You’ll need additional cover for this and any other track days you do, though it’s worth noting that some insurance companies such as Lockton and ClassicLine offer complimentary track day cover under certain partnerships.

It might not be exciting stuff, but it’s absolutely worth getting all this right if you’re to enjoy worryfree motoring in your 911.

24 20 things to do with your 911 in 2020

INVEST IN SOME DRIVING TUITION While we’ve already suggested you explore the world of modifying your 911, there’s one component that always benefits from improvement – the driver. There are few better ways of getting more performance and enjoyment from the car than by honing your own skills, so if you’re keen to truly unlock the potential of a Neunelfer on road or track then this is where we’d invest some money. But it’s not just about performance, as you’ll become a safer driver at the same time, and that’s always a good thing.

Engaging the services of a professional driving tutor will help you to hone the finer details of your driving technique and improve every aspect of your time in a 911. Even paying attention to the basics of how you sit, or hold the steering wheel, can make a difference, and this is where expert tuition can really pay off. There are a number of people offering such training and prices can vary from a few hundred pounds to a few thousand, so it’s worth doing some homework first and deciding which areas of driving you’d like to improve upon. We guarantee it will be money well spent.

15

GO TO AN INTERNATIONAL CAR SHOW While there are many national shows designed for you to actively take part with your 911 by offering it for display, some of the world’s biggest events mean you need to swap a drive in your 911 for a plane ride to a motoring mecca of superlative cars and products. From international motor shows to stellar trade events, these are absolutely worth attending, even if it means leaving your 911 in the garage at home. Of the latter, we’d recommend SEMA, the world’s most comprehensive aftermarket speciality show based in Las Vegas, or Germany’s Essen, self-described as the performance festival of the year. These are the places you can see cool new products and projects up close, offering an insight into the automotive industry of

16

tomorrow. It’s a fascinating experience for you, your friends or even your whole family to enjoy. If you’d like a little more action, you’d need to have been living under a rock in the UK to not have heard of Goodwood’s Festival of Speed, the planet’s best automotive garden party, which has seen further and further integration with mainstream manufacturers – including Porsche – each year.

Speaking of manufacturers, everybody should attend an international motor show at least once in their life. They’re a special event: you can witness the world premiere of a new 911 model, get up close to it, and rub shoulders with some of the company’s elite.

Either way, attending an international event is always a memorable experience, even if very little 911 driving is actually involved.

25

JOIN A CAR CLUB These days, you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to car clubs. Many of the old stalwarts remain, such as the Porsche Club in your country, but there are also smaller clubs specifically tailored to ever more niche audiences, so you can be sure you’ll be joining like-minded people.

There are many benefits to joining a car club: the good ones will have handy discounts on products and services, plus priority or even exclusive access to road trips or track days. Car clubs also provide a platform (much like our very own magazine) to share information among members – and knowledge is power, after all. More than anything though, joining a car club gives you the chance to connect with more people who share your passion, whether it’s for sports cars in general, the Porsche 911 itself, or even a specific 911 generation.

17

VISIT ZELL AM SEE 400 kilometres southeast of the Zuffenhausen production line in Stuttgart, the quaint town of Zell am See, nestled in the Austrian Alps, is steeped in Porsche history. A mountain pasture known as the Schuttgut estate was purchased by Ferdinand Porsche in 1941 as a retreat for him and his family – they would seek refuge there after the war, before Ferdinand and son Ferry were arrested as alleged criminals of war. The entire Porsche family grew up here, including current chairman of the Porsche AG Supervisory Board, Dr Wolfgang Porsche.

Zell am See is right next to the famous Grossglockner Pass. That the Porsches settled here was no accident: home to Austria’s highest peak, the Pass became an ideal test bed for Ferry and his various projects, eventually building the first 356s in Austria, before the family returned to Germany.

The Porsche estate of Schuttgut remains at Zell am See today, with notable family figures including Ferdinand “Butzi” Porsche buried in the chapel there.

The estate itself is closed to the public, but it’s worth popping into the quaint town as part of your visit to the Grossglockner Pass, one of the best mountain roads on the planet.

18

26 20 things to do with your 911 in 2020

MAX OUT YOUR 911 It’s one of the staple stats accompanying any new 911 release: top speed. Usually written right after its 0-62mph time, Porsche (like many manufacturers) quotes the top speed for any new vehicle as a simple measure of its level of performance. Where Porsche is different to its rivals, however, is the German giant is famed for under-egging its performance times.

Regardless, where on earth can you actually hold the manufacturer to account and put your 911’s top speed to the test? After all, the only remaining road in the world devoid of speed constraints is Germany’s Autobahn, and even that is now largely curtailed by large sections of speed limits. Track days seldom provide a venue with a straight long enough for you to get near to your 911’s top speed, so the answer lies – if not on the Autobahn – at a VMAX200 or similar event, where you’re provided with a runway for testing 0-62mph times as well as that said top speed. With a select group of current GT cars including the 991.2 Turbo S and GT2 RS topping out at more than 200mph, an event likes this presents a realistic chance of you being able to pedal a road car past that magical two-ton barrier, a scintillating experience that’ll have your adrenaline pumping for days afterwards.

19

JUST DRIVE IT The most important entry on our list. Many are garaging all manner of 911s now, and we simply don’t see as many frequenting the roads as we used to. In similar zest to the entirety of this feature, we’re encouraging you to make the most of your Porsche 911 and the thriving culture around it – central to that is, as you’ve guessed, using it. Be proud of the miles added to your odometer, not fearful of them. You’re making memories with every turn of that odometer, so embrace the experience and just get out there and drive.

20

28 992 Carrera v Carrera S

S V A R E R R CA

d l r o w l a e r e r o rm e ff o a r e r r a C e th s e o d : e r e h s i 2 l 99 e v e l y r t n e e h T

29

S A R E R R A C

r? e h t o r b r e g g i b its r e v o s d r a w e r driving

e Sibley Written by Le llen

by Daniel Pu Photography

30 992 Carrera v Carrera S

BELOW The test Carrera came with larger ‘S’ spec wheels and wider tyres. We’d recommend the standard C2 wheels with skinnier rubber LEFT Toggle buttons with relatable illustrations are a small yet welcome bonus

What about manual transmission?

Like the entry-level Carrera itself, a glaring omission from the 992 model line-up so far has been availability of a manual transmission. Right from the eighth-generation 911’s launch, we’ve been told a seven-speed stick shift is coming as a no-cost option – Total 911 has even tested it on a pre-production prototype – yet the manual transmission has only recently become available on the C2S and C4S, with first deliveries imminent.

The Carrera and Carrera 4 remain, for the time being at least, PDK-only cars.

So is the C2 and C4 being starved of stick shift in order to protect the magic of a Carrera T, should Porsche decide to introduce the concept for the 992 era? “We haven’t said manual transmission will never be available on the Carrera and Carrera 4, but there’s no communication coming up to suggest it will be available shortly,” a Porsche representative told Total 911. So is the manual being saved for a future Carrera T? “The delay is far more likely to be down to complications with emissions than anything else,” came the response.

31

ABOVE Entry-level brakes require more foot force to bring the 992’s speed down – serving up an enjoyable interaction between car and driver

F

rom the moment it was launched, Porsche’s new 992 platform was enshrined in superlatives. The eighth-generation 911 received rapturous reviews from journalists and the media, ending 2019 as a double award winner: gongs from the US and UK proclaimed it as sports car of the year.

Fans of the 911 instantly fell in love with its design, which took hallmarks of illustrious past models into a context fit for the rigours of our modern world.

Glowing sentiments continued after early customer drives, new owners won over by the 992’s superior build quality, sophisticated chassis and responsive engine. The suits at Zuffenhausen could surely not have wished for a better debut: this was a 911 bigger and heavier than before, with a compulsory eightspeed automatic transmission, and yet somehow the 992 had seemingly romped home with the unanimous affections of customers and commentators alike.

This new generation was launched with the Carrera S and all-wheel-drive 4S, breaking with a decades-long tradition stretching back to the 993’s inception where the entry-level model would arrive first. Very nearly a year would pass before Porsche decided to expand the 992 range, downwards this time, with the arrival of the Carrera. This period of time wasn’t insignificant: without the usual gravy train of new models to keep customers’ appetites whetted, greater scrutiny was placed on the 992 C2S and C4S. With 450hp – firmly into GT3 territory not five years ago – and an insatiable 530Nm of torque at its mercy, a soft undertone of reprove became apparent among some living with the car day-to-day.

Quiet consensus here alleged that with the bar now set so high, the 992 might be too accomplished, and too disengaging as a result, at road speeds. The road is, after all, the playground of any 911 wearing the

Carrera name. A question emerged: we know the 992 is good, but is it too good?

The Carrera’s arrival at the end of 2019 was timely.

With less power than the C2S at 385hp, less weight, and sitting on skinnier tyres, hopes were high from the spec sheet that the C2 might perversely offer greater engagement than the C2S, even if a manual transmission is still off the cards. Thus, there’s genuine hype around this ‘boggo’ new 911 which, to add a dash of super unleaded to the flames, also follows in the footsteps of the 991.2 Carrera before it, which received plaudits in Total 911 for being the first entry-level model that genuinely encompasses everything you could ever need from a 911.

Parked side by side on a chilly wintry morning in Berkshire, the 992 Carrera looks damned near identical to its bigger brother in the Carrera S… and that’s because they are, to all intents and purposes, identical. Despite the Carrera coming with staggered 19- and 20-inch diameter wheel sizes as standard, the press car in our pictures has been specced with the optional 20- and 21-inch staggered setup of the Carrera S. It’s a bit of an own goal: as the 992 is now universally widebodied, the C2 and C2S share the same shell, wheelbase and virtually identical track widths (there’s a 2mm difference over the front), the same eight-speed PDK gearbox with identical ratios and, now, even contact patches to the ground.

The only detail in our pictures that visually tells these two 992s apart are their brake calipers, with the Carrera’s anodized in black, and the Carrera S getting customary ‘Big Reds’ housing two extra pistons at either front wheel, plus 20mm larger discs all round. Some might also be able to discern a 10mm deviation in ride height due to the C2S’s optional Sport suspension. So, does the Carrera – in this guise at least – merely represent a detuned version of

32 992 Carrera v Carrera S

the Carrera S, in response to your princely saving of some £10,500?

I’m already liking the Carrera’s more spartan interior over the ‘S’ press cars I’ve piloted to date, though admittedly that’s more down to individual options (or lack of) rather than factory specification.

There’s no Sport Chrono Pack (though it is an available option), decluttering the Chrono clock from the dash centre, which by proxy means there’s no Mode wheel either, again not something I’m particularly sorry to see go.

There’s no rear-axle steering or Sport chassis, as they aren’t available on this entry-level 992, leaving this new 911 suitably cleansed – as far as is permissible – of much modernday gadgetry.

As a consequence of this rather more basic specification, the 992’s five toggle switches in the middle of its dashboard now all have labels on them that directly highlights their function. There’s a toggle named ‘SPORT’ to enable Sport mode, a damper to indicate PASM on or off (introduced as standard spec on the 991.2 Carrera, don’t forget, and carried into the 992 gen), and ‘Wet’ for deploying Wet mode, for example. It sounds simple, but the presence of the Mode wheel in the

Carrera S removes the ‘SPORT’ toggle from the dash, leaving you with a sorry-looking diamond logo atop the leftover switch, which although can be individually programmed, makes it appear awkward; a spare wheel at the party, if you like.

Sports exhaust deployed, a twist of the engine start switch while pushing the brake pedal sees the Carrera jump to life with the same alacrity as the Carrera S next to it. Idling side by side, they sound exactly the same, in keeping with their symmetrical

the car off from standstill or pushing on mid-range.

Mated to that eight-speed PDK gearbox (made by ZF) with identical ratios to the ‘S’, gear changes in ‘Sport’ are delivered with a slickness we’ve come to expect from the 992, without the superficial transmission kickback characteristic of the ’S’ in Sport Plus.

The Carrera’s damping is commendable, serving comfort in town and composure on what are at times pretty awful countryside cut-throughs. The level of detail provided by its damping helps give the 992 some of its ‘sports car’ edge – it’s just a shame some of that is lost through the steering wheel.

I’d like a bit more feedback here: the roads used for our test are greasy and knobbly, but the sensations of some of those surface undulations are diluted through my palms. That said, the Carrera never really struggles for grip, and I’m having to really stamp on the brakes to scrub speed and get the nose to tuck for a favoured 90-degree left hander. It’s a workout, and proves great fun.

In all, the Carrera serves up a well-rounded drive. While it’s clearly not quite as sophisticated dynamically as the S, it’s got all the more charm for it.

It’s plentifully fast, too – at no point am I missing the extra 65hp of the ’S’ I’m about to swap into.

“The S is slightly more chiselled, that most evident in the conviction of its chassis, power delivery, and brakes” looks. If we’re going to separate these 992s, we’d better head out onto the road.

The Carrera’s drivetrain remains eminently impressive: the car feels delightfully fast, those turbos happy to deliver their boost as the 9A2 EVO engine’s crank spins to its redline. It’s clear the days of the lightweight, nimble 911 Carrera are gone, yet the 992’s healthy breadth of boost means this Carrera’s pace belies its weight and size, whether you’re firing

33

BELOW Sport Chrono Pack with Mode wheel adds sporting intent in the C2S. We’d do without it in a C2

BELOW Which is which? A suitably optioned C2 can appear identical to a C2S despite the ÂŁ10K price difference

34 992 Carrera v Carrera S

992 Carrera S 2019

Model Year

Engine

Suspension Front Rear

Front Rear

The Chrono clock and Mode wheel are back, evidence of that optional Sport Chrono box being ticked, with 18-way Sports Plus seats with SportTex centres providing further sporting intent. Oh, and there’s a fire extinguisher mounted under the passenger’s knees, too. Clearly more lavishly appointed, such a spec will set you back some £110,000 – an awful lot of money for a 911 still two rungs down from the hallowed GT line-up.

Retracing the Carrera’s same rural route round Berkshire, it doesn’t take too long for the 992 Carrera S to start asserting itself. The first thing to note is power: the Carrera never felt slow, but the S feels comparatively explosive under acceleration – so much so, it’s impossible for us to put the car’s full power down onto the floor. Whereas the Carrera’s rear rubber remained loyal to the asphalt, that additional 80Nm shot of torque is enough to send the Carrera S’s rear squirming under heavy throttle as it fights for traction on our greasy road. Not only does the S possess more power than the standard Carrera, there’s a pronounced brutality in the way that power is delivered too.

Independent; McPherson struts; antiroll bar; PASM Independent; Multi-link; anti-roll bar; PASM 8.5x19-inch; 235/40/ZR19 11.5x20-inch; 295/35/ZR20

Dimensions Length Width Weight

Performance 3.5 secs (with Sport Chrono) 191mph

385hp @ 6,500rpm 450Nm @ 1,900-5,000rpm

Wheels & tyres

Dimensions 4,519mm 1,852mm 1,515kg

2,981cc 10.2:1

Suspension

Wheels & tyres 8.5x20-inch; 245/35/ZR20 11.5x21-inch; 305/30/ZR21

2020 Engine

Capacity Compression ratio 450hp @ 6,500rpm Maximum power 530Nm @ 2,300-5,000rpm Maximum torque 2,981cc 10.5:1

Independent; McPherson struts; antiroll bar; PASM Independent; Multi-link; anti-roll bar; PASM

992 Carrera

4,519mm 1,852mm 1,505kg

Performance 0-62mph Top speed

4.0 secs (with Sport Chrono) 182mph

It has to be said, the rear of the car generally feels more alive: while there are times the back is scrapping for traction, a recalibration of my own throttle inputs soon sees the C2S mastering the bends. Those superior ‘Big Bed’ brakes only need a dab of pressure from my toes to bring the 992’s speed into line, the nose tucking promptly, rear-axle steering ushering the 911 willingly into a turn at pace, an electronically regulated rear differential managed by Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus taking care of the rest.

Even without the additional power over a C2, I feel like the C2S could enter the same corner a couple of mph more without breaking its balance.

It soon becomes clear the Carrera S is tuned by a small yet significant margin in just about every department compared to its little brother in the Carrera. Is it more fun? Possibly. The car is more responsive to your inputs, and more attuned to the rigours of lumpy roads. The issue is pace: as mentioned, the C2S is more capable at greater speeds than the C2, which is where its problem may arise. Do you want greater involvement or outright performance from your 911?

Equally evident is the fact the C2 isn’t merely a C2S with a detuned engine. There might be heinous overlaps between some models on paper (just look at the GT3 Touring v 911 R argument) but Porsche is an expert in fine-tuning the specifics of each to ensure genuine diversity in its vast 911 line-up. As is usually the way, these real-world differences are found in the sum of their respective parts. It’s the same here: there are many small differences between these 992s, which add up to two profoundly different 911s.

The C2 is, once again, more than just an appealing gateway into the 911 line-up. It’s all the 911 you’ll ever need on the road. The S is slightly more chiselled, that most evident in the conviction of its chassis, power delivery, and brakes.

And to an important addendum, as we conclude our C2 v C2S test: if you’re going to spec a Carrera, make sure you keep the standard 19- and 20-inch staggered wheel setup, thus taking advantage of the skinnier tyres that accompany them. Do that and you’ll fully unlock the charm of the entry-level 911, a 911 that reigns supreme for engagement and value – until the Carrera T comes along, of course…

Save up to 52% when you subscribe to Total 911 today*

EXCLUSIVE SUBSCRIBER COVERS!

Great reasons to subscribe • Saving up to 52% on bundle price • Never miss an issue • Free delivery to your door • Print only £52 for a year • Print and digital only £62 for a year

Include digital for only £10

Visit myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/t911subs Call

0344 848 2852 Lines open Monday to Friday 8am to 7pm and Saturday 10am to 2pm (GMT)

QUOTE T911SUBS WHEN ORDERING *Terms and conditions: This offer entitles new UK Direct Debit subscribers to pay just £52.00 (one year) for print or £62.00 (one year) for print and digital. Prices and savings quoted are compared to buying full-priced print issues. You will receive 13 issues in a year. Your subscription is for the minimum term ɀȵƺƬǣˡƺƳِ çȒɖ ƬƏȇ ɯȸǣɎƺ ɎȒ ɖɀ Ȓȸ ƬƏǼǼ ɖɀ ɎȒ ƬƏȇƬƺǼ ɵȒɖȸ ɀɖƫɀƬȸǣȵɎǣȒȇ ɯǣɎǝǣȇ ‫ ג׏‬ƳƏɵɀ Ȓǔ ȵɖȸƬǝƏɀƺِ ¨ƏɵȅƺȇɎ ǣɀ ȇȒȇ‫ٮ‬ȸƺǔɖȇƳƏƫǼƺ ƏǔɎƺȸ Ɏǝƺ ‫ٮג׏‬ƳƏɵ ƬƏȇƬƺǼǼƏɎǣȒȇ ȵƺȸǣȒƳ ɖȇǼƺɀɀ ƺɴƬƺȵɎǣȒȇƏǼ ƬǣȸƬɖȅɀɎƏȇƬƺɀ ƏȵȵǼɵِ çȒɖȸ statutory rights are not affected. Prices correct at point of print and subject to change. UK calls will cost Ɏǝƺ ɀƏȅƺ Əɀ ȒɎǝƺȸ ɀɎƏȇƳƏȸƳ ˡɴƺƳ Ǽǣȇƺ ȇɖȅƫƺȸɀ ٢ɀɎƏȸɎǣȇǕ ‫ ׏׎‬Ȓȸ ‫א׎‬٣ Ȓȸ Əȸƺ ǣȇƬǼɖƳƺƳ Əɀ ȵƏȸɎ Ȓǔ Əȇɵ ǣȇƬǼɖɀǣɮƺ or free minutes allowances (if offered by your phone tariff). For full terms and conditions please visit: www.bit.ly/magterms. Offer ends 30 September 2020.

38 996 Carrera 4S road trip

F L AT S IX ON THE

FRENCH RIVIERA Steve Hall takes his ďŹ rst 911 on its maiden road trip: can the 996 Carrera 4S deliver on an adventure to the south of France?

39

40 996 Carrera 4S road trip

ABOVE The 996 C4S’s connecting rear strip has become an iconic design component for AWD 911s

B

eep, beep, beep… groan. It’s 4:00am on a Saturday, shouldn’t I be rolling in from a particularly good night out, instead of trying to drag myself out of bed? I’m pretty sure that four hours isn’t enough sleep, but I actually feel strangely motivated to get on with the day – probably something to do with what lies ahead…

After years of thinking about it, years interspersed with a few fun cars (TVR, NSX, M3 etc) I finally bought my first Porsche in September 2018. It was on a whim, as you do. I’d dabbled with the idea of a Cayman (you drive a lot of cars in this job and I’d enjoyed every Cayman I’d ever tried) but I knew that deep down it really had to be a 911 – you know, a real Porsche. I feel safe writing that in a magazine called Total 911.

A friend needed to move his 996 C4S on quickly so he could get into a Ferrari he’d been offered at a knockdown price (first world problems, huh?), coinciding happily with my having recently sold a house. I knew the car too, said mate having owned it for a year or so, and I was enamoured by the spec – a lovely deep metallic blue, full black leather, Sports exhaust and short shifter kit making it even more focused as a driving machine. Furthermore, promises were made (and delivered) to have it looked over prior to sale and anything necessary be sorted – that promise eliciting a bill just short of £3K. Good for me.

We’re still mates, by the way.

So the deal was done, and on a sunny Thursday I picked up ‘my’ 911 for the short haul back to Essex from Kent. The Dartford tunnel proved the ideal sound chamber to test the aural attributes (windows

down, of course), while a few local back roads elongated my trip home showing that all the uniquely 911 dynamic attributes I’ve always loved were present and correct. This was going to be a blast.

And while it was used little through the grotty winter months that arrived shortly after purchase, a few Sunday fun drives and – in particular – an epic weekend jaunt to Wales with some mates proved the mettle of the car, and that my instinct was right. You see, I’ve always believed that the thing you simply have to do if you’re lucky enough to own a 911 is a big road trip, ideally with the nose pointing south to sunnier climes. It’s that combination of robustness, compactness and practicality alongside imperious driving dynamics that makes a 911 – for me – perhaps the best car in the world for a road trip involving serious miles on serious roads. It’s something I’d planned to do since well before I bought one, now it’s time to tick that box.

Yep, I think I’m going to pay for that lack of sleep later; good job I put my girlfriend on the insurance.

But for now I’m in autopilot, jumping out of bed, boiling the kettle and scooping up any luggage we hadn’t stuffed into the car last night. Coffee quaffed, we’re rolling by 4:30, bound for P&O’s finest 7:25am crossing to Calais with perhaps a little more time in hand than anticipated – damn it, I really could have used another 30 minutes shut-eye. No matter, there’s always something a little bit special about being on the road before the sun’s up, and we’re treated to a glorious sunrise as we cruise down the M2 motorway. The port beckons bright and early and we roll on as one of the first cars – perfect, as it means we can bag the best seats for snoozing.

41

ABOVE A quick splash n’ dash en route to the south. The C4S offers a comfortable ride through France

BELOW The 996 at rest among the many boats along Monaco’s marina

42 996 Carrera 4S road trip

“A 996 C4S is a pretty damned good tool for the job; on roads this tight and twisty 320bhp is more than enough” 120 minutes of broken sleep later, we’re in France: now the trip really begins. Today’s plan is to get the duller parts of northern and mid France out of the way, and to hell with the toll costs – they are nothing if not efficient. We dropped a pin in the pretty town of Beaune, which proves to be the perfect balance of arrival time (just after 19:00) and distance to our next stop in the Alps. It also offers a wonderful selection of restaurants and bars – if your wallet can handle €9 for a small beer. Ours can’t, so I’m glad we snaffled a bottle of red at the hotel before venturing out.

But no road trip of this type would be complete without two nigh mandatory detours, so we’re diving off the autoroute at Reims to visit the grandstands on the D27 towards Gueux – a fantastically atmospheric place that’s gradually being brought back to its former glory by the non-profit ‘Les Amis du Circuit de Gueux’ organisation. It’s completely open to the public and offers great opportunities for some very clichéd (but entirely justified) photos. Being 2.5 hours from Calais, we decide it’s the perfect time to dive into our picnic once I’ve stopped snapping.

And the 911? With 283 miles of motorway under its wheels it hasn’t broken a sweat, settling into a comfortable lolloping cruise just short of 90mph once across the channel. I’ve stuffed a tiny cushion at the base of the seat, but seeing as I do that in every car I drive that’s more my buggered back than the car – the Sports seats are otherwise comfortable, the driving position spot on despite the lack of telescopic adjustment of the wheel. Back home it easily swallowed enough luggage for two weeks including camping and photography kit. Is there a more practical sports car?

The next detour takes us off the autoroute a few kilometres east of Troyes onto one of my favourite roads in France, one which has been mentioned in these pages more than once before and remains extremely apt to drive this car on – the D996. Neatly cutting across the countryside between Troyes and Dijon it’s a shorter, if slower route than the Wazerecommended A5>A31, but once you’ve got a few miles into it, you find yourself on a truly great driving road – and the first proper chance to exercise the C4S. The D996 serves up everything from fast open sweepers, to corners coming at you in a fusillade

43

44 996 Carrera 4S road trip

RIGHT The front boot on AWD 911s might not be as deep as RWD counterparts, but you can still fit plenty in!

45

BELOW Wonderful, ribbonlike roads engulfed in spectacular scenery lay just away from the coastline

of gear changes, braking and acceleration, the road twisting one way then the next, the rippled surface asking the 911 what it’s got. Well it’s got this road covered, that’s for sure.

The C4S just soaks up everything the D996 can throw at it, remaining composed despite the extra weight we’re carrying – or maybe the extra weight up front helps? Either way, trail braking into tighter sections has the nose locked into the tarmac, the rear sliding ever so subtly to help you into the apex, an invitation to open the throttle I’m happy to accept. All the while, the steering relays everything you want to know – the weight shifting in unison with the front tyres’ purchase on the road, the rim gently shimmying to describe the topography of the surface below. And boy does the C4S feel secure; even if the rear slides a little more than you anticipate, you can feel the power shifting forwards as the car straightens up. Which isn’t to say it’s in any way dull – you can adjust the car’s attitude any way you want with both brake and throttle – but you can indulge yourself in any driving style you please, secure in the knowledge it’s on your side.

It’s a brilliant drive, and we arrive in Beaune feeling surprisingly chipper despite the sleep deprivation.

9:30am; that’s more like it. With a mere 286-mile/5.5-hour road time today, the lie in was much needed. We’ll use autoroute for the first half, cruising past Lyon towards Grenoble before picking up the N85 (Route Napoleon as it’s better known) towards Gap, then head east for our overnight in the pretty mountain village of Pra-Loup. Our schlep down the A6/A48 autoroutes is predictably smooth and uneventful – boredom alleviated by the increasingly mountainous scenery rolling towards us and tagging along with a swiss 991 GT3 for a few miles. The fun starts when we pick up the N85 at Grenoble, the winding ribbon of tarmac climbing steeply out of town with lots of fun to be had, weaving together the faster sweeping sections with

the tight switchbacks that elevate us quickly. Truth be told, the southern section of the Route Napoleon is the best part but it’s good to be off the autoroute anyway – something we won’t need to do in any meaningful way for a while now.

Climbing. Today is all about elevation, beginning with 2,715m of the Col de la Bonette, ending with the 1,607m Col de Turini. Proper driving, I hope. Not the fastest route to Nice – our ultimate destination – but by far the most scenic and, hopefully, the most enjoyable. And the 911 proves the perfect foil for this particular adventure, the narrow winding roads up to the peak of the Col de la Bonette making the Porsche feel ‘right sized’ for this terrain. These aren’t the best driving roads we’ll do, but for scenic majesty they’re hard to beat; the view from the top is utterly worth the drive. The Col de Turini proves much the same: too narrow and unsighted for proper driving fun, but well worth the venture as a tick-box exercise – it’s a Monte Carlo rally stage after all. And the delightful Hotel Les Chamois at the summit proved to be one of the real finds of the trip, the Porsche-driving owner a source of entertainment all night alongside his awardwinning dogs.

Don’t. Forget. Your phone. Today was supposed to be an easy cruise into Nice, taking in the Col de Braus along the way for no other reason than the fact editor Lee had mentioned it a few months prior, planting a seed in my driving road mind. And while the eastern side of it proved to be yet another fun, if too narrow road to enjoy the C4S’s capabilities on, we didn’t get to sample the western side thanks to my pea-sized brain. If you’re going to leave your iPhone anywhere, let it be a small town in the eastern Alps where you’d stopped for coffee an hour prior.

Amazingly, it was sat on the same bench I’d left it…

Driving back on roads you’d covered a few minutes ago elevates the confidence somewhat. So while I was motivated to retrieve my phone, this was one hell of a drive, the D54 and D21 virtually devoid of traffic and serving up the full à la carte menu of roads you’d want to drive. I now know that if you’re

46 996 Carrera 4S road trip

© Google

‘COTE D’AZUR: OUR ROUTE

TRIP DURATION TOTAL MILES BEST MPG WORST MPG AVERAGE MPG

7 DAYS 2,423 31.5 – AUTOROUTE CRUISE 13.5 – COL DE VENCE 25.8

in a rush to get somewhere, a 996 C4S is a pretty damned good tool for the job. On roads this tight and twisty 320bhp is more than enough, but more to the point the strong mid-range grunt the M96 flat six delivers – though it may not be an iconic ‘Mezger’ – means this is a seriously good engine. Dynamically, all the confidence and feel experienced on the D996 is here in spades. It might have happened by accident, but this proves one of the best drives of the trip. We then took the fast route to Nice, phone retrieved.

The best driving roads are usually painted up the side of a mountain, ideally well sighted, at least with a variety of bends and scenery, but there’s something to be said for the coastal motorway that wraps around the southern side of France into northern Italy.

Scenery for one. Oh, the scenery. Then there’s tunnel after tunnel after tunnel… ideal if you’re piloting something with a fruity exhaust which, happily, I am.

Quick too, for Italian drivers seem to ‘get a move on’.

So we settle into a cruise just short of three figures,

and the 911 seems happier than ever at these speeds, like it was designed to cruise at 160kph before it left the factory.

Which is all good, until the dashboard tells me to ‘check engine’ on the return journey. The C4S seems to be running perfectly, so after a service station stop I surmise that it’s nothing more than the newly fitted Sports exhaust (courtesy of ePorsch) having an argument with the ECU. Pulling the stalk back a notch will become part of the mandatory driving tactic from here on (turns out, it was a dodgy signal from the exhaust, no harm done).

Google Maps suggests the fastest way to Marseille is a couple of hours along the A8 autoroute. But this is a driving holiday, so today we plan to take in one of the best driving roads I know: the Col de Vence.

This is a truly spectacular piece of tarmac, rippling up the southern side of the Alps with views you have to see to believe. And the driving? Bloody hell, it’s got everything: fast sweeping bends, technical twisting switchbacks, uphill, downhill… It’s a proper test of any car; there’s good reason so many car launches have been based here.

Good as the D996 was, this is probably my best drive of the trip, the C4S feeling like the perfect device for it. It’s to do with the 911’s blend of performance (just enough, with that M96 torque), size (despite the wide hips, a C4S is still a compact car, easily threadable), and dynamic acuity – you always know where you’re at with this car, the steering crisp and clean, the braking inerrably reliable, the balance predictable. We drive this road at a good pace, and I have to remind myself we’ve got 14 days of luggage onboard, because you wouldn’t know

it from behind the wheel. Pretty good these 911s, aren’t they?

So good, you can even go camping with one; well, it’s 4WD after all. It did draw a few looks on the campsite, admittedly. After a few days’ cheap and cheerful downtime in the sun, it’s time to point the prow north as we start the journey home. It’ll take a few days, visiting the D996 once again – de rigueur – with the iconic Route Napoleon delivering another wonderful driving highlight of the trip. We stay in the pretty town of Castellane 40 miles from the southern side of the N85, but the drive up is absolutely brilliant, as is the drive northbound. Truth be told, the Route Napoleon, despite its clichéd overuse as a driving road, remains an utterly fantastic road for driving fun. There’s everything you’d want – fast open sweepers, 180-degree hairpins, majestic scenery, and well sighted so you can really commit to the twisting tarmac in front of you. The C4S is sublime here, marrying clarity of steering and excellent mid-corner balance just like it had on the D996.

Some car, the 911. I dare say this trip would have been just as epic in iterations earlier or later. Of course a 991 would have been more habitable with its refinement and the extra poke of its motor; a 993 perhaps more connected on the fun roads, but questionable on the long treks of autoroute.

Whichever flavour you prefer your 911, it remains the perfect car for a trip like this: useable, fun to drive on great roads, all with an indomitable sense of robustness that explains why 911s accrue more miles than any other sports car out there. So yes, my 911 delivered exactly what it was bought for, and it delivered in spades. What a car.

48 The big interview: Norbert Singer

Norbert Singer: chassis engineer and aerodynamicist Not only did he streamline Porsche race cars, he also showed how to interpret the rulebook. Now in his 80th year, Herr Singer looks back on his greatest moments Written by Kieron Fennelly Photography courtesy Porsche Archive

I

n the late 1960s, space exploration was making all the headlines, and such was the rate of progress that by the end of the decade a man had walked on the Moon. As he studied engineering at Munich University, Norbert Singer was so impressed by such developments that he contemplated a future in what we now call aerospace. But after graduation and as he looked more closely at opportunities in Germany, he realised that such research projects were limited. By contrast the car industry was expanding as never before. He saw an advertisement for a race engineer at Porsche: as a keen motorsport photographer, Singer knew the maker of the 911 was punching well above its weight. His application was accepted, and in spring 1970 he began at Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen.

“I went straight into the racing department and the sort of jobs I was given involved detailed work on fuel pick-up and gearbox cooling.” Today Singer is known above all for his aerodynamic work, but then aerodynamic tasks were not specificially on the agenda: “I used to carry out my aero investigations in the lunch break,” he

says. At Porsche though, responsibility came fast. By August 1970 he was the team race engineer at Zeltweg, where Marko and Larrousse were running a 917 with ABS. “I never considered working for another company. At Porsche, if the budget for a particular project dried up, there was always something else I could turn to.” A reputation for self-reliance would ensure that Singer remained at the heart of Porsche engineering for the next three decades.

The early 1970s were the great days of the 917, which having won all before it in Europe, so attracted the displeasure of the European sport’s governing body. The 917 had to switch to the more open Can-Am series in North America. There, thanks to turbocharging, the 917 would prove equally dominant, and would also incur the wrath this time of US regulators. From his vantage point in the racing team, the young Singer noted the defining role of motorsport’s powers that be.

With the Can-Am programme underway, Porsche turned to the 911. Having successfully turbocharged the 917, as new CEO Ernst

49

50 The big interview: Norbert Singer

Fuhrmann spelt out, it could do the same for the 911, birthing a race car that people could recognise and buy: win on Sunday, sell on Monday – and for a far smaller development budget. Fuhrmann was a solid proponent of this, and Singer was immediately given the task of turning the Carrera RS into the RSR. In 1967 the FIA had stopped Porsche racing the 911 as a Group 3 touring car, but Singer realised it could not prevent it entering Group 4’s GT class.

As project manager he now had the task of making the Carrera RS a competitive racer. The challenge was to define exactly what would be required to this end, and at the same time which changes could be incorporated in the production car – the 930 Turbo 3.0, of which 500 had to be made for homologation. The upshot was two race cars: the 934, which would come in short order to dominate Group 4, and a year later the even more successful 935, the famous ‘silhouette’ car.

Looser rules allowed the 935 in Group 5 to depart from the 930’s production torsion bars to coil springs and have a solid differential, as well as fibreglass front and rear ends and plexiglass sliding windows. Obliged at the last moment to revise the rear wing because the CSI was late in finalising the specification, Singer found himself looking at the rules again. Although the original outside shape of the bodywork “should be retained”, elsewhere it said that “the material and shape of the wings are free”. Thus Singer had his technicians remove the 911’s front wings

ABOVE 956 during the roll-out in 1982 in the racing department at Weissach, selected people from left to right: Norbert Singer, Klaus Bischof, Horst Reitter, Peter Falk, Jürgen Barth RIGHT Singer with Eugen Kolb overlooking the 917 KH Coupé ahead of the 1971 24 Hours of Le Mans

and headlights, smoothing off the whole front of the car in what became known as the Flachbau and mounting the headlights in the front spoiler.

At the same time vents in the wings relieved air pressure in the front wheel housings.

Worth 0.4 seconds per lap when tested at Paul Ricard, the Ickx-Mass 935 was all-conquering in the opening rounds of the 1976 season, so much so that the CSI objected to its Flachbau front.

Porsche had to threaten to withdraw altogether before Singer’s interpretation of the rules was accepted. Today he says modestly: “It was just common sense. You have the rules and you have to make the best of them.” But how then did competitors not manage to produce similarly ingenious solutions? “Perhaps they didn’t look so closely at the rulebook,” he smiles.

“It didn’t stop there: we continued to develop the 935 for a couple more seasons and designed kits so that 934 customers could convert their cars to 935s, but then Fuhrmann ended the 911 programme and we switched work to the 924 because he wanted to demonstrate that like the 911, the 924 could race competitively too.”

Singer is not necessarily critical of Fuhrmann.

“He had seen the need to promote the 911, and racing was an effective way to do that. He was a racer himself and he’d been at Porsche before.

For me he was an engineer’s engineer: with him you needed to justify your decisions. He’d readily get involved and he often attended testing at Paul Ricard. Peter Schutz was completely

ABOVE Weissach 1973: waiting with Bott and Jantke to hear Frère’s verdict on the RSR prototype

51

“It was just common sense.

You have the rules and you have to make the best of them” different: you would see him maybe twice a year.” The criticism is implied, but nonetheless, It was Schutz who refired the 911 programme and set the bar rather higher than the 924 for the racing department. The success of the hastily revived 936 which won Le Mans in 1981 was instrumental in Porsche’s entry to the new Group C and a return to first-division motor racing. For Singer this meant the development of the 956 and the 962.

“Initially there were works BMWs, Saubers, Lancias and Marches, plus various private teams.

But gradually the private teams found it was simpler to buy a 956 from Porsche than try to make their own cars competitive. I think we sold 12 956s in 1983 and the same number in 1984, and then some of the works teams pulled out, so we were selling more and more 956s and later 962s.”

Over a hundred in fact, but it was hardly a commercial operation. Singer reflects: “We never made enough money. I think we sold them at cost. The racing department still had to be

subsidised by the company.” He also explains that the differences between the 956 and the 962 were minimal, with a longer wheelbase and changes to the chassis to accommodate this.

“The main reason for renumbering it as 962 rather than, say, 956/6 was to simplify parts numbers – everything then began with 962, which mattered because there were so many customers with both cars.”

He recalls an episode in 1984: “Bott wanted to know whether the 917 was faster than the 956. So we prepared a 917/30 – a 900bhp turbo version for which Goodyear made special 19inch rear tyres – which Derek Bell drove round Weissach. Then he drove the 956. Well I knew which was going to be the faster: the 956 was not just tenths, but entire seconds quicker!”

The test generated considerable interest within Porsche, the scene captured in a remarkable photograph which shows Bott, Ferry and Schutz flanked by Peter Falk and Valentin Schäffer and two Porsche journalists, Jerry Sloniger, editor of the English-language version of Christophorus,

52 The big interview: Norbert Singer

ABOVE Singer to the left of the 911 Carrera RSR Turbo 2.1 at Le Mans in 1974. Herbert MĂźller and Gijs van Lennep achieved 2nd place RIGHT At the 1974 24h Le Mans again, this time with Hans Heyer

53

and Paul Frère. All are listening attentively to Bell sitting in the 917 cockpit, and behind them Singer, holding a clipboard, looks on. Today such an event would doubtless have generated online videos and several pages in the Porsche magazines, but back then, says Singer, it was merely reported in a couple of magazines such as Auto Motor und Sport.

Frère’s presence is significant. Then working on the third edition of his Porsche 911 Story, he appears in many Weissach photographs from the 1970s and 1980s. “We had good discussions,” recalls Singer, who appreciated the Belgian as both a racing driver – he had retired after winning Le Mans in 1960 – and as a journalist able to understand and convey engineering principles. “He was really a perfect combination, and we always appreciated his feedback on the cars. You do need the feedback of a third party – it’s extremely helpful with development.”

Frère was also on the technical committee of the FIA, and Singer says other members tended to defer to him as he knew what he was talking about. “When we were planning to modify the rear suspension of the 935, we sent him the drawings in advance. He sent back a very nice reply that he feared our proposals were ‘not in the spirit of the regulations’, so he would have to vote against them. There was no need for him

to write back, but it was typical of him, and it saved us making a fruitless and potentially timewasting submission.” Singer realised they would have to make their changes less radical.

Singer’s versatility meant he was almost always at the centre of engineering developments. Called in to assist with the 964, he completely revised the chassis, eliminating the torsion bars and leaving his mark – a 911 with a Cd of 0.32 when the 3.2’s had exceeded 0.40. Later he would develop the Weissach axle for the production 993. Then he was needed for work on customer 962s. Such moving about between departments might have upset some bosses, but Bott and his successor Ulrich Bez were always supportive of Singer’s dual role: “I remember Bez when he began as a praktikant (graduate apprentice) here,” he smiles.

In 1992, Group C and the World Sports Car Championship came to an end, its demise hastened by pressure on the FIA from Bernie Ecclestone’s Formula 1, which saw it as competition for its television audiences and sponsors. Porsche by that time had long withdrawn, although Singer and his team were kept busy supporting 962 customer racers. Singer points out that Porsche’s direct involvement in motorsport came and went: in the late-1970s and again in the 1990s, third parties

54 The big interview: Norbert Singer

BELOW Singer and a colleague with the 935 in 1976

– often as not with Weissach support – waved the Porsche flag. Porsche’s win at Le Mans in 1994 was a case in point. The BPR Series in 1992 had inaugurated a new class of GT racing, and Porsche took full advantage. Singer’s department developed the 964 RSR, which gave private Porsche teams a new weapon.

However, the Le Mans organisers, the ACO, which often acted independently of the FIA, created a loophole. For its GT class, no minimum quantity for homologation was specified. This gave Weissach the chance to turn its venerable 962 into a street-legal car to compete in the GT class. Though considerably slower than cars in the prototype class, the Dauer Porsches would outlast them to take 1st and 3rd overall.

This car evolved into the GT1 which won Le Mans in 1998, but Singer is highly critical of homologation minima: “You do need to build prototypes, but the constraint of having to build 25 road cars was killingly expensive, and they aren’t especially useable anyway. It took the FIA a long time to register this, but when they did it led to the evolution of the LMP2s. This is a

particularly good idea because there are defined cost limits – the engine, for instance, has to last five six-hour races, and it opens the field to a far wider variety of teams.”

When Wendelin Wiedeking abolished the racing department’s budget, Singer was naturally disappointed, even if resources were switched to work on the road-going Carrera GT. However, he also had the opportunity to work on the cheaperto-develop Porsche LMP2 car, the RS Spyder.

“Wiedeking’s philosophy was that with LMP2 you would always get a class win, and sometimes an overall win, and he was right. But the trouble is, even with cost constraints LMP2 cars are expensive – about €450,000 in 2019 – so you don’t reach that many customers.”

Singer left Porsche in 2004 at the official retirement age, staying on until 2011 as a consultant to Porsche Motorsport, where he worked largely on the GT3 cars. His advice was called on for various race series. A man who has lived and breathed motor racing for his entire career, he continues to worry about escalating costs: “At Le Mans in 2019 I saw one

GT3 team which had two engineers simply to read computer feedback! It is becoming too developed. Teams are having to trade down to GT4. I approve of the ACO Masters series that will prohibit telemetry and will allow less wealthy teams to compete and a return to relying on driver feedback.”

Appropriately it was the ACO which offered Singer a consultancy role, which he took up in 2011 when he left Porsche. “I had known Jean Todt for years and I regard the ACO as a more practical organisation than the FIA; it has always had its feet on the ground. It’s forward looking too – it has been set up for hydrogen cars for some time. The ACO is as sceptical of battery cars for 24-hour races as I am.”

He recalls chatting to Ferdinand Piëch at an ACO meeting in Paris some years ago, and fetching headphones so that he and Piëch could hear the simultaneous translation from French.

“Hah, I don’t need those,” said the late VW head.

“I understand French: you can’t win Le Mans without speaking French!” To which Singer retorted, “Well I did, many times!”

56 Porsche Index: 997 GT3 RS 4.0

PORSCHE INDEX

The RS was already a special car, but the loss-making RS 4.0-litre is arguably one of the greatest. Here’s all you need to know Written by Chris Randall Photography by Daniel Pullen

57

HISTORY AND TECH riginally built to homologate the 996 for GT3 racing, the 'GT3' badge would come to signify ever more powerful and focused 911s, and with the arrival of this car the genre had reached its zenith. In Gen2 form the 997 GT3 RS was mighty impressive, but slotting in a 4.0-litre version of the Mezger engine – the largest ever fitted to a 911 – was a special way to sign off the generation.

With just 600 produced, this was among the rarest of Neunelfers, UK buyers having to wait until 2011 to get their hands on one and needing to part with £128,466 in the process.

Naturally, the enlarged flat six garnered all the attention, the extra capacity coming from an increase in stroke.

Construction included

forged pistons, titanium con rods and exhaust, and a freer-flowing induction system borrowed from the GT3 R racer. The result was 500hp and a small increase in torque compared to the 3.8 RS, although the extra 30Nm of twist arrived 1,000rpm lower down the rev range. Driving the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox, the resultant 125bhp per litre punched the RS 4.0 from 0-62mph in 3.9 seconds and on to 193mph. It was also enough to see it reel off a Nürburgring lap in a stunning 7:27.

That was helped by the heavily revised aerodynamics package, the most obvious part the small ‘dive planes’ at each end of the front bumper; those alone were claimed to improve downforce by 15 per cent, and the maximum now stood at 190kg.

They were balanced by a taller carbon rear wing that was angled at a more aggressive nine rather than six degrees. The RS 4.0 would also feature a number of additional weight-saving measures, including lighter

bumpers and front wings, and a bonnet fashioned from carbon fire, along with plastic side and rear windows. Porsche even described the carpets as being ‘weight-optimised’.

At a lithe 1,360kg, that meant an impressive 368hp per tonne. The remainder of the mechanical package was much as you’d find beneath the skin of the 3.8, including the deliciously feelsome hydraulically assisted steering. However, the 4.0 did benefit from a few changes, the PASM system featuring a bespoke tune and rose joints for the rear suspension. Lastly, the cabin also reflected the more focused nature, buyers treated to swathes of Alcantara along with a roll cage, racing harnesses for the carbon-shelled bucket seats, a fire extinguisher and emergency cut-off switch. A true parts bin special, Porsche reportedly made no money from the RS 4.0, but its financial loss was very much our gain.

58 Porsche Index: 997 GT3 RS 4.0

£550,000

T H E VA LU ES STO RY £500,000

£450,000

£400,000

997 GT3 RS 4.0 F I V E -Y E A R V A L U E S

£350,000

VALUE 2016

MARKET R I VA LS It’s no real surprise that natural rivals are few and far between. Clearly the GT2 is rather closer to the 4.0’s ethos than the others, but perhaps the idea of heading much further back in 911 history could well appeal given half a million pounds to spend and few models to spend it on.

2017

2018

2019

2020

s the ultimate expression of the breed and with just 40 examples coming to the UK – all allocated to customers with a history of GT purchases – paying a high price was the only option. Values remained rock solid for a couple of years, only the last year or so seeing prices drop back somewhat, in line with those of other special 911s. Given the current climate, both Greig Daly from RPM Technik and JZM’s Russ Rosenthal agree that somewhere around the £450,000 mark will be required to secure one in right-hand drive. And that last point is important, as there is a cheaper alternative. Anyone prepared to sit on the left can expect to pay closer to £250,000 to £275,000, but tempting as that is, the price differential – in the UK at least – will always remain. Both of our experts agree that prices now seem to have stabilised, so don’t expect any notable changes in the short to medium term. A huge sum to pay? Undoubtedly, but it’s one that buys a hugely desirable car.

2.7 Carrera RS

997 GT2

959

You’d still be short of the best examples – shorter still if you wanted a Lightweight – but a Touring in very good condition is within scope here. Its legendary status will need no explaining, and while its performance and technology are a far cry from that of the RS 4.0 that appeared more than three decades later, it will never be anything less than immensely desirable. When it comes to purity of purpose, this is almost unmatched.

Even rarer than the car you see here, the GT2 was a simply stunning interpretation of the 997 generation. Light, focused and shatteringly quick, it was Porsche’s fastest, most powerful production model, and one that thrills like few other cars ever made.

That you can enjoy the twin-turbocharged 620bhp with all of the electronic safety nets switched off is as mind-boggling now as it was when this car was launched.

This is something of a wild card, and securing one would need twice what you’d pay for the 4.0, but it would be a very special thing to have in a collection. Packed with technology from ABS to run-flat tyres, not to mention mind-blowing levels of traction and performance, the 959 seemed otherworldly back in 1987. With most delivered in luxu urious ‘Komfort’ specification, the Sport models were rare and even lighter.

59

BELOW Interior was exacting in its layout to the 3.8, with only minor changes to materials and colours used

W H AT ’ S I T L I

E TO DRIVE?

t’s no surprise that the combination of Mezger engine and slick-shifting manual gearbox is one we admire, but what’s perhaps less expected is the difference the modest improvement in torque – and its delivery lower down the rev range – makes to the way this car feels on the road. The soundtrack is predictably spine-tingling when you do stretch the motor out to the redline, and the new induction set-up adds a pleasing layer of aural drama. Even at middling revs the additional punch out of corners is noticeable, and you'll find you're often coming out of them a gear higher than in the 3.8. The caveat, least, is ride comfort: that rose for road driving at least jointed rear suspension means the ride can be harsh, but this is a fully hardcore track car, so don't expect any compromises.

60 Porsche Index: 997 GT3 RS 4.0

BUYING ONE

I

t was back in 2016 when we last took a close look at buying a 997.2 GT3, and while there was no doubting the quality of construction and materials, it wasn’t a car that should be bought in haste. Inherent problems were few, but hard track miles and negligent ownership were a precursor to big bills. This would still be the case were it not for the fact that the RS 4.0 occupies a rather different place in the market – a place where a tiny mileage and very large price tag is the norm. In all likelihood ar and tear are less likely to afflict neglect and wear ough that doesn’t mean you should these cars, altho approach one w without a degree of caution.

Unless you’re buying from a reputable specialist – and that’s the route we’d advise – then you should spend plenty off time satisfying yourself that the history and prov venance are flawless. If you’ve the slightest doubt, then walk away. And those checks need to be especially diligent if you’re considering a cheaper left-hand-drive car with a few miles on the clock; early miles could have been hard ones, so a cast-iiron maintenance record and a check for accideent repairs is crucial. Privately also benefit from ECU sold examples would w interrogation to identity any over-revs and confirm the mileage. It’s also worth considering the sort of use you y have planned, as long-term ver a good thing for a 911. inactivity is nev As for mechanical issues, we asked Hale, who did highlight JZM’s Steve McH a few points to consider. The first is that he’d recommend a check for any signs of borre-scoring, even on a low-mileage example. Lack of use seems to be responsible for starter nd it’s a similar story motor failure, an with the optional front-axle lift system – although it isn’t necessarily trouble-free, eveen with regular exercise. Essenttially, moisture in d-air system leads to the compressed on, and replacing the internal corrosio osts thousands – and entire system co even then there’s no guarantee it won’t fail again in the future.

61

BELOW Mezger flat six is revised over 3.8, with conical air filters and new componentry from the GT3 R

DESIRABLE OPTIONS There was a rather more limited choice when it came to equipping a 4.0, and buyers would have been conscious of not departing from its focused intent. A popular addition was the front-axle lift kit, and most were painted in the default shades of white or black; you might find a car ordered with Paint To Sample, although those will probably carry a price premium, but what’s important today is finding a car in pristine, original condition. Most have covered a tiny mileage, something that will likely appeal to investors, and they might also be attracted to a car with an interesting or celebrity ownership. But such factors should be secondary to securing one with an unimpeachable provenance.

62 Porsche Index: 997 GT3 RS 4.0

“Its talents on road or track are nothing short of incredible”

ABOVE The 997 RS 4.0 is the last Porsche RS to be fitted with a coveted manual gearbox

63

INVESTMENT POTENTIAL & OWNERSHIP EXPERIENCE ackling the ownership aspect first, 911s of this value and rarity naturally provide something of a dilemma. Its talents on road or track are nothing short of increedible, and a 4.0 is a car that was built to be driven n and enjoyed, but few ever will be. Whaat’s far more likely is a life spent tu ucked away in a collection, accruing few if any miles, and that seems ratherr a pity.

That said, just the knowledge that you ow wn one of the finest Neun nelfers ever made will be satisfaction enough fo or

some, and as a car to gaze at and appreciate there are few better. And should you ever be tempted to explore its immense talent as a driver’s car, it’ll prove a very special experience ind deed. If not then you are sitting on a very soun nd investment, although one both of our experts view as being long term. Both Russ and Greig agree that somewhere in the order of a decade could see values h head back to the peak of four to five years ago. For a car this desirable, and with the Mezgerr connection, it shouldn n’t really come as any surprise.

T O TA L 9 1 1 V E R D I C T This isn’t the first time we’ve been in this position, providing a verdict on a superlative driver’s car that may simply never be enjoyed as intended. That’s not true in all cases, of course, but the spectre of high values can never really be ignored. But let’s try to put that aspect aside for a moment, because beneath the nigh-on half million pound price tag is a 911 that entirely merits our five-star rating. For what was essentially the last hurrah for 997 production, this was Porsche doing what it did best – tempting enthusiasts with an achingly desirable iteration, one that placed engineering integrity and driver focus front and centre. For those reasons it’s a car that we recommend without reservation, and should you ever be in position to own one, it’s an opportunity you shouldn’t hesitate to grasp.

THANKS The example in our pictures is for sale at JZM Porsche. For more information visit jzmporsche.com or call +44 (0) 1923 269788

64 911 tech: the SC’s flat six

THE

P OWER TH REE OF

In its five-year life the SC’s three-litre went from 180 to 280bhp, representing the high point of the air-cooled design

65

T

he impact-bumper 911 ran from 1974 to 1989 and superficially evolved relatively little: bodies were galvanised from 1976, suspensions were steadily upgraded, engines increased in capacity from 2.7 to 3.0 litres and finally to the 3,164cc of the 3.2 Carrera. The ‘middle generation’ 1978 SC was visually almost identical to the 2.7 and Carrera 3.0-litre models it replaced. The important changes were under the skin, especially the flat six, which was extensively refined.

Although the SC inherited the Carrera 3.0-litre’s 95x70.4mm bore and stroke and its 8.5:1 compression ratio, there was much internal reworking to improve efficiency, if not (initially) outright power. The SC used the thicker crankshaft and main bearings of the 3.3 Turbo, but thinner connecting rods. The Turbo’s

breakerless ignition was used instead of traditional points and electronic rather than mechanical cut-out for the rev limiter brought both greater precision and economy. The emphasis was to improve drivability through better torque, and although nominally less powerful than the 200bhp Carrera 3.0 litre, testers found the SC seemed to go just as well despite its stated maximum power of ‘only’ 180bhp at 5,500rpm.

Its maximum torque was also better than the Carrera’s, and the magazines commented that the new flat six was noticeably smoother in operation.

The basis for introducing a new Porsche with less power than its predecessor was in part a question of marketing. From 1978 Porsche had rationalised the 911 range, which now comprised two models: the SC and the Turbo. The latter, with 300bhp, was the acknowledged high performer, and between it and the

SC fell the new 240bhp V8 928. This was the Porsche that Ernst Fuhrmann was keen to promote as the future of the company. But the 928 was a good 250kg heavier than the SC, and really needed more than its 240bhp to show the 911 a clean pair of heels. Politics dictated that Porsche’s published figures at least had to give the impression that the 928’s performance was superior to the SC’s. Interestingly, Fuhrmann’s 928 vision notwithstanding, an Auto Motor und Sport poll in 1979 found that 83 per cent thought the 911 SC best represented the future Porsche, so despite its ‘modest’ power output, the reputation of the SC was not suffering unduly in the marketplace.

Nevertheless, 911 diehards who remembered how in 1975 the end of mechanical fuel injection had cost the 2.7 40 horsepower – although the larger engine of the newly introduced 1975 Carrera managed to claim

66 911 tech: the SC’s flat six

200bhp – grumbled that the new SC had a ‘mere’ 180 horses. Pressure built up both in and outside Porsche to offer some sort of Powerkit, if only to counter offers from Reutlingen Porsche dealer Max Moritz and the irrepressible Alois Ruf. Both these tuners had bored out the 3.0-litre from 95 to 98mm, and with other modifications were getting over 200 horsepower – a claimed 217 for the RUF SCR. For its riposte Porsche already had the advantage of a 97mm bore in house, used for the 3.3 Turbo, so coupling these cylinders with the stock 3.0-litre’s stroke of 70.4mm would result in a capacity of 3,122cc.

Non-standard pistons would come from Mahle, but otherwise the modifications would be a classic parts bin effort. But because this scheme was in clear contravention of Fuhrmann’s policy of winding down the 911, approval had to be sought from Ferry Porsche himself before manufacture could start. The green light was obtained on the express condition it remained an extremely discreet modification, invisible to the uninitiated.

Once approved the object was to match the output of the earlier 2.7 at 210bhp. Besides the larger bore,

ABOVE 1981 SCs with 204bhp were identifiable by indicator repeaters in the front fenders and, under the decklid, an 11-bladed cooling fan

the compression ratio was increased from 8.6:1 to 9.5:1, requiring 98 RON fuel. Modifications included the cylinder cooling fins of the Turbo 3.3, and 12 Dilavar studs – less prone to thermal expansion than the standard steel items – bolted the head to the block on the exhaust side. The use of these studs on the exhaust side would become Porsche practice on the later SC. For the 3.1 kit, K-Jetronic fuel injection was fitted to the SC, but with a high-pressure fuel pump. A larger oil radiator went into the front wing, and in the interests of an increased top speed, the 915 gearbox had a higher fifth gear, another modification which Porsche would later make standard.

The upgrade received no marketing: it was never a dealer-fit item and no sales literature was issued.

Porsche relied on word of mouth to communicate to dealers that if customers asked, the factory would supply and fit a performance kit. Those 911s so delivered were referred to in their documents as an SC-L model, and an accompanying letter confirmed that this was a 3.1-litre factory conversion. At DM 7,500 it was an expensive procedure, and Porsche sold fewer than 300 kits. RUF outdid Zuffenhausen,

selling over 400 of its SCRs: this was the car that confirmed RUF’s Porsche-tuning credentials, and Alois subsequently turned his attention to the Turbo. Demand for Porsche’s upgrade started to dry up when the 1980 model year SC was announced with 188bhp. Its tiny increase in compression ratio could hardly be responsible for eight more horses, suggesting Porsche had knowingly understated the original SC’s output.

From 1981, wider availability of 98 octane – and the departure of Porsche’s anti-911 CEO Fuhrmann – allowed Porsche to increase compression to 9.8:1 and claim 204bhp. Torque was unchanged, but maximum power was now achieved at 5,900rpm with this freer revving flat six. Further engine developments included an 11- rather than five-bladed fan, reducing cabin noise, and a proper oil-cooling radiator rather than the previous less efficient coil variety. Porsche said this would allow maximum speed running for 30 minutes.

With the 1981 SC, the 911 was back in no uncertain terms, the fastest production 911 – excluding the far more expensive Turbo – yet offered. Its outright

67

“With the 1981 SC the 911 was back in no uncertain terms, the fastest production 911 – excluding the far more expensive Turbo – yet offered” BELOW The 3.0-litre 930 engine shared much with the SC. Left, the SC-L’s flat six was made to look stock

68 911 tech: the SC’s flat six

performance was only just shaded by the specially lightened 2.7 RS of a decade earlier.

In the early 1980s, Porsche’s rallying focus had shifted to Group B. Weissach’s efforts were concentrated on a 911-based, twin-turbo and fourwheel-drive supercar – the 959 – to take on the stunning Audi Quattros which were sweeping up rally victories. But development of such a model would take time, and the manager of the customer racing department, Jürgen Barth, saw an opportunity for a much simpler competition 911. Its construction overseen by Roland Kussmaul, the SC RS used a non-sunroof shell from the Turbo together with its suspension and 917 brakes. The body was lightened with aluminium panels and thinner glass and its cabin fittings were simplified. Homologation meant using the production SC’s flat six, but this responded BELOW RUF’s SCR outsold Porsche’s own modified SC-L

readily when the constraints dictated by emission controls were removed. With special forged pistons, a 10.3:1 compression ratio and six throttle bodies fed by a Bosch mechanical injection pump, the competition SC RS revved smoothly to 8,000rpm and yielded 280bhp at 7,000rpm. The road-going version made certain concessions, such as an air pump to reduce hydrocarbon output – catalytic converters were not mandated in Europe until 1993 – and a road-legal silencer. As such it produced 250bhp at 7,000rpm, and despite this level of tune made a tractable driving companion.

The SC went out of production during the build of the SC RS, and as a result the homologation norm fell from 200 to 20 cars, making this the rarest of all the 911 RSs. The 21 SC RSs eventually built were all sold to private teams. Five went to the Rothmans team

managed by Prodrive, whose inquiry about a rally 911 to replace its valiant Opel Asconas had prompted Barth’s initiative. A Rothmans SC RS driven by Henri Toivonen would have won the 1984 European rally championship, but for a crash which meant the Finn had to miss the last two rallies. The team won the Middle East championship for three consecutive years, and the SC RS, effectively the last of the rallying 911s, continued to win regional rallies until the demise of Group B in 1987.

The 250bhp road version of the SC RS, weighing a little under 1,100kg was staggeringly fast in its time, its 4.8 second 0-60mph time never beaten by an air-cooled production 911. This really marked the high point of the air-cooled flat six. Porsche never produced a tuned 3.2, and the subsequent 964 and 993 engines achieved their increase in power and torque through sheer cubic inches, the 305bhp 993 RS making 81bhp/litre compared with the 83bhp/litre of the SC RS, which was also fractionally quicker to 60mph, though yielding 20mph in top speed.

By 1990 growing environmental constraints and the limitations of having only two valves per cylinder dictated by the air-cooled design were causing the gradual realisation at Porsche that increased power and torque for its 911 – not to say better miles per gallon – would come only with four water-cooled cylinder heads. Significantly the 3.4 996 achieved 87bhp/litre, and its 0-60 time of 4.6 seconds and 174mph maximum made it by some margin the fastest non-turbo 911 yet.

70 RUF CTR1

CTR G E N E S I S

takes you back to 1987 with a ride in the CTR commissioned for Mr Alois Ruf himself

71

72 RUF CTR1

E

ven for those with a diehard obsession for all things Porsche, the names ‘RUF’ and ‘CTR’ are perfectly accepted within the wider Porsche lexicon. In many ways the two manufacturers go hand in hand: the legendary Alois Ruf Jr and his eponymous company from Bavaria has long enjoyed a close association with the Zuffenhausen brand, repairing 356s and 911s with his father through the 1960s before tuning the 911 SC and 930 Turbo from the mid-1970s. Recognised by the ’80s as an independent, TÜV-approved manufacturer in its own right, RUF nevertheless relied on Porsche to supply a solid base for what has turned out to be an enviable line-up of cars with the RUF Automobile name on the bonnet.

Numerous icons have rolled out of Pfaffenhausen, their names as fascinating as the spec: Turbo R, BTR, RCT and, of course, the marquee machine – CTR. The CTR (denoting Group C Turbo RUF) has enjoyed no less than four iterations through the years, each released ten years apart to coincide with the anniversary of the original. Right now it’s RUF’s CTR Anniversary which is grabbing all headlines in the mainstream automotive media, but today we’re solely interested in the genesis of the CTR name, the CTR1 of 1987.

At face value it merely looks like a humble, G-series 911 Carrera: narrow-bodied, whale-tailed and even rocking the Porsche prancing horse on its bonnet. The bodies themselves were indeed purchased as bare shells from the Porsche factory, but soon underwent transformation on arrival at Rufplatz.

Stubby mirrors and a rain gutter delete meant less drag. The ‘oel klapper’ was returned to the car’s outside, a la the 1972 911, though this was for better weight distribution rather than any stylistic purpose.

Front and rear one-piece bumpers were custom made and saved weight, as did 17-inch Speedlines, which

were much lighter than the 16-inch factory Porsche wheels. A deep lip underneath the front PU and side skirts aided downforce at high speeds.

The engine is a reworked 3.2 Carrera engine – not a 930 flat six, as is widely (and wrongly) assumed.

RUF added twin turbochargers, a 962-spec DME fuelling system, and increased the engine capacity to 3.4-litres. Air-to-air intercoolers were neatly housed internally within each side wall of the engine bay.

This was an ingenious use of space by RUF and allowed for a twin-intercooler setup, something the 911 Turbo wouldn’t achieve for another decade or so.

The gearbox is made by RUF, because the company didn’t feel the 3.2 Carrera’s G50 was strong enough, while the four-speed fitted to the 930 Turbo of the time was considered too leggy. Brembo callipers and 330mm (in other words 959-spec) brake discs brought the CTR to a halt.

The CTR’s spec was certainly special, and peak fame was just around the corner: cue a World’s Fastest Cars test by Road & Track magazine at Volkswagen’s Ehra-Lessien track in July 1987, conducted by ex-F1 champion Phil Hill and Le Mans winner and renowned Porsche racer-comejournalist, Paul Frére. Alois Ruf’s yellow-hued car stood alongside a glittering ensemble of the world’s newest and best cars: think Ferrari’s GTO and Testarossa, a Countach from Lamborghini, plus a 959 Komfort and 959 Sport from Porsche. Against the backdrop of dreary morning mist, the RUF was coined ‘Yellowbird’ by the magazine’s photographers, a nickname synonymous with the CTR ever since. By the afternoon, the ‘Yellowbird’ was marching its way into the history books.

Its top speed of 211mph achieved that day is significant for two reasons: firstly (and most notably), it meant the RUF CTR was officially the fastest car in the world in 1987, usurping everything in its path.

“It’s such a wonderful, precise, yet scary machine”

73

Model Year

RUF CTR 1987 Engine

Capacity Compression ratio Maximum power Maximum torque Gearbox

3,367cc twin-turbocharged flat six 7.5:1 463hp @ 5,950rpm 553Nm @ 5,100rpm Five-speed RUF manual

Suspension Front Independent; MacPherson struts; longitudinal torsion bars; anti-roll bar Rear Independent; semi-trailing arms; transverse torsion bars; anti-roll bar

Wheels & tyres Front 7x17-inch; 215/45ZR17 Rear 10x17-inch; 255/40ZR17

Dimensions Length 4,290mm Width 1,775mm Weight 1,170kg

Performance 0-62mph 3.9 seconds Top speed 211mph

ABOVE It might have been nicknamed the ‘Yellowbird’, but not all CTRs were finished in the now iconic RUF hue

74 RUF CTR1

This includes those halo efforts from automotive powerhouses Ferrari and Porsche, the CTR notably embarrassing the 959, a project which had taken six years to come to fruition and was loss-making by the time it could be offered to customers.

Secondly, its heady top speed still stands up to today’s 911, surpassing the 992’s 191mph maximum, and matching even the 700hp GT2 RS – this being the most powerful road-going 911 of all time – for terminal velocity. Then and now, the 911 seemingly cannot touch the mighty RUF CTR1 when it comes to outright performance.

The CTR1 is motoring nirvana alright, but acquiring your own piece of RUF-honed automotive history looks to be an extremely difficult task. Just 29 cars were built – not all of them in yellow, despite what that nickname suggests – the majority of them driven sparsely. Even getting up close to an example might be considered a feat, and yet we’re about to sample the delights of the very CTR built at the time for Alois Ruf himself. I know, we’re lucky. Oh, and did I mention we’re at a race track for the occasion?

Maybe it’s because I’m well aware of the significance of this Bordeaux red car as I approach, but there’s no question it commands huge presence, even when still. The concaved faces of those ‘RUF’ wheels, made by Speedline, serve up an epic stance, and nine horizontal slats cut into either side of the car’s rear, one-piece bumper add subtle masculinity.

Its sleek, slippery appearance is enhanced by stubby external mirrors hugging the front quarter window and that notable deletion of rain gutters along the roof line. Plenty of other details abound, such as the aforementioned external oil filler, an SC RS-sculpted whaletail, and the double-length front turn lamps, though they are perhaps only apparent to the most discerning of Porsche geeks. What about those NACA ducts over the rear arches of the Yellowbird in Road & Track, though? That particular car was actually a prototype, and later testing found the ducts offered no additional cooling to the CTR1’s pair of turbochargers, and so for the 29 production cars such as here, the NACA ducts were omitted, staying loyal to the flowing coachwork of a G-series 911 instead.

Like the outside, you’ll find large swathes of standard Porsche fare in the cabin, complemented by a neat selection of RUF upgrades. The clocks all feature green calligraphy, and the speedometer is

75

76 RUF CTR1

BELOW It might look like a Porsche G50 gearbox, but this is specially built by RUF

graded to 350km/h – not for show, as we all know.

The Porsche clock has been swapped out for a boost gauge, and a boost knob is present to maximise boost to 1.1-bar, if you so wish.

The Bordeaux red exterior hue chosen by Mr Ruf for his personal CTR (because that was the colour Porsche used at the time on all its letter heads and press releases) might deviate aesthetically from the CTR1’s ‘Yellowbird’ mantra, but under that decklid you’ll still find a large air filter bedecked in that classic yellow hue. It’s the focal point of the engine bay, which is a shame, because we’re still mesmerised by the precision of engineering in shoehorning in those intercoolers into the side walls.

We poke around the engine for a bit before taking our place back inside the CTR between a Recaro seat, lined with tobacco brown leather, and a RUF three-spoke steering wheel. A quick turn of the slim key and the CTR1 grumbles to life with little fuss. It’s fairly lumpy on idle compared to a 3.2 Carrera, so we decide to get on with proceedings, slotting the shifter into first with little fuss. The clutch is a little heavy but manageable and, easy enough, we’re away and out onto the track.

Despite the pleasantries of the cabin’s finish, it’s much louder in here than any stock G-series Porsche, but it’s all the better for it. The exhausts (they are twin exit on the CTR, rather than single exit on an equivalent 911) are booming out a bassy note, but the turbos are doing their best to usurp them, whistling heavily away with every squeeze of our right foot.

And there’s a lot of squeezing. Bloody hell, this thing is fast. Really, really fast. There’s lag, but not in the same breath as a 930 Turbo. Whereas the single turbocharger on Porsche’s 930 takes a comparative age to spool up, the CTR1 is much more responsive, the delay a mere glitch before breathtaking inertia is exerted. The RUF delivers its boost in an impressively linear way, and on this track, the end of the asphalt

comes all too quickly. The CTR1 feels as alive through the wheel as it does through its pedals, the steering loading up nicely as we turn in for each corner, then it’s a case of being patient with the throttle if you’re to avoid lighting up those rear tyres. The car is dancing round this track: it feels so light, so lithe, each short snick through the gears serving another layer of unblemished involvement between car and driver. It’s such a wonderful, precise, yet scary machine.

There are no driver aids here, so get it wrong and you’re in trouble. We get faster during our session, but then the rain comes and the track gets greasy.

Thumbs up between car and passenger, both wideeyed with the amusement served by this little beast, we complete a cool-down lap – for both the car and its occupants.

And with that, we bring our time in the CTR to a close. My adrenaline is pumping. I was still very young when the CTR stole every headline in every magazine in 1987, but the history and hype around the car that I’ve devoured since is all completely justified.

This sports car gave RUF its identity and defined it as a company of epic engineering ingenuity, and the CTR1 is as mesmerising to pilot today as it was 32 years previously.

If the 959 is referred to as the über 911, then what do you call the car that beat it? “For me, it’s the mythical 911,” says the owner of this Bordeaux red beauty. We think he’s right. The CTR is the ultimate incarnation of the 911 platform; it’s the 911 Porsche perhaps wished it could build, if constraints such as budget and marketing would allow. Like the 911 itself, the CTR’s legacy is enduring. We’re more than three decades and four iterations in, but for me it’s still all about that CTR1: the original and best.

Thanks Many thanks to the JFD Collection for help with this feature.

ABOVE Narrow mirrors and a rain gutter delete helped reduce drag

78 Living the Legend – 911 owner reports

Livingthe Legend Nick Jeffery Surrey, UK

@npjeffery @npjeffery Model Year Acquired

996 CARRERA 4S 2002 JUNE 2014

Model Year Acquired

996 TURBO 2002 MAY 2017

Model

997 CARRERA 4 GTS 2012 OCT 2018

Year Acquired

I recently embarked on another overseas road trip, this time around France. The ‘Normandy Invasion’ was organised by the R20 London Region of Porsche Club GB. I elected to take the 996 Turbo for two reasons. Firstly, it has covered the least mileage out of the three cars this year and secondly it had yet to participate in an extended break like this.

We covered 1,231 miles across France in five days using Honfleur as our base for two nights then Bayeux for a further two nights. We visited one of the Normandy landing beaches, ‘Gold Beach’, various country villages for coffee, Mont St Michel, the Le Mans Circuit and Museum (via some epic back roads) and, on the way back to Calais, the Canadian War Memorial at Vimy. Naturally, we also explored Honfleur and Bayeux, both of which are well worth a visit!

I have commented before in previous LTL columns that the Turbo is my least favourite of the three 911s. For all its strengths, it has many weaknesses. It’s

Our contributing enthusiasts from around the world share their real-life experiences with their Porsche 911s

awesomely quick in a straight line and the performance is still relevant even by today’s standards – and yet it’s the least engaging of the three, possibly because of the Tiptronic gearbox, possibly because it is force induced, and it fails to fill me with the same level of confidence as the other two when it comes to throwing it down a B road. The five-speed automatic gearbox always seems to be in the wrong gear, even when shifting manually. For example, when cornering at higher speeds, third always feels a bit strained and fourth feels just too long to feel totally in control. Plus I found, on the longer legs of the trip, I was more tired at the end of each day than I had experienced in the 997.2 GTS during our ‘Alpine Escape’ last year.

Looking back on it, I think subconsciously I took the Turbo on purpose to almost prove to myself it’s time for a change and move on to something else entirely. I have owned the Turbo since May 2017 and covered 15K miles in it, but I have never really bonded with it in the same way as the Carrera 4S and the GTS. In terms of a replacement, think a naturally aspirated, high-revving

flat six with a short shift manual gearbox and you will be along the right lines…

So, I have finally taken the decision to part company with the Turbo and am now in extended dialogue over a new stable mate to sit alongside the GTS. Someone else is going to get a seriously well-sorted 996 Turbo with no expense spared on it.

The question now is can I part with my much-loved Carrera 4S? More on that next month!

79

Michael Meldrum Houston, Texas

@p911r Model 911T TARGA Year 1972 Acquired 2013 Model 911E Year 1972 Acquired 2014 Model 930 TURBO 3.0 Year 1977 Acquired 2014 Model 930 TURBO 3.0 Year 1977 Acquired 2015 Model CARRERA 3.0 Year 1977 Acquired 2016 Model 911 SC Year 1981 Acquired 2015 Model 3.2 CARRERA Year 1986 Acquired 2015 Model 993 C4S Year 1996 Acquired 2016 Model 964 CARRERA 4 Year 1994 Acquired 2016 Model 997.1 GT3 Year 2007 Acquired 2017 Model 991.1 GT3 RS Year 2016 Acquired 2018

What a revelation my Silver 1977 Turbo has been for the last week. I’ve put 500 miles on the clock, and I think I have found my new favourite daily driver. Maybe?

The 930 Turbo is different than its naturally aspirated family (and not just because it’s turbocharged). It has a different mission statement, the Turbo Carrera (aka 930 Turbo in Europe) had a short options list, all the bells and whistles are standard including electric windows, electric mirrors, electric sunroof, leather seats, air conditioning, fancy cassette player with dictation feature, headlight washers, fog lights and power antenna. It is more of a luxury grand tourer with the four-speed transmission’s tall gearing.

We’re in prime driving season in Texas, as the ridiculous summer heat has subsided. I mention this as I’ve addressed several areas in my 1977 Turbo Carrera, including engine rebuild, suspension refresh and some light upholstery trimming. But I’ve not messed with the air conditioning, which is still in its standard configuration, which means it does blow cold but not chilly enough for a Texas summer. This will need to be addressed to make this a candidate for year-round daily driving.

The driving experience differs too, as it’s a bigger, heavier vehicle. (Side note: the 1977 Turbo is 1,195kg, versus the 1989 Turbo’s 1,350kg, and having driven both, you really feel the difference.)

From a comfort perspective, it hits the perfect sweet spot for me; the ride is just right for running around town and eating up motorway miles, and the optional Sports seats are one of the cosiest versions to come from Stuttgart.

Do you know what else makes this a wonderfully stress-free daily driver? The paint – it’s not terrible, but not great, with some stone chips and typical road rash. This means I don’t worry about carpark door dings and the inevitable stone and debris damage that comes with driving on Houston’s 16-lane Interstate 10 (think wacky races but in real life).

The downside… It’s more challenging to get the best out of it on twisting country roads but can be rewarding if you can get it right, which I’m still trying to figure out!

Finally, don’t forget about the highly addictive turbo boost; yes there’s lag but when it does come on, boy it feels good!

80 Living the Legend – 911 owner reports

Ron Lang Ashland, Oregon

@ronlangsport Model Year Acquired

2.4S 1972 2018

Model Year Acquired

964 CARRERA 4 1989 2015

Model Year Acquired

964 CARRERA 2 REIMAGINED BY SINGER 1991 2018

Model Year Acquired

964 C4 SAFARI 1993 JUL 2018

Model Year Acquired

993 C4S 1996 2016

Model Year Acquired

993 TURBO 1997 2015

Model Year Acquired

997.2 GT3 RS 2011 2016

Model Year Acquired

991.2 CARRERA 4S 2017 2017

Model Year Acquired

991.2 TURBO S 2018 2017

Chris Wallbank Leeds, UK

@chris_wallbank @chrisjwallbank Model Year Acquired

997.1 CARRERA S 2005 NOV 2012

How many of us have the patience and fortitude to commission bare frame restorations?

I once thought I had these qualities, but perhaps as the years go by my ability to enjoy the process instead of just dreaming about the result has actually degraded a bit.

It’s been two full years since the 2.4S project was initiated, and this is a pretty common timeline for longhand restorations. The process continues and (famous last words), we are getting close to done. This 1972 911S started as a wellworn vintage race car and had led a hard life. Will it re-emerge as new?

All the mechanicals are completed.

Freshly rebuilt transmission, done.

Engine, done. Brakes, wheels, suspension complete. And as many have done before, though the engine externally looks 100 per cent stock, the internals have been upgraded a bit.

The stock 2.4-litre engine has been rebuilt to 2.7 RS specs – larger bores, higher compression pistons, 2.7 RS cams and, the tricky bit, machining the intake trumpets to open up the bore diameter to RS spec.

It’s been a few weeks since picking up the new addition to my allGerman garage, and I’m slowly getting to grips with the different characteristics of the E92 M3 in comparison to my 997 Carrera 2S, so let me give you a quick run down on my initial impressions as I’ve noticed this topic has popped up a lot on the forums over the last decade or so… 997 Carrera S or E92 M3, which is the better car?

It’s been almost 15 years since I’ve owned a BMW (my last two cars now being Porsches) and it’s been really interesting comparing the two cars back to back in terms of handling, power delivery and general feel in these cold winter months!

Obviously, there are two huge differences in these two iconic rear-wheel drive German sports cars: one has a flat six engine at the back and the other has a heavy V8 at front, and this makes for a completely different driving experience!

I instantly noticed how much more tail happy the M3 feels compared to the Carrera, the back end constantly trying to step out of line! It’s immediately apparent that there is much less weight over the rear

Factory air conditioning components are now being added. Some a/c parts will live in the smugglers box in the front compartment, the compressor will be located to the right rear of the engine as one would expect. The below-dash vents and controls will be factory standard.

The only air conditioning change is upgrading from R12 to R134 refrigerant to provide modern levels of cooling.

With the exception of German leather and green/white/black pepita inserts in the Sports seats, the car generally appears as original. The new paintwork appears flawless, ditto for the trim. We are adding a Porsche Classic radio/navi

system, though I’m not sure why I went in this direction in retrospect. A blanking plate where the radio sits in the dash would have been perfect too. Perhaps a case of not leaving well enough alone…

Another decision was wheels. I hemmed and hawed about switching the flat six-inch-wide Fuchs to ‘deep 6s’ that show more outer lip. But the flat 6s are correct for a 1972 S and the deep 6s are hard to find, so it will remain on stock wheels.

Now we’re in the new year, the final fettling and tuning will occur with hopes that this baby is ready for spring outings.

I’m getting excited!!

axle, whereas the Carrera feels more stable and gives way more traction in a straight line and exiting bends. You definitely feel the benefit of the wider rear track and tyres on the 911, helped by that flat six engine sitting right over the axle.

In terms of outright acceleration, the M3 with the help of the DCT gearbox does feel quicker, and the gear changes are lightning fast. This is not much of a surprise though as the M3 has 420bhp in comparison with the Carrera’s 360bhp. The normally aspirated BMW V8 engine that revs right round to a whopping 8,000rpm sounds lovely too.

But as I’m sure most 911 owners will agree it’s not all just about outright power, it’s about the driving experience as a whole, and the overall package…

At the end of the day, the E92 M3 is essentially an everyday 3 Series Coupe on steroids and this all becomes very apparent as soon as you jump into the driver’s seat.

The interior is very vanilla, with no real feeling of occasion.

The 997 C2S on the other hand always feels quite a special place to be, and the much lower driving position puts you much more ‘at one’ with the road. The M3’s steering also feels a bit light and lacks feedback when compared to the 997.1; this is where the C2S still wins hands down in my opinion – it will always be the true driver’s car!

Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot to like about the E92 M3 and it’s still early days.

Let’s not forget it’s a car that I’ve purchased at nearly half the price of my 997, which makes the E92 M3 excellent value for money, and it’s a car that’s proven to be a great formula with the right setup on track.

I feel very lucky to be able to own two cars that I could have only dreamt of owning as a teenager!

I’m still confident I made the right decision to keep the 997 Carrera S, and I will carry on using it every month and weekend that I can, just as I have been for the last seven years!

81

Gina Purcell Oxford, UK

@ginapurcell1 Model Year Acquired

911 SC 1982 APRIL 2014

Lee Sibley Poole, UK

@lee_sibs Model Year Acquired

996.1 CARRERA 1998 JAN 2019

The suspension torque tube rust removal and repair/ modification work by Fenn Lane Motorsport has been completed on my SC, and she’s been collected from them by their near neighbours, the excellent folk of Center Gravity, for the geometry reset. All this of course in time for the middle of winter and the salted UK roads, but at least I can now say my car is truly rust free. But ’Suspension-Gate’ isn’t over yet… it still hobbles on painfully.

I had a call from CG’s Chris Franklin, who reported a pre-setup test drive displayed the same pivoting reaction of the car under acceleration such as an overtaking manoeuvre. It had him temporarily vexed and me a bit disappointed, as I had high hopes the Fenn Lane work would nail things neatly in one hit. However, Chris puts the torsion bars directly back in the frame as the culprits, so they’ll be removed and subjected to some extreme testing, and if su

The silencers on Little Irish had been in a bad way for some time. They were factory spec and had clearly been on the car for years and years. They’d scraped through the last MOT and most definitely would not survive another year underneath the car, so I took the opportunity to swap them out in favour of a fresh new set, which I hoped would improve the 996’s soundtrack, too.

There are plenty of options available for 996 silencers, some better than others. I went for Milltek silencers on a previous 996 and they sounded great, but I wanted to try something a little different this time as I noted the Milltek silencers began to rust quite quickly. After looking around, I decided

found wanting, will be replaced with some Turbo-spec bars, perhaps. Accompanying pictures are by Chris as he checked the car over.

In Steffi’s absence from ‘my’ half of the garage, it suddenly became noticeable how much of the car, and our other 911s, are hanging about the house! For instance, our conservatory has been home to an SC front bumper, an SC Sport whaletail and engine lid, the old, pre-Classic Retrofit SC ignition system and most of Steffi’s original carpets left over from the restoration. There’s also the entire heating system from behind the dashboard of Sabine the 3.2 Carrera sitting in a box, together with her front valance with fog lights – both surplus to requirements from upgraded components from fitment of Classic Retrofit air conditioning.

Should I mention that there’s the brand-new Classic Retrofit air conditioning system still in its boxes in the back of the garage, bought early last year and still not installed? Then there’s Wolfi the 964’s Cup 2 wheels, restored and with tyres after replacement with replica Cup 1s, a 3.2

Carrera exhaust sports back box (some Australian brand), indicators, headlight washer systems, odds and ends, plus a set of Boxster S winter wheels and tyres!

Maybe we should set up shop as Purcell’s Porsche Parts!

to go for Dansk, as they are a popular replacement for the Porsche factory silencers among 996 folk.

Dansk have two slicers available: Sport or a Sound version. The Sound version came with a warning on the Design 911 website that these were extremely loud. I therefore opted for the Sports silencers, as I feared the Sound version would be too loud for track days.

I had the silencers fitted at Design 911, their team whipping the ruined factory silencers off, replaced by the Dansk Sport silencers in just a couple of hours. It was nice to get a bit of shine underneath the car among the derriere of 21-year-old rotting parts!

The end result though is mixed.

Throttle response has absolutely improved, no doubt about it, but the fact is my 911 is quieter now than it was before. This is extremely disappointing, as I’d wanted to improve on the 996’s already-quiet soundtrack, but instead I’ve gone the other way… it’s quieter!

I’ve done around 2,000 miles with the silencers already, which has improved the volume by about five per cent, but it’s still far too quiet, even if the actual bark of the 996 is more aggressive than before. The silencers will do for now, but I’ll absolutely be giving this another go later this year with a different system.

Simply put, a sports car needs noise!

82 Living the Legend – 911 owner reports

Harold Gan Perth and Sydney, Australia

@drivenbytaste Model Year Acquired

993 C4S 1995 JAN 2000

Model Year Acquired

993 C2S 1997 JUL 2018

Model Year Acquired

993 C2 1994 MAY 2018

Model Year Acquired

964 C2 FACTORY TURBO-LOOK CABRIOLET 1993 JUL 2018

Model Year Acquired

996.1 GT3 2000 APRIL 2019

I had the opportunity to catch up with another Instagram mate in Sydney recently, Kurt, who had graciously agreed to drive me to pick up the 964 Cabriolet, which was in storage at Classic Throttle Shop for my road trip to Melbourne. But before going to pick up the Cabriolet, Kurt and I dropped by to view his 997.1 GT3 that was undergoing a full body respray. Upon seeing the work being done to it, it was apparent that this beast meant a lot to him.

It turns out that prior to hunting down the 997.1, Kurt had been the proud owner of a 996.2 GT3. But the GT3 void meant that by late 2015 he had set about looking for a 997 version of the water-cooled track carver. By early 2016 a Lapis Blue example had come up for sale in Adelaide, and Kurt had made the necessary travel arrangements from Sydney to Adelaide to view the potential candidate. The Lapis Blue car had been booked in for a PPI with the local Porsche centre, where Kurt soon uncovered a fairly comprehensive list of ‘to-do items’ – thankfully none of them terminal to the deal.

Happy with the overall report, Kurt began serious discussions with the individuals handling the sale on behalf of the owner, a surgeon. Unfortunately given that the representatives were workshop operators, discussions moved slowly and Kurt had to return to Sydney before concluding the deal.

Conversations continued the following week, but to Kurt’s disappointment, some days into the negotiation, the representatives of the seller informed him that the car had been sold. Fast-forward two weeks, and the car reappeared, this time in Melbourne, at the sales office of RSR Garage owned by Rob Reimer.

Having spotted the sales advertisement, Kurt was onto the car once again, like a bat out of hell. The conversation with Rob highlighted all the same faults that Kurt had identified in his own PPI, cementing the amazing transparency and reputation of Rob (sadly Rob passed away recently and RSR Garage is no more).

Kurt felt compelled to inform Rob that he had himself done a PPI on the car some weeks earlier with the exact same results – trust built between the two, Rob revealed that he had been having coffee with the ex-owner of the car while the good surgeon was visiting Melbourne, and a deal had been struck, explaining how Kurt had lost out on the Lapis Blue beauty the first time.

Needless to say, a price was negotiated immediately between Kurt and Rob, and a deal concluded. The car was picked up in March of 2016 in Melbourne and Kurt managed to get the car back in time for Rennsport in Sydney, along with many track events, in the process making huge memories and of course friends. By 2019, Kurt had decided it was time to move the car on, but had been informed that the best way to do so would be to send it to a dealer contact in Adelaide, given the soft market in Sydney.

Talk about full circle. The car was delivered back to Adelaide, Kurt believing that his delivery of it to the depot would

be his memorable farewell of a twotimes-lucky car. But as fate would have it, the Adelaide sales contact had left the company that the car was delivered to, and over the following weeks the new sales contact and Kurt could not reach a satisfactory agreement on the sale terms of the car.

So, three years after Kurt first made a trip to Adelaide to view Lapis Blue, he was once again on a plane – this time to drive her back to Sydney before the car was finally placed in storage with a new facility central to Sydney, where Kurt would store her while he focused on his business for a while.

But Kurt should have known better, as Lapis Blue would have none of it. Three months later and the storage company was changing owners, requiring Lapis Blue to be returned home, close to Kurt. Many would feel this would be an appropriate way to conclude the story of this three-times-lucky love affair between Kurt and Lapis Blue.

Instead, the continuing torrent affair between Kurt and Lapis Blue for now is that some weeks after finally returning home, an errant driver tapped the quarter panel of Lapis Blue, making a trip to the panel beaters a necessity, where she is now undergoing a ‘while you are in there’ restoration to her former perfection, and where I took the pictures you see here.

You just can’t make a good love story up.

83

Ben Przekop Mercer Island, WA Model Year Acquired

996 40TH ANNIVERSARY 2004 MAR 2018

Peter Wilson Adelaide,, Australia

@peterwilson_oz Model Year Acquired

930 3.3 1980 2011

I have good news and bad news, so let’s get the bad news out of the way first! I will be taking a leave from Living the Legend after this issue, and letting others tell you their own 911 stories for a while. One of the reasons for my departure is the ‘good news’: my

Car colours are a fascinating and emotive topic. What one person finds attractive another will shy away from, and some cars look great in one colour yet uninspiring in another. The topic has been of increasing interest to me as my 930 is inching closer to a respray. It was repainted in 1990 after being imported to Australia and while the paint still has a fantastic depth and gloss, some rust bubbles are starting to show around the windscreen corners. It is also showing 30 years of use, with many stone chips and scratches.

The original colour was code 436-9-3, which different sources call Sienna Metallic or Diamond Sahara. It is an unusual colour that I would describe as a reddish bronze and is quite striking. As I am still trying to track down the history of my car when it was in the UK, please get in touch at @peterwilson_oz if you ever encountered a 930 in this colour in England between 1980 and 1990.

I am pretty sure that the current paint is Zyklamrot Metallic, which is a Porsche colour, albeit from the 1990s. This is a very dark metallic red which really accentuates the curves of the Turbo bodywork and many people have commented how well it suits the car. I am strongly tempted to repaint it in the current colour as I know how it looks, which is great! Possibly the only downside

40th Anniversary 911 continues to run perfectly, as it has for the nearly two years I have owned it, so there isn’t much to talk about! During these two years I have written about the initial services to get this car ‘perfect’, including the all-important IMS bearing replacement with the ‘LN IMS Solution’, along with a new clutch and flywheel. Since then, the only other services required have been a brake fluid change and a new set of tyres. And although the odometer says it is now nearing 70,000 miles, and the calendar says it is 16 years old, it still looks new inside and out, a true testimony to Porsche and its legendary build quality.

This fun and reliable car is now my daily driver, and while it may lack some modern electronic conveniences like sat nav and a Bluetooth phone connection, it more than makes up for that with its pure analog driving experience. I am always blown away by how quick this car is, feeling much more powerful than the conservative estimate of 345bhp that Porsche claimed from the X51 engine upgrade fitted as standard to these

AE cars. The throttle response is so immediate, and the torque so plentiful, that there is immense passing power even in fourth or fifth gear. Every control from accelerator to brakes to steering is direct, linear and highly involving. Yes, you have to actually ‘drive’ this car, and it is all the better for that personality. And since we very rarely get any snow or ice during our winter months here in the Pacific Northwest, I can drive year round on summer performance Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tyres that are just fantastic for feel and grip, even in the rain.

So, while others may demote their 911s to garage queens for the winter months, I look forward to every chance I get to drive and enjoy this great car. That said, I have been known to acquire a new Porsche now and then (as Her Ladyship reminds me, 14 in 16 years), and pre-owned 991.2 Carreras are starting to look awfully attractive, so don’t be surprised if I rejoin the team in the future to report on a new 911. I would love to come back with some new and exciting stories for you, so let’s just say this is ‘farewell’, but not goodbye…

with Zyklamrot is that the darkness loses contrast with the black trim elements such as bumper strips and spoilers.

This option brings up the first question, which is that of originality. I remember how relieved I was when stripping back the paint of a Triumph TR6 to discover that under a terrible coat of ‘resale red’ and then white, I found the original colour to be a beautiful Damson plum red and had no hesitation repainting the car in that shade. Should I put aside all other considerations and return the car to how it left the factory?

However, I have no plans to sell the car and resale value isn’t of utmost importance, so should I turn my back on the originality issue and paint the car in my dream colour? As our editor Lee has shown in creating one of the world’s only Irish Green 996s, there is no ‘wrong’ colour for a 911. Some brands have traditional or hero colours such as Rosso Corsa for Ferrari and Silver for Mercedes, which both originated from national team colours in

the interwar years. However, Porsche has long prided itself in offering a huge range of colour options, made even wider by the Sonderwunsch and Paint To Sample programs. So even if I restrict myself to OEM Porsche colours, I have a huge range of options. Maybe the always-popular Guards red, or perhaps Minerva blue? I am attracted to brighter colours to achieve that contrast with the black bits, but I need to remind myself that the 930 is a GT, not a sports car. The interior of my car is a constant reminder of this, being in the very tasteful (for the 70s!) but not sporty combination of brown and tan leather. Any colour I choose will need to complement the GT/luxury theme and not clash with it. Maybe Signal yellow would work? I also need to decide whether to do a conventional windows-out respray or to strip the car to a bare shell for a full-body restoration. Good job I am in no hurry and have a few more years to ponder this complex topic. Suggestions welcome!

84 Living the Legend – 911 owner reports

Joe Williams Sandbanks, UK

@joewilliamsuk Model Year Acquired

912 1967 APR 2017

Ian Harris Shoreham, UK

@harrisclassics

Model Year Acquired

997.1 GT3 RS 2007 AUGUST 2014

Model Year Acquired

2.4S 1972 JANUARY 2018

Model Year Acquired

964 CARRERA 2 1993 MARCH 2019

Model

3.2 CARRERA SPORT 1989 OCTOBER 2019

Year Acquired

I think I might be turning into a grown-up – or at least I’m growing up a little bit! It dawned on me the other day that I’ve stopped lusting after new cars. When I say new, I mean in the literal sense of the word: the shiny, latest models with all the bells and whistles. For some time I always had an eye on the next model, which in turn means you’re never in the present with your current car.

I think owning the 912 has actually helped to cure this. I bought the car knowing it was going to stick around for a while – it wasn’t a stop-gap or a stepping stone onto the next one. By going back in time it helps to level the differences and bridge the gaps between the models. It became more about connecting with the car and really getting to know it. It takes a while to learn any car and often if you get twitchy feet like I used to, then you’re out of it before you know how to program the PCM (not that the 912 has PCM – it’s more of a compass!).

When you take a step back from the super shiny, you start to appreciate the value and variation in what’s gone

before. I’ve been a bit anti-996 since forever and recently they’ve started to give me the eye and I’ve found myself winking back – when did that happen?!

I’ve always liked the 997 but never really got excited about it, yet a friend’s 997.1 C4S in Guards red seriously looks the business. Even the 991, which still seems brand new, has had seven-plus years since its launch. Nice early examples are well under £50K, which is simply amazing value. It almost seems wrong to spend double – and more – on a 992 when you could have a stable of choice for the same money.

There is also something very liberating about not being bothered by what is out next. Chasing down the golden GT tickets (like below) or having to brown nose your local OPC with favours is tiresome. Free yourself from the treadmill of being lured into the next one and just rearranging the balloon to make it fit. I think anyone who’s bought a 992 should either set fire to it or drive it in the front door of your local dealer and throw the keys at them.

Back to the real world stuff… there’s talk of a couple of European trips this year, which should be interesting!

My cars were all tucked away in the garage, cleaned and under their covers ready to take a break as the UK winter draws in. That was until a special offer popped into my inbox of a Eurotunnel crossing for £30! I thought, lunch in Bruges would be nice for a little road trip! So a plan was born for a midweek road trip to Bruges for lunch, Brussels for dinner, Air BNB for the night and home the next day; this would also be an early work do for some of my staff. So four of us packed up the GT3 RS and 964 (RS spec) and headed to Folkestone early one morning for a 10am crossing.

The weather couldn’t have been worse, the traffic was equally as bad and we were late leaving, so it was already proving stressful and to make matters worse, the lovely lightweight sports exhaust I fitted on the 964 did away with the heat exchangers and the fan is intermittent, so while I was driving my co-pilot was wiping the inside of the windscreen! Somehow we made it to Folkestone and boarded the Eurotunnel; the GT3 RS is so low and wide we

booked into the section where the lorries go, and this was a great shout as the car section is lot narrower.

When we arrived in Calais the rain had stopped and we could enjoy the drive. The first conclusion we came to is the GT3 is better on a road trip. The 964 in RS-spec is too hardcore and that’s compared to a GT3 RS! It’s much better suited to the summer twisty back roads. We enjoyed the flat straight roads and lack of speed cameras and arrived in Bruges for lunch time as planned. A quick tour of what Bruges had to offer, some lunch, a very strong beer and we were off to Brussels, just in time to hit the traffic.

Did you know Brussels is the second most congested city in Europe? I didn’t, and a 964 RS with lightweight flywheel and racing clutch is the worst car for it!

After what felt like an hour of having to smell my clutch melting, we made it to the very centre of Brussels where we could finally park up. What’s nice about Porsches is that they are fairly subtle; this is the first time my cars have been left outside and not in my garage overnight and the next morning I was keen to check they were okay, which to

my delight they were. I guess that’s one more of the highlights of Porsche ownership. After some waffles for breakfast we were on our way home.

This short 24hrs in Europe confirmed a few things to me: firstly the cars are amazing, both with small faults but nothing I can’t live with, and secondly I need to do a proper European road trip, so am looking at options for a mountain pass road trip including the Austrian Tirol, Swiss Alps and Italian Dolomites! I can’t wait to share it with you…

85

Tony McGuiness San Diego, USA @tonymcguinessgt3rs Model Year Acquired

997.2 GT3 RS 2011 FEB 2011

Model Year Acquired

991.1 GT3 2015 DEC 2014

It’s been five years since I purchased my 2015 991.1 GT3 off the showroom floor from McKenna Porsche in Norwalk, California. It was December 2014 when I decided I wanted a new 991-generation GT3.

If you have been a Total 911 reader for more than five years, then you may recall at the time I owned my current 997.2 GT3 RS along with a 2010 997.2 Turbo. That model year Turbo was

actually the first 911 Turbo to be fitted with the PDK transmission.

I thoroughly enjoyed the 911 Turbo; it was an absolute rocket ship. Over the four years of ownership, I put almost 30,000 miles on the odometer, which included driving it on a 1,400-mile roundtrip journey from San Diego, California to Salt Lake City, Utah for the 2012 Porsche Parade event.

Because I loved my GT3 RS, and had driven an earlier-generation GT3, I always felt very connected to the GT3 driving experience. Every time I drove my GT3 RS or another GT3, it was an exhilarating experience. It’s slightly difficult to explain because the Turbo is incredibly thrilling, but in a different way.

I loved using the Launch Control feature in the Turbo. I was always astonished how, upon the explosive launch, one was forced back into the seat as the front and rear wheels clawed at the tarmac, providing a sensation of what it might feel like to be catapulted off an aircraft carrier. I felt fortunate to have owned the Turbo for nearly five years and I knew it was time for someone else to enjoy that remarkable 911.

I mentioned in a previous column that when I bought my GT3, I had my choice of several GT3s. They weren’t selling

over MSRP back then. It was certainly a different marketplace, but it changed very quickly and suddenly they were going for $15K to $30K over MSRP at many dealers.

After five years of ownership, the thrill of driving the GT3 hasn’t diminished.

Hearing that flat six scream as it hits 9,000rpm never gets old. The rapidfire shifts of the PDK transmission are astounding – I loved the PDK in my Turbo and I love the PDK in my GT3.

There are only 9,800 miles on the odometer, so I certainly need to drive it more this year. I’ve mentioned in previous columns I am keeping an eye out for large plumes of smoke that have appeared at times on startup. I am not concerned though as Porsche provided the extended ten-year warranty on the engine.

The craftsmanship and quality of the interior and exterior of the GT3 are unmatched and are as beautiful and perfect as the day I bought it. My timing was perfect and buying it at McKenna Porsche was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had with a dealer. Bringing the GT3 home in December 2014 made that Christmas unforgettable and the best present I could have imagined. I’m looking forward to the next five years with this extraordinary 911.

87

PREMIERPORSCHE E V E RY T H I N G YO U N E E D FO R YO U R 9 1 1 Data file

Full specs, ratings and market values of every 911, including the early 911S, can be found beginning on page 88

Plus Showroom

Looking for a new 911? The classifieds from our independent specialist partners are the first place 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

(0 series)

911R 1967

The lightest 911 of all time, the R was essentially a prototype racer fitted with a 906 flat six engine producing 210hp. Of the 19 produced, four would stay at the factory as works cars.

(0 series)

911 2.0-litre 1964-1967

The 911 that started it all when the prototype appeared in 1963, this car set the style for all 911s to follow. Developed to replace the 356, a four-pot 912 was also made.

Definitive facts and figures for every 911 model from 1964 to the present day

Production numbers 9,250 Issue featured 123 Engine capacity 1,991cc Compression ratio 9.0:1 Maximum power 130hp @ 6,100rpm Maximum torque 149Nm @ 5,200rpm 0-62mph 8.3 sec Top speed 131mph Length 4,163mm Width 1,610mm Weight 1,075kg Wheels & tyres F 4.5x15 inch; 165/80/R15 R 4.5x15 inch; 165/80/R15

Production numbers 19 Issue featured 94 Engine capacity 1,991cc Compression ratio 10.5:1 210hp @ 8,000rpm Maximum power Maximum torque 152Nm @ 6,800rpm 0-62mph 5.9 secs Top speed 152mph Length 4,163mm Width 1,610mm Weight 800kg Wheels & tyres F 6x15 inch; 185/70/R15 R 7x15 inch; 185/70/R15

(C & D series)

911S 1969-1971

An upgrade in engine size gave the 911S 180bhp. Unlike the 911E, the S didn’t gain improved low-down power and torque, so you had to keep the revs up for good power.

Production numbers 4,691 Issue featured 120 Engine capacity 2,195cc Compression ratio 9.8:1 Maximum power 180hp @ 6,500rpm Maximum torque 199Nm @ 5,200rpm 0-62mph 6.6 sec Top speed 145mph Length 4,163mm Width 1,610mm Weight 1,020kg Wheels & tyres F 6x15 inch; 185HR R 6x15 inch; 185HR

(C & D series)

911T 1969-1971

Like the E, the 911T’s torque curve was flatter, making the car more drivable. Ventilated discs from the S were fitted, and a five-speed gearbox became standard.

Production numbers 15,082 Issue featured 107 Engine capacity 2,195cc Compression ratio 8.6:1 Maximum power 125hp @ 5,800rpm Maximum torque 169Nm @ 4,200rpm 0-62mph 7.0 sec (est) Top speed 127mph Length 4,163mm Width 1,610mm Weight 1,020kg Wheels & tyres F 5.5x15 inch; 165HR R 5.5x15 inch; 165HR

(G series)

Carrera 3.0 RS 1974

Updated version of the 1973 2.7 RS, complete with impact bumpers and Turbo-spec whaletail rear wing. Steel arches added by hand at the factory, with 917 brakes.

(F series)

911T 1973

911s in the data file are organised in rows according to release date, beginning with the very first model in 1964. Many models were available in Coupe, Targa and Cabriolet forms, with the option of automatic transmission. Here, data has been provided from the Coupe variants unless stated. All data here has been compiled, where possible, from Porsche’s own figures.

Generalvaluations

Thisreflectsthegeneralmarkettrendfora model’susedvaluecomparedtotheprevious financialquarter.Thereviewfor2020Q2willbe April. The review for 2020 Q1 was January.

Ratings

Eachmodelisratedoutoffivein ourhalf-starsystemaccording totheirperformance,handling, appearance and desirability.

US-bound F series 911Ts were the first 911s to have Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection, improving emissions. This was mainly mechanical, with some electronic sensors.

Production numbers 16,933 Issue featured 127 Engine capacity 2,341cc Compression ratio 7.5:1 Maximum power 130hp @ 5,600rpm Maximum torque 197Nm @ 4,000rpm 0-62mph 7.6 sec Top speed 128mph Length 4,163mm Width 1,610mm Weight 1,077kg Wheels & tyres F 5.5x15 inch; 165HR R 5.5x15 inch; 165HR

Production numbers 109 Issue featured 145 Engine capacity 2,994cc Compression ratio 8.5:1 Maximum power 230hp @ 6,200rpm Maximum torque 275Nm @ 5,000rpm 0-62mph 5.3 sec Top speed 152mph Length 4,135mm Width 1,680mm Weight 900kg Wheels & tyres F 8x15 inch; 215/60/VR15 R 9x15 inch; 235/60/VR15

930 3.3 1978-1983

911 SC 1978-1983

SC RS 1984

Larger engine resulted in extra 40bhp, and an intercooler on top of the engine led to the adoption of a ‘teatray’. Brakes were upgraded from 917 racer.

From 1978, the SC was the only normally aspirated 911.

Developed from the Carrera 3.0, but produced less power.

Upgraded Sport options.

Production numbers 5,807 (plus ’78 to ’79 Cali cars) Issue featured 116 Engine capacity 3,299cc Compression ratio 7.0:1 Maximum power 300hp @ 5,500rpm Maximum torque 412Nm @ 4,000rpm 0-62mph 5.4 sec Top speed 160mph Length 4,291mm Width 1,775mm Weight 1,300kg Wheels & tyres F 7x16 inch; 205/55/VR16 R 8x16 inch; 225/50/VR16

Production numbers 60,740 Issue featured 156 Engine capacity 2,994cc Compression ratio 8.5:1/8.6:1/9.8:1 Maximum power 180/188/204hp @ 5,500rpm Maximum torque 265/265/267Nm 0-62mph 6.5 sec Top speed 141/146mph Length 4,291mm Width 1,652mm Weight 1,160kg (1978) Wheels & tyres F 6x15 inch; 185/70/VR15 R 7x15 inch; 215/60/VR15

True homologation special built so that Porsche could go Group B rallying. Six Rothmans cars used fibre glass front wings and lid. Tuned 3.0-litre engine had its basis in 930’s crankcase.

Production numbers 21 Issue featured 158 Engine capacity 2,994cc Compression ratio 10.3:1 Maximum power 255hp @ 7,000rpm Maximum torque 250Nm @ 6,500rpm 0-62mph 4.9 sec Top speed 153mph Length 4,235mm Width 1,775mm Weight 940kg Wheels & tyres F 7x16 inch; 205/55/VR16 R 8x16 inch; 225/50/VR16

89 (0 & A series)

(A series)

(A & B series)

(B series)

(B series)

911S 1967-1968

911L 1967-1968

911T 1967-1969

911E 1968-1969

911S 1968-1969

Porsche soon produced more powerful variants. The first of these was the 911S – for Super – which had a higher compression engine and twin Weber 40IDS carburettors.

In 1967, the 911 was updated and the range expanded: the 911L (Lux) was standard and sat alongside the high-performance 911S and entry-level 911T.

To save money, the 911T’s engine used cast-iron cylinder heads, unlike the Biral aluminium/iron items, which gave more efficient cooling, and carbs instead of fuel injection.

The 911 received its first major update, evolving into what is known as the B series. The 911E replaced the 911L as the ‘standard’ car. The ‘E’ stood for ‘Einspritz’ (injection).

Like the E, the S gained a fuel injection, boosting power to 170bhp. To help cope with the extra demands on the engine, an additional oil cooler was fitted in the front right wing.

Production numbers 4,015 Issue featured 148 Engine capacity 1,991cc Compression ratio 9.8:1 Maximum power 160hp @ 6,600rpm Maximum torque 179Nm @ 5,200rpm 0-62mph 8.0 sec Top speed 137mph Length 4,163mm Width 1,610mm Weight 1,030kg Wheels & tyres F 4.5x15 inch; 165/80/R15 R 4.5x15 inch; 165/80/R15

Production numbers 1,603 Issue featured 138 Engine capacity 1,991cc Compression ratio 9.0:1 Maximum power 130hp @ 6,100rpm Maximum torque 173Nm @ 4,600rpm 0-62mph 8.4 sec Top speed 132mph Length 4,163mm Width 1,610mm Weight 1,080kg Wheels & tyres F 5.5x15 inch; 185HR R 5.5x15 inch; 185HR

Production numbers 6,318 Issue featured 127 Engine capacity 1,991cc Compression ratio 8.6:1 Maximum power 110hp @ 5,800rpm Maximum torque 156Nm @ 4,200rpm 0-62mph 8.8 sec (est) Top speed 124mph Length 4,163mm Width 1,610mm Weight 1,020kg Wheels & tyres F 5.5x15 inch; 185HR R 5.5x15 inch; 185HR

Production numbers 2,826 Issue featured n/a Engine capacity 1,991cc Compression ratio 9.1:1 Maximum power 140hp @ 6,500rpm Maximum torque 175Nm @ 4,500rpm 0-62mph 7.6 sec Top speed 130mph Length 4,163mm Width 1,610mm Weight 1,020kg Wheels & tyres F 5.5x15 inch; 185HR R 5.5x15 inch; 185HR

Production numbers 2,106 Issue featured n/a Engine capacity 1,991cc Compression ratio 9.1:1 Maximum power 170hp @ 6,800rpm Maximum torque 183Nm @ 5,500rpm 0-62mph 7.0 sec (est) Top speed 140mph Length 4,163mm Width 1,610mm Weight 995kg Wheels & tyres F 6x15 inch; 185/70/R15 R 6x15 inch; 185/70/R15

(C & D series)

911E 1969-1971

Engine improvements included revised cylinder heads, larger valves and stronger con rods.

The 1970 ‘D’ series cars had hot-zinc coated undersides.

Production numbers 4,927 Issue featured 107 Engine capacity 2,195cc Compression ratio 9.1:1 Maximum power 155hp @ 6,200rpm Maximum torque 196Nm @ 4,500rpm 0-62mph 7.0 sec Top speed 137mph Length 4,163mm Width 1,610mm Weight 1,020kg Wheels & tyres F 6x15 inch; 185HR R 6x15 inch; 185HR

(E series)

(E series)

(E series)

(F series)

(F series)

911E 1972

911T 1972

911S 1972

911E 1973

911S 1973

2,341cc was achieved by increasing the stroke from 66mm to 70.4mm while at the same time leaving the bore unchanged. The new 915 transmission was stronger.

A lower compression ratio and the inclusion of Zenith 40 TIN triple-choke carburettors led to the relatively lower power output of 130bhp despite the new 2,341cc engine size.

A 2.4-litre engine increased torque. The mostly chrome brightwork had a black decklid grille with a ‘2.4’ badge. External oil filler on right rear wing confused some.

After incidents of people filling E series 911s with petrol via the external oil-filler, the filler returned to under the engine decklid. Fitted with the front spoiler of the 911S.

The 911S had the same upgrades as the 911E, including deletion of the external oil filler. It also adopted black trim around the front and rear lights and black front quarter grilles.

Production numbers 4,406 Issue featured 117 Engine capacity 2,341cc Compression ratio 8.0:1 Maximum power 165hp @ 6,200rpm Maximum torque 206Nm @ 4,500rpm 0-62mph 7.5 sec Top speed 137mph Length 4,163mm Width 1,610mm Weight 1,077kg Wheels & tyres F 6x15 inch; 185HR R 6x15 inch; 185HR

Production numbers 16,933 Issue featured 107 Engine capacity 2,341cc Compression ratio 7.5:1 Maximum power 130hp @ 5,600rpm Maximum torque 197Nm @ 4,000rpm 0-62mph 7.6 sec Top speed 128mph Length 4,163mm Width 1,610mm Weight 1,077kg Wheels & tyres F 5.5x15 inch; 165HR R 5.5x15 inch; 165HR

Production numbers 5,054 Issue featured 120 Engine capacity 2,341cc Compression ratio 8.5:1 Maximum power 190hp @ 6,500rpm Maximum torque 211Nm @ 5,200rpm 0-62mph 6.6 sec Top speed 140mph Length 4,163mm Width 1,610mm Weight 1,077kg Wheels & tyres F 6x15 inch; 185/70/R15 R 6x15 inch; 185/70/R15

Production numbers 4,406 Issue featured 144 Engine capacity 2,341cc Compression ratio 8.0:1 Maximum power 165hp @ 6,200rpm Maximum torque 206Nm @ 4,500rpm 0-62mph 7.5 sec Top speed 137mph Length 4,163mm Width 1,610mm Weight 1,077kg Wheels & tyres F 6x15 inch ATS; 185HR R 6x15 inch ATS; 185HR

Production numbers 5,054 Issue featured 120 Engine capacity 2,341cc Compression ratio 8.5:1 Maximum power 193hp @ 6,500rpm Maximum torque 211Nm @ 5,200rpm 0-62mph 6.6 sec Top speed 140mph Length 4,163mm Width 1,610mm Weight 1,075kg Wheels & tyres F 6x15 inch; 185/70/R15 R 6x15 inch; 185/70/R15

(G, H, I, J series)

(F series)

Carrera 2.7 RS 1973

The RS had a 2,687cc engine that developed 210bhp. The body was lightened and fitted with flared rear arches and an optional ducktail. Sport and Touring available.

(G, H, I, J series)

Production numbers 1,590 Issue featured 145 Engine capacity 2,687cc Compression ratio 8.5:1 Maximum power 210hp @ 6,300rpm Maximum torque 255Nm @ 5,100rpm 0-62mph 5.8 sec Top speed 152mph Length 4,163mm Width 1,652mm Weight 975kg (Sport) Wheels & tyres F 6x15 inch; 185/70/R15 R 7x15 inch; 215/60/R15

(I & J series)

911 1974-1977

911S 1974-1977

911 Carrera 3.0 1976-1977

‘911’ was now the entry level.

Bumpers were added to conform to US regs. From 1976, all 911s were hot-dip coated and fitted with ‘elephant ear’ mirrors.

911S was now a mid-range model comparable to the previous 911E. It had the same body changes as the base model, and came as standard with ‘Cookie Cutter’ rims.

Not sold in the US, the Carrera 3.0 was basically the same model as the previous Carrera, only fitted with a new 2,994cc engine, essentially from the 911 Turbo.

Production numbers 9,320 Issue featured 121 Engine capacity 2,687cc Compression ratio 8.0:1 Maximum power 150hp @ 5,700rpm (165bhp from ’76) Maximum torque 235Nm @ 3,800rpm (4,000 from ’76) 0-62mph 8.5 sec Top speed 130mph Length 4,291mm Width 1,610mm Weight 1,075kg Wheels & tyres F&R 6x15 inch; 185VR

Production numbers 17,124 Issue featured n/a Engine capacity 2,687cc Compression ratio 8.5:1 Maximum power 173hp @ 5,800rpm Maximum torque 235Nm @ 4,000rpm 0-62mph 7.0 sec Top speed 142mph Length 4,291mm Width 1,610mm Weight 1,080kg Wheels & tyres F 6x15 inch; 185VR R 6x15 inch; 185VR

930 3.3 1984-1989

Revised engine added power and torque in 1984, while in 1987 Motronic engine management improved efficiency and emissions upon its return to the US market.

Production numbers 11,135 Issue featured 144 Engine capacity 3,299cc Compression ratio 7.0:1 Maximum power 300hp @ 5,500rpm Maximum torque 432Nm @ 4,000rpm 0-62mph 5.4 sec Top speed 161mph Length 4,291mm Width 1,775mm Weight 1,300kg (1,335kg from ’86) Wheels & tyres F 7x16 inch; 205/55/VR16 R 8x16 inch; 225/50/VR16

(G & H series)

911 Carrera 2.7 1974-1976

From 1974, Carrera name was given to rangetopping 911. Essentially the same engine as previous year’s RS for all markets except USA. Whaletail available from 1975.

Production numbers 1,667 Issue featured 134 Engine capacity 2,687cc Compression ratio 8.5:1 Maximum power 210hp @ 6,300rpm Maximum torque 255Nm @ 5,100rpm 0-62mph 6.3 sec Top speed 148mph Length 4,291mm Width 1,652mm Weight 1,075kg Wheels & tyres F 6x15 inch; 185VR R 7x15 inch; 205VR

Production numbers 3,687 Issue featured 148 Engine capacity 2,994cc Compression ratio 8.5:1 Maximum power 197hp @ 6,000rpm Maximum torque 255Nm @ 4,200rpm 0-62mph 6.3 sec Top speed 145mph Length 4,291mm Width 1,610mm Weight 1,093kg Wheels & tyres F 6x15 inch; 185/70/VR15 R 7x15 inch; 215/60/VR15

930 3.0 1975-1977

Fitted with a KKK turbo, this was the world’s first production Porsche to be turbocharged. Flared arches, whaletail rear wing and four-speed gearbox were standard.

Production numbers 2,850 Issue featured 157 Engine capacity 2,994cc Compression ratio 6.5:1 Maximum power 260hp @ 5,500rpm Maximum torque 343Nm @ 4,000rpm 0-62mph 5.5 sec Top speed 155mph Length 4,291mm Width 1,775mm Weight 1,140kg Wheels & tyres F 7x15 inch; 185/70/VR15 R 8x15 inch; 215/60/VR15

Carrera 3.2 1984-1989

930 SE 1986-1989

Speedster 1989

Almost the same galvanised body as the SC. Engine was claimed to be 80 per cent new, and the first production 911 to feature an ECU to control ignition and fuel systems.

Slantnosed and based on 935 race cars, with pop-up headlamps. Front spoiler made deeper to accommodate extra oil cooler, rear intakes fed air to brakes.

Carrera 3.2 with a steeply raked windscreen and hood and stripped interior. Porsche claim the hood was not designed to be 100 per cent watertight.

Production numbers 70,044 Issue featured 148 Engine capacity 3,164cc Compression ratio 10.3:1 Maximum power 231hp @ 5,900rpm Maximum torque 284Nm @ 4,800rpm 0-62mph 5.6 sec Top speed 152mph Length 4,291mm Width 1,652mm Weight 1,210kg Wheels & tyres F 7x15 inch; 195/65/VR15 R 8x15 inch, 215/60/VR15 (16” for ’89)

Production numbers 50 (UK only) Issue featured 146 Engine capacity 3,299cc Compression ratio 7.0:1 Maximum power 330hp @ 5,500rpm Maximum torque 432Nm @ 4,000rpm 0-62mph 4.6 sec Top speed 173mph Length 4,291mm Width 1,775mm Weight 1,335kg Wheels & tyres F 7x16 inch; 205/55/VR16 R 9x16 inch; 245/45/VR16

959 1986-1988

Had tech later used on 911s including 4WD, ABS and twin turbos. A 959S was also available, featuring lighter cloth Sport seats, five-point harnesses and a roll cage.

Production numbers 337 Issue featured 142 Engine capacity 2,850cc Compression ratio 8.3:1 450hp @ 6,500rpm Maximum power Maximum torque 500Nm @ 5,000rpm 0-60mph 3.9 sec Top speed 196mph Length 4,260mm Width 1,840mm Weight 1,450kg Wheels & tyres F 8x17 inch; 235/45/ZR17 R 9x17 inch; 255/40/ZR17

Production numbers 2,274 (for both wide and narrow bodied) Issue featured 128 Engine capacity 3,164cc Compression ratio 10.3:1 Maximum power 235hp @ 5,900rpm Maximum torque 284Nm @ 4,800rpm 0-60mph 6.0 sec Top speed 148mph Length 4,291mm Width 1,775mm Weight 1,220kg Wheels & tyres F 6x16 inch; 205/45/VR16 R 8x16 inch; 245/60/VR16

3.2 Clubsport 1987-1989

Removing ‘luxuries’ sliced off around 40kg of weight. Revised engine management gave a higher rev limit of 6,840rpm.

Suspension uprated and LSD standard.

930 LE 1989

Essentially an SE but without a slantnose front, the LE had the same engine, front spoiler, sill extensions and rear air intakes. One made for every OPC of the time.

Production numbers 50 Issue featured 110 Engine capacity 3,299cc Compression ratio 7.0:1 Maximum power 330hp @ 5,500rpm Maximum torque 432Nm @ 4,000rpm 0-62mph 4.6 sec Top speed 173mph Length 4,291mm Width 1,775mm Weight 1,335kg Wheels & tyres F 7x16 inch; 205/55/VR16 R 9x16 inch; 245/45/VR16

Production numbers 340 Issue featured 126 Engine capacity 3,164cc Compression ratio 10.3:1 Maximum power 231hp @ 5,900rpm Maximum torque 284Nm @ 4,800rpm 0-60mph 5.1 sec Top speed 152mph Length 4,291mm Width 1,650mm Weight 1,160kg Wheels & tyres F 6x16 inch, 205/55/VR16 R 7x16 inch, 225/55/VR16

964 Turbo S 1992-1993

180kg lighter than Turbo.

Intakes in the rear arches funnelled air to the brakes, while the engine power was boosted by 61bhp. RS-spec uprated suspension.

Production numbers 81 Issue featured 108 Engine capacity 3,299cc Compression ratio 7.0:1 Maximum power 381hp @ 6,000rpm Maximum torque 490Nm @ 4,800rpm 0-62mph 4.6 sec Top speed 180mph Length 4,250mm Width 1,775mm Weight 1,290kg Wheels & tyres F 8x18 inch; 225/40/ZR18 R 10x18 inch; 265/35/ZR18

(C & D series)

964 3.8 RS 1993

Identifiable by lightweight Turbo bodyshell, large rear wing and 18-inch Speedline wheels. Power came from a new 3.8-litre unit with hot-film air sensor and twin exhaust.

Production numbers 55 Issue featured 12 Engine capacity 3,746cc Compression ratio 11.6:1 Maximum power 300hp @ 6,500rpm Maximum torque 359Nm @ 5,250rpm 0-62mph 4.9 sec Top speed 169mph Length 4,250mm Width 1,775mm Weight 1,210kg Wheels & tyres F 9x18 inch; 235/40/ZR18 R 11x18 inch; 285/35/ZR18

993 Carrera RS 1995-1996

Lightweight body as per RS tradition, teamed with a 3.8-litre engine, VarioRam intake system and remapped ECU to create 300bhp, fed to the rear wheels only.

993 Carrera 4S 1995-1996

The 4S was effectively a Carrera 4 with a Turbo wide bodyshell, albeit lacking a fixed rear wing.

Also boasted Turbo suspension, brakes and Turbo-look wheels.

There are some great reasons to #LovePaper Discover them now, twosides.info Source: United Nations FAO, 2005-2015 Two Sides is a global initiative promoting the responsible use of print and paper which, when sourced from certified or sustainably managed forests, is a uniquely powerful and natural communications medium.

Production numbers 6,948 Issue featured 109 Engine capacity 3,600cc Compression ratio 11.3:1 Maximum power 285hp @ 6,100rpm Maximum torque 340Nm @ 5,250rpm 0-62mph 5.3 sec Top speed 168mph Length 4,245mm Width 1,795mm Weight 1,520kg Wheels & tyres F 8x18 inch; 225/40/ZR18 R 10x18 inch; 285/30/ZR18

Production numbers 1,014 Issue featured 119 Engine capacity 3,746cc Compression ratio 11.5:1 Maximum power 300hp @ 6,000rpm Maximum torque 355Nm @ 5,400rpm 0-62mph 5.0 sec Top speed 172mph Length 4,245mm Width 1,735mm Weight 1,279kg Wheels & tyres F 8x18 inch, 225/40ZR18 R 10x18 inch, 265/35ZR18

996.1 C4 1998-2001

996.1 GT3 1998-2000

996 Turbo 2001-2005

Four-wheel drive transmission fed five per cent of power in normal driving, increasing to 40 per cent when required. PSM used for first time, rolled out across the range in 2001.

Commonly called the Gen1 GT3, this was a lightweight 996 with power driving the rear wheels. Suspension was lowered by 30mm and brakes were uprated.

Distinguished by wide rear arches, air intakes and deep front wing, plus part-fixed, partretractable rear wing. Different engine to 3.6-litre 996 unit.

Production numbers 22,054 Issue featured 111 Engine capacity 3,387cc Compression ratio 11.3:1 Maximum power 300hp @ 6,800rpm Maximum torque 350Nm @ 4,600rpm 0-62mph 5.2 sec Top speed 174mph Length 4,430mm Width 1,765mm Weight 1,375kg Wheels & tyres F 7x17 inch; 205/50/R17 R 9x17 inch; 255/40/R17

Production numbers 1,858 Issue featured 117 Engine capacity 3,600cc Compression ratio 11.7:1 Maximum power 360hp @ 7,200rpm Maximum torque 370Nm @ 5,000rpm 0-62mph 4.8 sec Top speed 188mph Length 4,430mm Width 1,765mm Weight 1,350kg Wheels & tyres F 8x18 inch; 225/40/R18 R 10x18 inch; 285/30/R18

Production numbers 20,499 Issue featured 152 Engine capacity 3,600cc Compression ratio 9.4:1 Maximum power 420hp @ 6,000rpm Maximum torque 560Nm @ 2,700 4,600rpm 0-62mph 4.2 sec Top speed 189mph Length 4,435mm Width 1,830mm Weight 1,540kg Wheels & tyres F 8x18 inch; 225/40/R18 R 11x18 inch; 295/30/R18

91 964 Carrera 4 1989-1993

964 Carrera 2 1990-1993

964 C4 Lightweight 1991

Heavily revised bodywork, deformable bumpers over coil-spring suspension and four-wheel-drive marked this radical overhaul of the ‘87 per cent new’ 911.

Rear-drive Carrera 2 offered an emphatically more traditional 911 experience, and was 100kg lighter, but looked identical to the Carrera 4. Tiptronic was a new option.

964 Leichtbau made use of surplus parts from 953 Paris-Dakar project. Highlights include four-way adjustable differential, short-ratio gearbox and stripped interior.

Production numbers 13,353 (Coupe) Issue featured 111 Engine capacity 3,600cc Compression ratio 11.3:1 Maximum power 250hp @ 6,100rpm Maximum torque 310Nm @ 4,800rpm 0-62mph 5.7 sec Top speed 162mph Length 4,250mm Width 1,652mm Weight 1,450kg Wheels & tyres F 6x16-inch; 205/55/ZR16 R 8x16-inch; 225/50/ZR16

Production numbers 19,484 Issue featured 119 Engine capacity 3,600cc Compression ratio 11.3:1 Maximum power 250hp @ 6,100rpm Maximum torque 310Nm @ 4,800rpm 0-62mph 5.6 sec Top speed 162mph Length 4,250mm Width 1,652mm Weight 1,350kg Wheels & tyres F 6x16-inch; 205/55/ZR16 R 8x16-inch; 225/50/ZR16

964 C2 Speedster 93-94

964 Turbo 3.6 1993-1994

964 Anniversary 1993-94

993 Carrera 1993-1997

993 Carrera 4 1994-1997

Combined the 964 bodyshell with the hood and windscreen of the Carrera 3.2 Speedster, plus RS interior. It is thought Porsche planned to build 3,000, but demand fell.

Engine based on modified 3.6-litre 964 unit. Distinctive 18inch split-rim Speedline wheels covered the Big Red brake calipers. Suspension lowered by 20mm.

’30 Jahre’ anniversary 964 utilised a ‘Turbo’ wide body melded to the four-wheel-drive Carrera running gear. Available in Viola metallic, Polar silver or Amethyst.

Restyled bodywork had sweptback headlamps, curvaceous wings and blended-in bumpers.

The 3,600cc engine was revised, with VarioRam available from 1996.

As per the 993-model Carrera, but with four-wheel-drive.

Transmission was half the weight of the previous Carrera 4, and was designed to give a more rear-drive feel.

Production numbers 936 Issue featured 128 Engine capacity 3,600cc Compression ratio 11.3:1 Maximum power 250hp @ 6,100rpm Maximum torque 310Nm @ 4,800rpm 0-62mph 5.5 sec Top speed 161mph Length 4,250mm Width 1,652mm Weight 1,340kg Wheels & tyres F 7x17-inch; 205/50/ZR17 R 9x17-inch; 255/40/ZR17

Production numbers 1,437 Issue featured 120 Engine capacity 3,600cc Compression ratio 7.5:1 Maximum power 360hp @ 5,500rpm Maximum torque 520Nm @ 4,200rpm 4.8 sec Top speed 174mph Length 4,250mm Width 1,775mm Weight 1,470kg Wheels & tyres F 8x18 inch; 225/40/ZR18 R 10x18 inch; 265/35/ZR18

Production numbers 911 Issue featured 112 Engine capacity 3,600cc Compression ratio 11.3:1 Maximum power 250hp @ 6,100rpm Maximum torque 310Nm @ 4,800rpm 0-62mph 5.7 sec Top speed 162mph Length 4,250mm Width 1,775mm Weight 1,470kg Wheels & tyres F 7x17-inch; 205/50/17 R 9x17-inch; 255/40/17

Production numbers 38,626 Issue featured 160 Engine capacity 3,600cc Compression ratio 11.3:1 Maximum power 272hp @ 6,000rpm Maximum torque 330Nm @ 5,000rpm 5.6 sec Top speed 168mph Length 4,245mm Width 1,735mm Weight 1,370kg Wheels & tyres F 7x16 inch; 205/55/ZR16 R 9x16 inch; 245/45/ZR16

Production numbers 2,884 (Coupe) Issue featured 111 Engine capacity 3,600cc Compression ratio 11.3:1 Maximum power 272hp @ 6,000rpm Maximum torque 330Nm @ 5,000rpm 5.8 sec Top speed 166mph Length 4,245mm Width 1,735mm Weight 1,420kg Wheels & tyres F 7x16 inch; 205/55/ZR16 R 9x16 inch; 245/45/ZR16

993 GT2 1995-1996

993 Turbo 1996-1998

993 Turbo S 1998

911 Turbo, but with reduced equipment. Also included rearwheel-drive, making it a better track car. Fitted with huge front and rear wings and bolt-on arch extensions.

Fitted with two KKK turbochargers in order to reduce lag. Power went to all four wheels using the Carrera 4’s transmission system.

Brakes were ‘Big Reds’.

The final hurrah for the last air-cooled 911. With 450bhp for UK models, it was the fastest and most luxurious road-going model Stuttgart had ever produced. Manual only.

Production numbers 173 Issue featured 131 Engine capacity 3,600cc Compression ratio 8.0:1 Maximum power 430hp @ 5,750rpm Maximum torque 540Nm @ 4,500rpm 0-62mph 3.9 sec Top speed 189mph Length 4,245mm Width 1,855mm Weight 1,290kg Wheels & tyres F 9x18-inch; 235/40/ZR18 R 11x18-inch; 285/35/ZR18

Production numbers 5,937 Issue featured 147 Engine capacity 3,600cc Compression ratio 8.0:1 Maximum power 408hp @ 5,750rpm Maximum torque 540Nm @ 4,500rpm 0-62mph 4.3 sec Top speed 180mph Length 4,245mm Width 1,795mm Weight 1,500kg Wheels & tyres F 8x18-inch; 225/40/ZR18 R 10x18-inch; 285/30/ZR18

996 Carrera 4S 2001-2005 Basically a C4 featuring a Turbo bodyshell, without rear air intakes, but with a full-width rear reflector panel. Suspension and brakes were similar to the Turbo spec.

Production numbers 23,055 Issue featured 155 Engine capacity 3,596cc Compression ratio 11.3:1 Maximum power 320hp @ 6,800rpm Maximum torque 370Nm @ 4,250rpm 0-62mph 5.1 sec Top speed 174mph Length 4,435mm Width 1,830mm Weight 1,495kg Wheels & tyres F 8x18-inch; 225/40/R18 R 11x18-inch; 295/30/R18

964 Turbo 1991-1992 This used the revised 964 bodyshell, extended arches and ‘teatray’ wing. The engine was essentially the 3.3-litre unit from the previous model, but updated.

993 Carrera S 1997-1998 The features that come with the Carrera S are similar to the Carrera 4S’s, only this time in rear-wheel drive. Sought after for its superb handling and widebody looks.

Production numbers 3,660 Issue featured 160 Engine capacity 3,299cc Compression ratio 7.0:1 Maximum power 320hp @ 5,750rpm Maximum torque 450Nm @ 4,500rpm 0-62mph 5.4 sec Top speed 168mph Length 4,250mm Width 1,775mm Weight 1,470kg Wheels & tyres F 7x17 inch; 205/50/ZR17 R 9x17-inch; 255/40/ZR17

964 RS America 1993 Offered in five colours, fixed whaletail wing and two cloth sports seats, with just four options: aircon, sunroof, 90 per cent locking rear differential and stereo.

Production numbers 3,714 Issue featured 118 Engine capacity 3,600cc Compression ratio 11.3:1 Maximum power 285hp @ 6,100rpm Maximum torque 340Nm @ 5,250rpm 0-62mph 5.4 sec Top speed 168mph Length 4,245mm Width 1,795mm Weight 1,450kg Wheels & tyres F 8x18-inch; 225/40/ZR18 R 10x18-inch; 285/30/ZR18

Production numbers 22 Issue featured 131 Engine capacity 3,600cc Compression ratio 11.3:1 Maximum power 265hp @ 6,720rpm Maximum torque 304Nm @ 6,720rpm 4.5 sec Top speed 125mph Length 4,275mm Width 1,652mm Weight 1,100kg Wheels & tyres F 7x16 inch; 205/55/ZR16 R 9x16 inch; 245/55/ZR16

Production numbers 701 Issue featured 157 Engine capacity 3,600cc Compression ratio 11.3:1 Maximum power 250hp @ 6,100rpm Maximum torque 310Nm @ 4,800rpm 0-62mph 5.5 sec Top speed 164mph Length 4,250mm Width 1,650mm Weight 1,340kg Wheels & tyres F 7x17-inch; 205/50/ZR17 R 8x17-inch; 255/40/ZR17

Production numbers 345 Issue featured 115 Engine capacity 3,600cc Compression ratio 8.0:1 Maximum power 450hp @ 5,750rpm Maximum torque 585Nm @ 4,500rpm 4.1 sec Top speed 186mph Length 4,245mm Width 1,795mm Weight 1,583kg Wheels & tyres F 8x18 inch; 225/40/18 R 10x18 inch; 285/30/18

964 RS 1991-1992 120kg saved by deleting ‘luxuries’ and fitting magnesium Cup wheels.

Power was boosted by 10bhp, suspension lowered by 40mm and uprated, as were brakes.

996.1 Carrera 1998-2001 An all-new 911 with larger, restyled bodywork and a water-cooled engine.

Interior was redesigned in order to enable better ergonomic efficiency and more room.

Production numbers 2,405 Issue featured 131 Engine capacity 3,600cc Compression ratio 11.3:1 Maximum power 260hp @ 6,100rpm Maximum torque 310Nm @ 4,800rpm 0-62mph 5.4 sec Top speed 162mph Length 4,250mm Width 1,650mm Weight 1,230kg (Sport) Wheels & tyres F 7.5x17-inch; 205/50/ZR17 R 9x17-inch; 255/40/ZR17

Production numbers 56,733 Issue featured 160 Engine capacity 3,387cc Compression ratio 11.3:1 Maximum power 300hp @ 6,800rpm Maximum torque 350Nm @ 4,600rpm 0-62mph 5.2 sec Top speed 174mph Length 4,430mm Width 1,765mm Weight 1,320kg Wheels & tyres F 7x17-inch; 205/50/R17 R 9x17-inch; 255/40/R17

996 GT2 2001-2003

996.2 C2 2002-2004

996 Anniversary 03-04

A lightweight, Turbo-bodied 996 with uprated turbocharged engine and suspension. PCCB was standard. Revised ECU later gave an extra 21bhp.

Facelifted with Turbo-style headlamps and revised front and rear bumpers, fitted with more powerful 3.6-litre engine and VarioCam Plus. Manual and Tiptronic ’boxes updated.

Available in GT silver, and included a Turbo front bumper and chrome Carrera wheels.

Powerkit, -10mm sports suspension and mechanical LSD standard.

Production numbers 1,287 Issue featured 127 Engine capacity 3,600cc Compression ratio 9.4:1 Maximum power 462hp @ 5,700rpm Maximum torque 620Nm @ 3,5004,500rpm 0-62mph 4.1 sec Top speed 196mph Length 4,450mm Width 1,830mm Weight 1,440kg Wheels & tyres F 8x18-inch; 235/40/R18 R 12x18-inch; 315/30/R18

Production numbers 29,389 Issue featured 136 Engine capacity 3,596cc Compression ratio 11.3:1 Maximum power 320hp @ 6,800rpm Maximum torque 370Nm @ 4,250rpm 0-62mph 5.0 sec Top speed 177mph Length 4,430mm Width 1,770mm Weight 1,370kg Wheels & tyres F 7x17-inch; 205/50/R17 R 9x17-inch; 255/40/R17

996.2 C4 2002-2004 Facelifted in line with rear-drive Carrera, though the all-wheel-drive version drives very much like its rear-driven brethren.

Cabin received minor updates over Gen1.

Production numbers 10,386 Issue featured 107 Engine capacity 3,596cc Compression ratio 11.3:1 Maximum power 320hp @ 6,800rpm Maximum torque 370Nm @ 4,250rpm 0-62mph 5.0 sec Top speed 177mph Length 4,430mm Width 1,770mm Weight 1,430kg Wheels & tyres F 7x17-inch; 205/50/R17 R 9x17-inch; 255/40/R17

Production numbers 1,963 Issue featured 112 Engine capacity 3,596cc Compression ratio 11.3:1 Maximum power 345hp @ 6,800rpm Maximum torque 370Nm @ 4,800rpm 0-62mph 4.9 sec Top speed 175mph Length 4,430mm Width 1,770mm Weight 1,370kg Wheels & tyres F 8x18-inch; 225/40/R18 R 10x18-inch; 285/30/R18

Sales debate What’s next for the 997 Carrera GTS?

996.2 GT3 2003-2005

996 Turbo S 2004-2005

Based on facelifted 996 Carrera, but with new wings.

Suspension lowered and uprated, PCCB optional. Fullspec interior unless Clubsport option was ordered.

A 911 Turbo with the previously optional 30bhp power upgrade, with larger turbochargers, uprated intercoolers and a revised ECU. PCCB standard.

Production numbers 2,313 Issue featured 142 Engine capacity 3,600cc Compression ratio 11.7:1 Maximum power 381hp @ 7,400rpm Maximum torque 385Nm @ 5,000rpm 0-62mph 4.5 sec Top speed 190mph Length 4,435mm Width 1,770mm Weight 1,380kg Wheels & tyres F 8.5x18-inch; 235/40/R18 R 11x18-inch; 295/30/R18

There’s no denying the 997 Carrera GTS is a truly fantastic 911. Originally released as a run-out special for the 997.2 generation in 2010, the GTS was available in two or four-wheel drive, melded to either Coupe or Cabriolet body styles, and gave you added theatre to the driving experience over a standard Carrera S. The model proved popular, with approximately 700 cars coming to the UK alone against the context of a worldwide economic slump. Despite this, plus the fact Porsche has since expanded its GTS lineup with subsequent 991.1 and 991.2-generation 911s, the 997 Carrera GTS has never really fallen victim to the same levels of depreciation you’d expect for a 911 outside of the genuine GT lineup.

Priced new at £76,758 in the UK, the 997 GTS only ever fell as low as the mid-fifties on the used market by around 2014, before picking back up to list price. However, recent months has seen the 997 GTS slide back to the mid-fifties again, so what’s in store for the car that started Porsche’s modern-day GTS sub-brand?

“The problem is, the 991 GTS that followed it has come down in price, which has in turn pushed the 997 downward in terms of values,” explains Anthony Ainslie, head of business at the UK’s south-west Porsche specialists, Williams Crawford.

Simon Cockram, owner at Bath-based specialists Cameron Sports Cars, echoes Ainslie’s sentiments.

“Porsche has since made a Carrera GTS for every generation of 911, which has diluted things a little bit,” he says. “The 997 is a brilliant car but buyers now have lots of choice, as the 991.1 which succeeded it has also become more accessible.”

Both our specialists point to the 991’s improved PDK gearbox (if specified) and superior all-round usability over the 997, which carries further appeal in favour of the latter 911. Our specialists are also united in their agreement that the 997 Carrera GTS isn’t likely to reach list price again any time soon, with a new 992 GTS expected by early 2021 set to change the used GTS landscape once more. It means that the Carrera GTS is more accessible than ever and, as one of our favourite modern models, could see you bag an awful lot of 911 for your money right now. Thrilling daily driver, anyone?

996 GT3 RS 2004-2005 Same 3,600cc engine as in GT3, but with weight saving, offering 280bhp per ton – an improvement of four per cent over the 996 GT3 Clubsport.

PCCB optional.

Production numbers 682 Issue featured 161 Engine capacity 3,600cc Compression ratio 11.7:1 Maximum power 381hp @ 7,400rpm Maximum torque 385Nm @ 5,000rpm 0-62mph 4.4 sec Top speed 190mph Length 4,435mm Width 1,770mm Weight 1,360kg Wheels & tyres F 8.5x18-inch; 235/40/R18 R 11x18-inch; 295/30/R18

Production numbers 1,563 Issue featured 132 Engine capacity 3,600cc Compression ratio 9.4:1 Maximum power 450hp @ 5,700rpm Maximum torque 620Nm @ 3,5004,500rpm 4.2 sec Top speed 191mph Length 4,291mm Width 1,830mm Weight 1,590kg Wheels & tyres F 8x18 inch; 225/40/R18 R 11x18 inch; 295/30/R18

997.1 GT3 2006-2007

997 GT2 2007-2009

Track focused, but based on narrow-bodied Carrera with reworked 996 GT3 engine.

PASM standard, revs to 8,400rpm, 200 higher than the Gen2 996 GT3.

Essentially a 997 Turbo but with rear-wheel drive only. Had a more track-orientated suspension and brake setup, with GT3-style interior and extra power.

Production numbers 2,378 Issue featured 117 Engine capacity 3,600cc Compression ratio 12.0:1 Maximum power 415hp @ 7,600rpm Maximum torque 405Nm @ 5,500rpm 0-62mph 4.3 sec Top speed 192mph Length 4,445mm Width 1,808mm Weight 1,395kg Wheels & tyres F 8.5x19-inch; 235/35/R19 R 12x19-inch; 305/30/R19

997.1 GT3 RS 2006-2007 Similar to GT3, with wider rear bodyshell of the Carrera S. 20kg of weight saved from GT3 thanks to carbon engine cover and rear wing, and plastic rear window.

Production numbers 1,106 Issue featured 156 Engine capacity 3,600cc Compression ratio 12.0:1 Maximum power 415hp @ 7,600rpm Maximum torque 405Nm @ 5,500rpm 0-62mph 4.2 sec Top speed 194mph Length 4,460mm Width 1,808mm Weight 1,375kg Wheels & tyres F 8.5x19-inch; 235/35/R19 R 12x19-inch; 305/30/R19

Production numbers 1,242 Issue featured 127 Engine capacity 3,600cc Compression ratio 9.0:1 Maximum power 530hp @ 6,500rpm Maximum torque 680Nm @ 2,2004,500rpm 0-62mph 3.7 sec Top speed 204mph Length 4,469mm Width 1,852mm Weight 1,440kg Wheels & tyres F 8.5x19-inch; 235/35/ZR19 R 12x19-inch; 325/30/ZR19

997.2 GT3 RS 2009-2012

997 Sport Classic 2010

Wider front arches and a larger wing. Dynamic engine mounts and PASM are standard.

Air-con is optional, with no door handles, wheel brace or sound proofing.

Based on 3.8-litre Powerkit, rear-wheel-drive Carrera S, but with 44mm wider rear arches.

Retro styling including iconic ducktail and large Fuchs wheels.

Production numbers 1,500 Issue featured 125 Engine capacity 3,800cc Compression ratio 12.2:1 Maximum power 450hp @ 7,900rpm Maximum torque 430Nm @ 6,750rpm 0-62mph 4.0 sec Top speed 192mph Length 4,460mm Width 1,852mm Weight 1,370kg Wheels & tyres F 9x19-inch; 245/35/ZR19 R 12x19-inch; 325/30/ZR19

997 Turbo S 2011-2013 A standard 997 Turbo but more power and higher level of standard equipment including PCCB, centre-lock wheels, crested sports seats and Sport Chrono Plus.

997 Speedster 2010 Built to mark Porsche Exclusive’s 25th year.

Shorter windscreen, but rake angle same as 997 Carrera. Wide body with 19-inch Fuchs wheels.

Rear-wheel drive.

Production numbers 2,000 Issue featured 123 Engine capacity 3,800cc Compression ratio 9.8:1 Maximum power 530hp @ 6,250-6,750rpm Maximum torque 700Nm @ 2,1004,250rpm 0-62mp 3.3 sec Top speed 195mph Length 4,435mm Width 1,852mm Weight 1,585kg Wheels & tyres F 8.5x19-inch; 235/35/ ZR19 R 11x19-inch; 305/30/ZR19

Production numbers Issue featured Engine capacity Compression ratio Maximum power Maximum torque

356 128 3,800cc 12.5:1 408hp @ 7,300rpm 420Nm @ 4,4005,600rpm 0-62mph 4.4 sec Top speed 190mph Length 4,440mm Width 1,852mm Weight 1,540kg Wheels & tyres F 8.5x19-inch; 235/35/ ZR19 R 11x19-inch; 305/30/ZR19

991.1 Carrera 2011-2015 The first of the newest and latest Gen7 911, it takes styling hues from the 993.

A redesigned chassis with lengthened wheelbase reduces overhang of the engine.

Production numbers 250 Issue featured 146 Engine capacity 3,800cc Compression ratio 12.5:1 Maximum power 408hp @ 7,300rpm Maximum torque 420Nm @ 4,2005,600rpm 0-62mph: 4.6 sec Top speed: 187mph Length: 4,435mm Width: 1,852mm Weight: 1,425kg Wheels & tyres F 8.5x19-inch; 235/35/ZR19 R 11x19-inch; 305/30/ZR19

Production numbers Unknown Issue featured 137 Engine capacity 3,436cc Compression ratio 12.5:1 Maximum power 350hp @ 7,400rpm Maximum torque 390Nm @ 5,600rpm 0-62mph 4.8 sec Top speed 179.6mph Length 4,491mm Width 1,808mm Weight 1,380kg Wheels & tyres F 8.5x19-inch; 235/40/ZR19 R 11x19-inch; 285/35/ZR19

93

997.1 Carrera 2004-2008

Fully revised Porsche 911 with 993-influenced bodywork and a new interior. Engine was like 996, but refined for more power. Six-speed Tiptronic option available.

997.2 Carrera 2008-2012

Revised with restyled LED rear lights and front driving lights. M97 engine replaced with a 91 DFI unit, using fewer parts – with no problematic Intermediate Shaft.

997 GT3 RS 4.0 2010

Engine was upgraded and aerodynamically tweaked, with the angle of the rear wing increased and dive planes on either side of the front nose. A future collectors’ gem.

Production numbers 25,788 Issue featured 112 Engine capacity 3,596cc Compression ratio 11.3:1 Maximum power 325hp @ 6,800rpm Maximum torque 370Nm @ 4,250rpm 0-62mph 5.0 sec Top speed 177mph Length 4,427mm Width 1,808mm Weight 1,395kg Wheels & tyres F 8x18 inch; 235/40/R18 R10x18 inch; 265/40/R18

Production numbers 10,500 Issue featured 144 Engine capacity 3,614cc Compression ratio 12.5:1 Maximum power 345hp @ 6,500rpm Maximum torque 390Nm @ 4,400rpm 0-62mph 4.9 sec Top speed 179mph Length 4,435mm Width 1,808mm Weight 1,415kg Wheels & tyres F 8x18 inch; 235/40/ZR18 R 10.5x18 inch; 265/40/ZR18

Production numbers 600 Issue featured 125 Engine capacity 3,996cc Compression ratio 12.6:1 Maximum power 500hp @ 8,250rpm Maximum torque 460Nm @ 5,750rpm 0-62mph 3.9 sec Top speed 193mph Length 4,460mm Width 1,852mm Weight 1,360kg Wheels & tyres F 9x19 inch; 245/35/ZR19 R 12x19 inch; 325/30/ZR19

997.1 Carrera S 2004-08

997.1 Carrera 4 2005-08

997.1 C4S 2005-2008

As per the 997 Carrera, but with more powerful 3.8-litre engine and PASM. 19-inch wheels as standard, with bigger ventilated brakes. Featured quad exhaust tailpipes.

Like the 997 Carrera, but with drive to all four wheels via a multi-disc viscous coupling, transferring between five and 40 per cent of traction to the front. 44mm wider at rear.

The same 3.8-litre, 355bhp engine as the Carrera S, with four-wheel-drive system on C4.

44mm wider than Carrera S to accommodate for wider rear wheels and tyres.

Production numbers 41,059 Issue featured 107 Engine capacity 3,824cc Compression ratio 11.8:1 Maximum power 355hp @ 6,600rpm Maximum torque 400Nm @ 4,600rpm 0-62mph 4.8 sec Top speed 182mph Length 4,427mm Width 1,808mm Weight 1,420kg Wheels & tyres F 8x19 inch; 235/35/R19 R11x19 inch; 295/30/R19

Production numbers 8,533 Issue featured Engine capacity 3,596cc Compression ratio 11.3:1 Maximum power 325hp @ 6,800rpm Maximum torque 370Nm @ 4,250rpm 0-62mph 5.1 sec Top speed 174mph Length 4,427mm Width 1,852mm Weight 1,450kg Wheels & tyres F 8x18 inch; 235/40/R18 R 11x18 inch; 295/35/R18

Production numbers 30,973 Issue featured 111 Engine capacity 3,824cc Compression ratio 11.8:1 Maximum power 355hp @ 6,600rpm Maximum torque 400Nm @ 4,600rpm 0-62mph 4.8 sec Top speed 179mph Length 4,427mm Width 1,852mm Weight 1,475kg Wheels & tyres F 8x19 inch; 235/35/R19 R 11x19 inch; 305/30/R19

997.1 Turbo 2005-2008

Similar to 997 C4S body, but with extra intakes at the front and sides.

Essentially the 996 Turbo engine, but with all-new twin turbos. VTG gave best of small/large turbos.

Production numbers Issue featured Engine capacity Compression ratio Maximum power Maximum torque

19,201 159 3,600cc 9.8:1 480hp @ 6,000rpm 620Nm @ 1,950 5,000rpm 0-62mph 3.9 sec Top speed 193mph Length 4,450mm Width 1,852mm Weight 1,585kg Wheels & tyres F 8.5x19 inch; 235/35/R19 R 11x19 inch; 305/30/R19

997.2 Carrera S 2008-12

997.2 GT3 2009-2012

997.2 Turbo 2009-2013

Altered as per the Carrera, but with larger 3.8-litre engine – again using fewer components and Direct Fuel Injection. Had seven-speed PDK optional, like the Carrera.

Updated as per the Carrera, but with a unique front and rear wing, revised PASM, centre-lock wheels and better brakes.

2010 MY GT3s recalled to fix rear hubs.

Same as the original 997 Turbo but with new LED tail-lights and driver lights up front. Larger tailpipes and DFI engine, with fuel consumption cut by 16%.

Production numbers 15,000 Issue featured 61 Engine capacity 3,800cc Compression ratio 12.5:1 Maximum power 385hp @ 6,500rpm Maximum torque 420Nm @ 4,400rpm 0-62mph 4.7 sec Top speed 187mph Length 4,435mm Width 1,808mm Weight 1,425kg Wheels & tyres F 8x19 inch; 235/35/ZR19 R 11x19 inch; 295/30/ZR19

997 918 Edition 2010

These exclusive 997 Turbo S-spec 911s were only available to those who had paid a deposit for a 918 Spyder. Acid green badging and brake calipers.

997.2 C4S 2008-2012

Body as per C4 but with larger engine. Utilised 997 Turbo’s 4WD and PTM. Viscous coupling gives way to electromagnetically controlled multiplate clutch.

Production numbers 121 Issue featured 74 Engine capacity 3,800cc Compression ratio 9.8:1 Maximum power 530hp @ 6,250 6,750rpm Maximum torque 700Nm @ 2,100 4,250rpm 0-62mph 3.3 sec Top speed 195mph Length 4,435mm Width 1,852mm Weight 1,585kg Wheels & tyres F 8.5x19 inch; 235/35/ ZR19 R 11x19 inch; 305/30/ZR19

Production numbers 2,200 Issue featured 117 Engine capacity 3,797cc Compression ratio 12.2.:1 Maximum power 435hp @ 7,900rpm Maximum torque 430Nm @6, 250rpm 0-62mph 4.1 sec Top speed 194mph Length 4,460mm Width 1,808mm Weight 1,395kg Wheels & tyres F 8.5x19 inch; 235/35/ZR19 R 12x19-inch;305/30/ZR19

Production numbers 3,800 Issue featured 152 Engine capacity 3,800cc Compression ratio 9.8:1 Maximum power 500hp @ 6,000rpm Maximum torque 650Nm @ 1,950 5,000rpm 0-62mph 3.4 sec Top speed 194mph Length 4,450mm Width 1,852mm Weight 1,570kg Wheels & tyres F 8.5x19 inch; 235/35/ZR19 R 11x19 inch; 305/30/ZR19

997 GT2 RS 2010-2011

997 C2 GTS 2010-2012

997 C4 GTS 2011-2012

GT2 went back to its roots with lightweight body and interior, plus extra power. Recognisable thanks to carbon fibre bonnet, air intake and mirrors.

C4’s wider rear body, and powered by the 3.8-litre Carrera S engine, with a Powerkit producing extra 25bhp. GTS is laden with Porsche options.

Like C2 997 GTS but slightly heavier and with 4WD. In either C2 or C4 form, it represented a great saving over optioning up a 997 Carrera counterpart.

Production numbers 500 Issue featured 155 Engine capacity 3,600cc Compression ratio 9.0:1 Maximum power 620hp @ 6,500rpm Maximum torque 700Nm @ 2,500 5,500rpm 0-62mph 3.5 sec Top speed 205mph Length 4,460mm Width 1,852mm Weight 1,370kg Wheels & tyres F 9x19 inch; 245/35/ZR19 R 12x19 inch; 325/30/ZR19

Production numbers Unknown Issue featured 157 Engine capacity 3,800cc Compression ratio 12.5:1 Maximum power 408hp @ 7,300rpm Maximum torque 420Nm @ 4,200 5,600rpm 0-60mph 4.6 sec Top speed 190mph Length 4,435mm Width 1,852mm Weight 1,420kg Wheels & tyres F 8.5x19 inch; 235/35/19 R 11x19 inch; 305/30/19

Production numbers Unknown Issue featured 125 Engine capacity 3,800cc Compression ratio 12.5:1 Maximum power 408hp @7,300rpm Maximum torque 420Nm @ 4,200 5,600rpm 0-62mph 4.6 sec Top speed 188mph Length 4,435mm Width 1,852mm Weight 1,480kg Wheels & tyres F 8.5x19 inch; 235/35/ZR19 R 11x19 inch; 305/30/ZR19

Production numbers 7,910 (Coupe) Issue featured 111 Engine capacity 3,800cc Compression ratio 12.5:1 Maximum power 385hp @ 6,500rpm Maximum torque 420Nm @ 4,400rpm 0-62mph 4.7 sec Top speed 185mph Length 4,435mm Width 1,852mm Weight 1,480kg Wheels & tyres F 8x19 inch; 235/35/ZR19 R 11x19 inch; 305/30/ZR19

991.1 Carrera 4 2012-2015

22mm wider body than C2, with 10mm wider tyres and connecting rear tail light as standard. Also features a torque distribution indicator on the digital dash clock.

991.1 Carrera S 2011-2015

Same as Carrera, with seven-speed manual ’box but utilising bigger engine. Slightly larger front brakes than the standard Carrera, PASM as standard equipment.

Production numbers Unknown Issue featured 114 Engine capacity 3,800cc Compression ratio 12.5:1 Maximum power 400hp @ 7,400rpm Maximum torque 440Nm @ 5,600rpm 0-62mph 4.5 sec Top speed 188.9mph Length 4,491mm Width 1,808mm Weight 1,395kg Wheels & tyres F 8.5x20 inch; 245/35/ZR20 R 11x20 inch; 295/30/ZR20

Production numbers Unknown Issue featured 98 Engine capacity 3,436cc Compression ratio 12.5:1 Maximum power 350hp @ 7,400rpm Maximum torque 390Nm @ 5,600rpm 0-62mph 4.9 sec Top speed 177mph Length 4,491mm Width 1,852mm Weight 1,430kg Wheels & tyres F 8.5x19 inch; 235/40/ZR19 R 11x19-inch;305/35/ZR19

991.1 Carrera 4S 2012-2015 Same wider body styling as C4, coupled to 3.8-litre 400bhp engine.

Also features six-piston brake calipers at front.

PTV spread torque more evenly.

Production numbers Unknown Issue featured 118 Engine capacity 3,800cc Compression ratio 12.5:1 Maximum power 400hp @ 7,400rpm Maximum torque 440Nm @ 5,600rpm 0-62mph 4.5 sec Top speed 185mph Length 4,491mm Width 1,852mm Weight: 1,445kg Wheels & tyres F 8.5x20 inch; 245/35/ZR20 R 11x20 inch; 305/30/ZR20

991.1 GT3 2013-2015

Wide body from 991 Carrera 4 was used for the first time. Mezger engine from previous GT3s replaced with revamped DFI version of Carrera S engine. PDK only.

Production numbers 3,000 (estimate) Issue featured 143 Engine capacity 3,800cc Compression ratio 12.9:1 Maximum power 475hp @ 8,250rpm Maximum torque 440Nm @ 6,250rpm 0-62mph 3.5 sec Top speed 196mph Length 4,545mm Width 1,852mm Weight 1,430kg Wheels & tyres F 9x20 inch; 245/35/ZR20 R 12x20 inch; 305/30/ZR20

94 Data file 991.1 Turbo S 2013-2015

Technology explained 032

991.1 X51 POWERKIT

A 30hp return for £9K was steep, but the magic of the Powerkit delves far beyond its numbers

Same dimensions as 991 Turbo, but with a tweaked map to provide extra 40bhp. Turbo options standard, including centre-lock wheels and PCCB.

991.1 Turbo 2013-2014 New Turbo marks introduction of rear axle steering, plus PDK-only transmission to forced induction 991 models.

Production numbers Unknown Issue featured 109 Engine capacity 3,800cc Compression ratio 9.8:1 Maximum power 520hp @ 6,000rpm Maximum torque 660Nm @ 1,950rpm 0-62mph 3.4 sec Top speed 195mph Length 4,506mm Width 1,880mm Weight 1,595kg Wheels & tyres F 8.5x20-inch; 245/35/ZR20 R 11x20-inch; 305/30/ZR20

Production numbers Issue featured Engine capacity Compression ratio Maximum power

Unknown 115 3,800cc 9.8:1 560hp @ 6,500 6,750rpm Maximum torque 700Nm @ 2,100 4,250 3.1 sec Top speed 197mph Length 4,506mm Width 1,880mm Weight 1,605kg Wheels & tyres F 9x20 inch; 245/35/ZR20 R 11x20 inch, 305/30/ZR20

991.2 Carrera S 2015-2018

Shares Carrera’s 3.0-litre turbocharged 9A2 engine, with revised turbos, exhaust and engine management to produce extra 50hp.

The Powerkit has for many years offered a solution for customers who wanted additional performance from the factory flat six. It started with the SC in the late ’70s and was revived for the 993 generation, Porsche offering Powerkits under the internal code X51 for naturally aspirated cars and X50 for the 911 Turbo.

However, since Porsche’s Carrera range switched to turbocharging, a Powerkit has not been offered, meaning the 991.1 Carrera S is, as it stands, the last such 911 sporting the X51 Powerkit (if so optioned from new). But how does it work?

Porsche’s Powerkit was developed at Weissach, home of Porsche Motorsport, though the standard 3.8-litre engine from the 991.1 Carrera S is used as its base. Essentially, revisions are then made to the engine’s breathing, thanks to development of the resonance intake system with switchable valve units, cylinder heads with optimised channels, and inlet camshafts with modified valve lift, plus a Sports exhaust.

On a Powerkitted engine, the intake system is made from cast aluminium and features what Porsche says is ‘six coordinated resonance-induction intake ducts’, with three vacuum-activated switchable valves on each cylinder bank being central to the additional engine charge. A central flap within the intake system enables separation of the two cylinder banks, which Porsche says gives a better torque curve under partial loads. In short, airflow is better managed from the atmosphere into the flat six.

Cylinder heads on the X51 are polished, and inlet camshafts feature a large valve lift, allowing more air into the combustion chamber for a power boost at higher rpm. A Sports exhaust better deals with waste from the combustion chamber, while a third radiator helps dissipate additional heat to ensure the flat six is kept within acceptable operating temperatures. Chrono Package and dynamic engine mounts are also part of the X51 repertoire.

Around a £9,000 option, power is increased by 30hp to 430hp. Peak torque remains the same (now with a more linear curve) and, crucially, fuel economy is not affected despite this increase in power. The Powerkit came as standard specification on the 991.1 Carrera GTS and 991 Anniversary (the latter was in the US market only).

Production numbers Unknown Issue featured 132 Engine capacity 2,981cc Compression ratio 10.0:1 Maximum power 420hp @ 6,500rpm Maximum torque 500Nm@1,7005,000rpm 0-62mph 3.9 sec Top speed 191mph Length 4,499mm Width 1,808mm Weight 1,440kg Wheels & tyres F 8.5x20-inch; 245/35/ZR20 R 11.5x20-inch; 305/30/ZR20

991.2 Carrera 4 2016-2018 New 9A2 turbocharged engine fused with allwheel-drive running gear, now electro-hydraulically controlled. Distinguishable by wider body and fullwidth rear brake light.

Production numbers Issue featured Engine capacity Compression ratio Maximum power Maximum torque

Unknown 133 2,981cc 10.0:1 370hp @ 6,500rpm 450Nm @ 1,7005,000rpm 0-62mph 4.1 sec Top speed 181mph Length 4,499mm Width 1,852mm Weight 1,480kg Wheels & tyres F 8.5x19-inch; 235/40/ ZR19 R 11.5x19-inch; 295/35/ZR19

991.2 C4 GTS 2017-2019

As 991.2 Carrera GTS but with PTM four-wheel drive electrically controlling drive between both axles (rear always driven). Red connecting strip on rear.

991.2 C2 GTS 2017-2019 Similar specification and ‘black accent’ styling as per 991.1, available in both rear-wheel and all-wheel drive form. C4 GTS quicker than C2 GTS.

Production numbers Issue featured Engine capacity Compression ratio Maximum power Maximum torque

Unknown 150 2,981cc 10.0:1 450hp @ 6,500rpm 550Nm @ 2,1505,000rpm 0-62mph 4.1 sec Top speed 194mph Length 4,528mm Width 1,852mm Weight 1,450kg Wheels & tyres F 9x20-inch; 245/35/ZR20 R 12x20-inch; 305/30/ZR20

Production numbers Unknown Issue featured 151 Engine capacity 2,981cc Compression ratio 10.0:1 Maximum power 450hp @ 6,500rpm Maximum torque 550Nm @ 2,1505,000rpm 0-62mph 3.8 sec Top speed 193mph Length 4,528mm Width 1,852mm Weight 1,515kg Wheels & tyres F 9x20 inch; 245/35/ZR20 R 12x20 inch; 305/30/ZR20

991 Speedster 2019

Limited-edition special from Flacht to mark 70 years of Porsche. Engine taken directly from 991.2 GT3 with its sixspeed manual compulsory.

991.2 GT3 RS 2018-2019 Latest GT3 RS gets GT3 facelift but with NACA ducts and suspension from GT2 RS. 20hp increase over Gen1 with mainly aerodynamic and chassis revisions.

Production numbers 100 UK cars (est) Issue featured 164 Engine capacity 4,000cc Compression ratio Unknown Maximum power 520hp Maximum torque 480Nm 0-62mph 3.2 sec Top speed 193mph Length 4,549mm Width 1,880mm Weight 1,420kg Wheels & tyres F 9.5x20-inch; 265/35/ZR20 R 12.5x21-inch; 325/30/ZR21

Production numbers 1,948 Issue featured 172 Engine capacity 3,996cc Compression ratio 13.3:1 Maximum power 500hp @ 8,250rpm Maximum torque 460Nm @ 6,000rpm 0-62mph 3.9 sec Top speed 199mph Length 4,562mm Width 1,852mm Weight Unknown Wheels & tyres F 9x20-inch; 245/35/ZR20 R 12x12-inch; 305/30/ZR20

95

991 Anniversary 2013-2014 Exuberantly styled Carrera S with wide body and generous spec. Many styling cues inside and out taken from original 901.

Powerkit only came as standard spec in US.

Production numbers 1,963 Issue featured 112 Engine capacity 3,800cc Compression ratio 12.5:1 Maximum power 400hp @ 7,400rpm Maximum torque 440Nm @ 5,600rpm 0-62mph 4.5 sec Top speed 188mph Length 4,491mm Width 1,852mm Weight 1,420kg Wheels & tyres F 9x20-inch; 245/35/ZR20 R 11.5x20-inch; 305/30/ZR20

991.1 Carrera GTS 2014-16

991.1 C4 GTS 2014-2016

991.2 Carrera 2015-2018

Big-spec GTS utilises wide body and a host of good options including Powerkit, PASM, Sport chrono, Sport exhaust to name a few, all for £7,000 more than Carrera S.

Almost the same as the C2 GTS, but with additional traction offered by four-wheel drive. As a result, performance times are altered slightly over its reardriven variant.

Facelift model substantially changed underneath with power coming from completely new 3.0-litre 9A2 turbocharged engine. PASM now standard.

Production numbers Unknown Issue featured 157 Engine capacity 3,800cc Compression ratio 12.5:1 Maximum power 430hp @ 7,500rpm Maximum torque 440Nm @ 5,750rpm 4.0 sec Top speed 190mph Length 4,491mm Width 1,852mm Weight 1,425kg Wheels & tyres F 9x20 inch; 245/35/ZR20 R 11.5x20 inch; 305/30/ZR20

Production numbers Unknown Issue featured 125 Engine capacity 3,800cc Compression ratio 12.5:1 Maximum power 430hp @ 7,500rpm Maximum torque 440Nm @ 5,750rpm 0-62mph 4.4 sec Top speed 188mph Length 4,491mm Width 1,852mm Weight 1,470kg Wheels & tyres F 9x20-inch; 245/35/ZR20 R 11.5x20-inch; 305/30/ZR20

991.1 GT3 RS 2015-2017 Unprecedented aero package now delivers 997 RS 4.0’s max downforce at just 93mph. Features modified 4.0-litre DFI version of 991.1 GT3 engine; PDK-only.

Production numbers 6,000 Issue featured 136 Engine capacity 3,996cc Compression ratio 12.9:1 Maximum power 500hp @ 8,250rpm Maximum torque 460Nm @ 6,250rpm 0-62mph 3.3 sec Top speed 193mph Length 4,545mm Width 1,880mm Weight 1,420kg Wheels & tyres F 9.5x20-inch; 265/35/ZR20 R 12.5x21-inch; 325/30/ZR21

Production numbers Unknown Issue featured 137 Engine capacity 2,981cc Compression ratio 10.0:1 Maximum power 370hp @ 6,500rpm Maximum torque 450Nm @ 1,7005,000rpm 4.2 sec Top speed 183mph Length 4,499mm Width 1,808mm Weight 1,430kg Wheels & tyres F 8.5x19 inch; 235/40/ZR19 R 11.5x19 inch; 295/35/ZR19

991.2 Carrera 4S 2016-18

As per C4 but using revised turbos, exhaust and engine management from C2S to produce extra 50hp. Faster 0-62mph than C2S for first time.

Production numbers Unknown Issue featured 154 Engine capacity 2,981cc Compression ratio 10.0:1 Maximum power 420hp @ 6,500rpm Maximum torque 500Nm @ 1,7005,000rpm 0-62mph 3.8 sec Top speed 189mph Length 4,499mm Width 1,852mm Weight 1,490kg Wheels & tyres F 8.5x20-inch; 245/35/ZR20 R 11.5x20-inch; 305/30/ZR20

991.2 Turbo 2016-2018 Revised 9A1 engine from 991.1, producing 540hp thanks to modified inlet ports in cylinder head, new injection nozzles and higher fuel pressure.

Production numbers Issue featured Engine capacity Compression ratio Maximum power Maximum torque

Unknown 135 3,800cc 9.8:1 540hp @ 6,400rpm 710Nm @ 2,2504,000rpm 0-62mph 3.1 sec Top speed 199mph Length 4,507mm Width 1,880mm Weight 1,595kg Wheels & tyres F 9x20-inch; 245/35/ZR20 R 11.5x20-inch; 305/30/ZR20

991.2 Turbo S 2016-2018 As per 991.2 Turbo but with power boosted to 580hp thanks to new turbochargers with larger compressors. Fastest ever 911 from 0-62mph.

Production numbers Issue featured Engine capacity Compression ratio Maximum power Maximum torque

Unknown 145 3,800cc 9.8:1 580hp @ 6,750rpm 750Nm @ 2,2504,000rpm 0-62mph 2.9 sec Top speed 205mph Length 4,507mm Width 1,880mm Weight 1,600kg Wheels & tyres F 9x20-inch; 245/35/ZR20 R 11.5x20-inch; 305/30/ZR20

991 R 2016 991 GT3 RS engine mated to revised six-speed manual gearbox. Features Cabriolet active rear wing with diffuser aiding downforce. Lightweight flywheel optional.

Production numbers 991 Issue featured 153 Engine capacity 3,996cc Compression ratio 13.2:1 Maximum power 500hp @ 8,250rpm Maximum torque 460Nm @ 6,250rpm 0-62mph 3.8 sec Top speed 201mph Length 4,532mm Width 1,852mm Weight 1,370kg Wheels & tyres F 9x20-inch; 245/35/ZR20 R 12x20-inch; 305/30/ZR20

991 GT2 RS 2017-2019

Fastest factory 911 of all time.

Highly modified Turbo S engine with sprayed intercoolers. Rear wheel drive, PDK only. New inlets on bonnet feeds air to brakes.

991.2 GT3 2017-2019 New 4.0-litre engine from 991.2 Cup car. Retains 9,000rpm redline; six-speed manual Sport transmission now a no-cost option. Revised airflow to front and rear.

Production numbers 222 (UK, est) Issue featured 153 Engine capacity 3,996cc Compression ratio 13.3:1 Maximum power 500hp @ 8,250rpm Maximum torque 460Nm @ 6,000rpm 0-62mph 3.9 sec (manual) Top speed 199mph Length 4,562mm Width 1,852mm Weight 1,413kg (manual) Wheels & tyres F 9x20-inch; 245/35/ZR20 R 12x20-inch; 305/30/ZR20

Production numbers 2,000 (estimate) Issue featured 161 Engine capacity 3,800cc Compression ratio 9.0:1 Maximum power 700hp @ 7,000rpm Maximum torque 750Nm @ 2,5004,500rpm 0-62mph 2.8 sec Top speed 211mph Length 4,549 Width 1,880mm Weight 1,470kg Wheels & tyres F 9.5x20-inch; 265/35/ZR20 R 12.5x21-inch; 325/30/ZR21

992 Carrera S 2019-

The work of Porsche’s Exclusive department, with extensive use of carbon on the bonnet, roof and side skirts. Power is hiked to 607hp, Turbo Aerokit standard.

500 170 3,800cc 9.8:1 607hp 750Nm @ 2,2504,000rpm 0-62mph 2.9 sec Top speed 205mph Length 4,507mm Width 1,880mm Weight Not specified Wheels & tyres F 9x20-inch; 245/35/ZR20 R 11.5x20-inch; 305/30/ZR20

991 Carrera T 2018 Purist take on the 991.2 Carrera with 20kg of weight saved and regearing of seven-speed manual gearbox. Same 370hp engine as Carrera, PDK optional.

Production numbers Issue featured Engine capacity Compression ratio Maximum power Maximum torque

5,000 162 2,981cc 10.0:1 370hp @ 6,500rpm 450Nm @ 1,7005,000rpm 0-62mph 4.1 sec Top speed 183mph Length 4,499mm Width 1,808mm Weight 1,410kg Wheels & tyres F 8.5x19-inch; 245/40/ ZR19 R 11.5x19-inch; 295/35/ZR19

992 Carrera 2020The base 992 was revealed some nine months after the S. Visually different to the C2S thanks to smaller wheels and two singleexit exhaust tips.

All-new eighth generation of 911 carries over 9A2 engine from 991.2, though all cars are now wide bodied with subtle visual tweaks.

Production numbers In production Issue featured 174 Engine capacity 2,981cc Compression ratio 10.5:1 Maximum power 450hp @ 6,500rpm Maximum torque 530Nm@ 2-5,000rpm 0-62mph 3.5 sec Top speed 191mph Length 4,519mm Width 1,852mm Weight 1,515kg Wheels & tyres F 8.5x20-inch; 245/35/ZR20 R11.5x21-inch; 305/30/ZR21

991 Turbo S Exclusive Edition

Production numbers Issue featured Engine capacity Compression ratio Maximum power Maximum torque

992 Carrera 4S 2019As with the 992 Carrera S, but with active all-wheel drive providing variable torque to the front axle.

Identifiable by silver decklid slats (C2S has black).

Production numbers In production Issue featured 174 Engine capacity 2,981cc Compression ratio 10.5:1 Maximum power 450hp @ 6,500rpm Maximum torque 530Nm@ 2-5,000rpm 0-62mph 3.4 sec Top speed 190mph Length 4,519mm Width 1,852mm Weight 1,565kg Wheels & tyres F 8.5x20-inch; 245/35/ZR20 R11.5x21-inch; 305/30/ZR21

Production numbers In production Issue featured 188 Engine capacity 2,981cc Compression ratio 10.2:1 Maximum power 385hp @ 6,500rpm Maximum torque 450Nm @ 1,900-5,000rpm 0-62mph 4.0 sec Top speed 182mph Length 4,519mm Width 1,852mm Weight 1,505kg Wheels & tyres F 8.5x19-inch; 235/40/ZR19 R11.5x20-inch; 295/35/ZR20

Partnership Promotion Hidden Gems: 70 years of Porsche tucked away in Saltash

HIDDEN GEMS: 70 YE ARS OF PORSCHE T U C K E D A W AY I N S A LTA S H

U

ntil recently, I didn’t realise such a business existed here in the South West, just the other side of the Tamar Bridge from Plymouth.

Upon arriving at Williams Crawford Passion for Porsche, I was rather shocked; there are Porsche everywhere, classic and modern, plus a sprinkling of other exotic motors parked, waiting.

I am met by Adrian Crawford.

Adrian, what goes on here?

Williams Crawford help people with Porsche, it’s that simple! We deal with 70 years of Porsche, from any era with whatever issue. We buy, sell, source, broker, service, repair, restore and carry out bespoke work.

When did this all start?

I would have been about 13 years old; I recall a friend of my father arriving at his garage with a mid-green 911 Turbo and to me, it was like a spaceship had landed. A memory I will never forget. As soon as I got a licence, I knew it was a Porsche I wanted.

In the early 90s I started my own business and tried dealing with Porsche, but the

Partnership Promotion

has moved further forwards and frankly, it’s running better with him at the helm than with just Richard and I. Do you and Richard still enjoy it?

Oh, for sure. There is nothing better than meeting others who share the same passion as us. Our job is to remove their problems, reduce their anxieties and help them enjoy their cars. recession plus massive insurance costs made it really tough. Five years later things had changed, so I tried again. I started making a name for myself with beautiful air-cooled 911s, selling them over the internet. It proved to be very successful, but I wasn’t looking to run a big business.

the business.

We are unique in the UK in that we cover such a broad range of models and services. We have cars and clients throughout the UK and Europe, the Far East, Middle East and the USA. It is about Porsche, but more importantly, it’s about the Porsche people.

That’s clearly not the situation now, what happened?

It’s the Williams part of the name that changed it all; Richard Williams ran a good garage locally and looked after all my Porsche maintenance needs for 20 years or so. Richard and I thought it might be exciting to join up and offer a wider range of services. It transformed

That’s astonishing growth, how do you manage?

We were lucky to have a more experienced person join us. Anthony Ainslie had been Head of Business at Roger Young Land Rover for two decades, but fancied a change. The key is that he shares the enthusiasm and the same principles as we do. Since joining, the business

I really enjoyed the tour. It’s amazing to find another stand-out business like this in the South West.

We’re happy to show people around our premises. If readers of Total 911 are curious, just call or pop in, it’s our pleasure.

Interested in your own tour?

Call the team today on 01752 840307 or email info@williamscrawford.co.uk.

NEXT ISSUE Issue 189 in shops and available for download from 28 February

E-TARGA!

Could this be the future for your air-cooled Porsche?

RALLYING: A 911 HISTORY

993 CARRERA S CABRIOLET?!

BIG INTERVIEW: EUGEN KOLB

Relive the 911’s successful motorsporting exploits on safari

Revealed: the extremely rare, widebodied 993 with no roof

Porsche’s bodywork specialist who worked on every air-cooled 911 Contents may be subject to change

114 911 hero: Ferdinand Piëch

9 1 1 H E R O

F E R D I N A N D

P I Ë C H

An automotive powerhouse, Piëch oversaw key technical development at Porsche during the early years, influencing the company even after he left Written by Jack Williams Photography courtesy Porsche Archive

D

uring World War II, a young Ferdinand Piëch – the grandson of Ferdinand Porsche – sat on a train and considered his future. His father, Anton, was in charge of the Volkswagen plant in Wolfsburg during the wartime effort. Ferdinand, however, did not want to be in the office like his dad, “but for real, down there, where the workers repaired the airplanes and rode the trains, for real, with my hand,” he later recalled. Following the war, Piëch did just that: he oversaw the racing program at the fledgling company that his uncle, Ferry Porsche, had created, earning a reputation for pushing the technical boundaries. The 911R and 917 was created under Piëch’s watchful eye and unrelenting push for supremacy.

Piëch and family members argued so frequently that in 1972, Ferry Porsche banned him and other members of the Porsche/Piëch family from Porsche altogether. This led Piëch to a managerial role at Audi, a Volkswagen subsidiary, which at the time was known for its stodgy middle-class sedans. Within three years, Piëch had Audi competing with the likes of BMW and Mercedez-Benz. One innovation he was credited with overseeing is the addition of four-wheel drive to Audi’s sedans – a novelty at the time. The Quattro brand is an automotive icon, and forced Porsche into its 959 project.

In 1992, Volkswagen named Piëch to lead the parent company out of a crisis. The company had struggled to develop new

products with the mass appeal of the Beetle, and unsold vehicles overflowed. Piëch – who was known for his dictatorial style – fired nearly the entire management board, reset the focus on the product lineup, and cut costs by negotiating a shorter work week. Piëch is also credited with overseeing Volkswagen’s innovative diesel technology, which was quieter and more efficient.

After retiring as chief executive in 2002, Piëch still held power at Volkswagen as chairman of the supervisory board. VW bought Porsche in 2012, which at last put Piëch at the helm of his family’s company. He also encouraged the new chief exec to announce that Volkswagen would surpass Toyota as the largest carmaker in the world, pushing ‘clean diesel’ to the US. What followed, however, was a scandal that cost the company billions. After Piëch had retired his seat on the board, Volkswagen admitted its so-called clean diesels were fitted with illegal software that hid impermissibly high emissions from regulators. No evidence has been produced to show Piëch knew about the software, but it has been said that the company culture he created built an environment where people would rather cheat to save their jobs than admit they could not hit technological targets.

After his retirement, little was heard from Piëch, who sold his shares in VW for more than $1 billion in 2017. The name lives on: at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, Piëch’s son, Anton, showcased an electric supercar prototype, the ‘Piëch Automotive Mark Zero’.