991.1 GT3 RS ULTIMATE BUYING GUIDE 930 FLACHBAU
Targa Icons GEORGE FOLLMER
THE 2.7 RS HUNTER
602 EUSSI
EVOLUTION OF 911 TURBOCHARGING FINAL BRIAN REDMAN GUEST COLUMN JEFF ZWART: KING OF THE HILL AT PIKES PEAK
noitidElatigiD
in Exclusive’s Heritage Design FIRST DRIVE Edition Targa, alongside its 50-year-old forefather
3
Welcome
I
t’s great to be out and about rather a lot again after a prolonged period of enforced confinement as our world came to terms with COVID. The ability to once again just pack a bag and hit the road has been reinvigorating, especially when at the wheel of Porsche’s stunning 992 Targa 4S Heritage Design Edition, which you can read about in detail on page 18. On my travels I’ve noticed more 911s out enjoying the road than usual as owners fully commit to the ‘Carpe Secundum’ school of thought. As is said many times in this magazine, a Porsche is built to be driven, not sat at home in a garage, so this latest revelation has been great to see. It’s also been highly pleasurable to enjoy the company of other enthusiasts in person for the first time in many months (no more Zoom, hooray!) while sharing our passion for these great sports cars.
“The ability to once again just pack a bag and hit the road has been reinvigorating” Facebook /total911magazine
Twitter @total911
A word of advice: if you’re putting together ideas for summer road trips and plan on undertaking some maintenance or repair work beforehand, don’t leave it until the last minute. Many businesses are struggling with delays to parts availability from suppliers for one, but also it seems many enthusiasts skipped services or maintenance work last year due to the lack of miles covered, which means workshops are facing a backlog of clients this year due to a doubled workload. In either scenario, I wouldn’t want you to miss out on the fun stuff, particularly after a year or so of relative inactivity, due to the realities of dealing with the aftermath of this great world event. We at Total 911 are looking forward to plenty of road trips coming up, where we’ll bring you an array of awesome 911s on the world’s best roads, hopefully meeting as many of you along the way as possible. Enjoy the issue.
YouTube /total911magazine
LEE SIBLEY • Editor E: lee.sibley@futurenet.com
www.total911.com
Visit us for up-to-date news and debate
4 Nürburgring Nordschleife, Germany
Picture courtesy Porsche AG There’s no room for social distancing on the race track as Frikadelli Racing and Huber Motorsport’s 911 GT3 Rs do battle with the world’s elite for 24 hours around the daunting ‘Green Hell’. Fittingly, the 49th edition of the world famous Nürburgring 24 was won by the no.911 GT3 R of Manthey-Racing in the team’s 25th year, and on the track it calls home. Bad weather curtailed much of the racing, with only nine and a half hours of total competitive driving time.
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6 Contents
Contents ISSUE #206 JULY 2021
ESSENTIALS 8
FEATURES
Update
Your latest Porsche-specific news, summer products, plus guest columnist Brian Redman
18
Targas on tour
We assess the merits of Porsche Exclusive’s Heritage Design Edition 992 Targa by pitting it against an early roll bar example
14
Views
28
The RS hunter
26
Subscriptions
36
Porsche Index: 991.1 GT3 RS
66
Highlights from your Porsche correspondence via email, social media and Total911.com Become a loyal subscriber and get the magazine delivered early to your door
Living the Legend
44
Real-world reports from our global collective of 911 owners
2.7 RS guru Josh Sadler charts the rise and rise of Porsche’s first 911 Rennsport ahead of its 50-year anniversary Your comprehensive guide to the most populous Porsche Rennsport of all time
Turbo evolution
Kieron Fennelly charts the development of turbocharging in the 911, from 1975 to the present day
75
Premier Porsche
48
George Follmer
76
Data file
56
930 SE
98
911 icon: Jeff Zwart
66
All the industry contacts you need to buy, tune, restore or upgrade your Porsche 911 Stats, specs, and updated market values for every 911 model 1963-2021
Total 911 looks back on the incredible career of American racing great George Follmer Wilhelm Lutjeharms gets behind the wheel of a 930 SE outlaw and charts the history of the 911 flachbau
The ‘King of the Hill’ has taken Porsche to the very top at Pikes Peak
98
48
7 36
28
YOUR 911 HOME
For Total 911 back issues & subscriptionsvisit
www.magazinesdirect.com
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44
56
8 Update
Update
Latest news, key dates, star products & race results from the world of Porsche
Everrati reveals electric 964 ‘Signature’ model boasts 500bhp and 150-mile range Everrati Automotive has given a public debut to a new fully electric sports car based on a 1991 Porsche 964. The wide-bodied ‘Signature’ model features carbon-fibre body elements and what Everrati says is a state-of-the-art powertrain coupled to a 53kWh battery pack and battery management system. The result is a completely emissions-free vehicle that’s based on an original 964, with a stated range of more than 150 miles and sub four-second acceleration to 62mph. The 964 also boasts 500bhp and 500Nm maximum torque, although
any further details were yet to be given at the time of writing. Everrati was founded in 2019, originally under the name Ionic Cars, by entrepreneur Justin Lunny and long-term automotive specialist Nick Williams. The first project the company undertook was a Mercedes-Benz SL Pagoda, which Everrati continues to offer today alongside electrified Porsche 964 Coupe and Targa models. The company, whose mission is to redefine and future proof what it calls automotive icons through the integration of EV powertrains, revealed the
964 at the London Concours on 8 June. Everrati says following an intensive test and development programme, its ‘Signature’ wide-body model will be offered to customers as part of the company’s extensive portfolio of restored, remastered and electrified automotive icons.
9
News in Brief Porsche Museum reopens… again
The Museum on Porscheplatz, Stuttgart, has reopened its doors to the public in line with the Coronavirus Ordinance of the State of Baden-Württemberg.Attendees will be required to provide a negative coronavirus test from the past 24 hours, confirmation of recovery, or official proof of vaccination. A public testing station has also been set up on site, and is open between 8:30am6:30pm Tuesday to Sunday.
RUF exhibits at the Petersen Museum
The Petersen Automotive Museum, LA, has teamed up with Patrick Long’s Luftgekühlt to showcase a two-part exhibition series for 2021. ‘Pfaffenhausen Speed Shop – The RUF Gallery’ features nine iconic supercars from the famous German independent manufacturer, all on display currently, before August 15 sees the opening of the second exhibit, exploring the legacy of the 956 and 962 models.
BBi and Donohue return to Pikes Peak
Revised 991 GT2 RS Clubsport will compete for outright victory in 2021’s ‘Race to the Clouds’
BBi Autosport, the LA-based Porsche specialist, is returning to Pikes Peak to take on leading manufacturers for outright victory in the 2021 ‘Race to the Clouds’ event. BBi, headed by motorsport aficionado Betim Berisha, has once again partnered with US race ace David Donohue, son of the late Porsche legend Mark Donohue, to fight for overall victory at the famous Colorado hillclimb on June 27. Donohue will take on the 12.42-mile route, ascending 14,115ft, in a 991 GT2 RS Clubsport as part of the Time Attack 1 class. The driver and company pairing will hope for better fortunes this year after a bright start last year was hampered by an early retirement due to a puncture. Donohue’s 991 GT2 RS is one of three Porsche prepared by BBi for Pikes Peak this year, who are also entering a 991 GT3 Turbo Cup, and 718 Clubsport, in different categories.
New Classic Centre at Geneva
Switzerland gets first Centre for classic Porsche cars
Porsche Centre Geneva has become only the fourth Porsche Classic Centre in the world, after a revamped premises featuring a new 210 square-metre showroom for classic Porsche was recently unveiled at its site in the major Swiss city. Owned by Orchid Sports Cars SA, Porsche Classic Centre Geneva has followed in the footsteps of three other sites in France, Norway and The Netherlands in opening a centre dedicated purely to heritage Porsche vehicles, on top of the 72 Porsche Classic partners worldwide. Porsche says its Classic Centres ‘meet the full range of customer needs by combining the service, repair and sale of heritage cars under one roof’. Patrick Losch, co-owner of Orchid Sports Cars SA, said at the opening ceremony: “Our aim is to provide the best possible service in all areas, whether that be selling new cars, servicing pre-owned cars, or repairing and maintaining even the very earliest Porsche models.”
10 Summer Products
Restrictions are lifting, and the warm weather is here – which means now is the time to fully indulge in your Porsche passion. With this in mind, Total 911 presents the best car parts and lifestyle products from Porsche Classic Porsche Classic PCCM+
£1,390.01 Part no.: 99664259000 Bring your 996 firmly into the modern age of connectivity with the stunning Porsche Classic Communication Management Plus. This 2-DIN system with 7-inch touchscreen display will fit directly into your 996 dashboard and delivers DAB+, 3D mapping with onboard navigation, as well as Apple CarPlay (plus Google Android Auto), allowing you to stream your favourite music and podcasts, and make hands-free calls on the go. A truly transformational upgrade for your classic Porsche, PCCM+ brings levels of modern connectivity on par with the 991.2-generation 911, elegantly housed behind a traditional Porsche facia so it looks right at home in your classic 996. Map material is provided via an external SD card purchased alongside PCCM+, and Porsche Classic recommends having the installation carried out by your preferred Porsche Centre.
SEE THE FULL RANGE AT
porsche.co.uk/ classic-shop
11
Porsche Classic 5-piece Screwdriver Set
Price: £83.44 Part no.: PCG19100201 Stored in the same vintage-inspired tinware as Porsche Classic’s five-piece spanner set, this screwdriver set makes for a handy addition to the toolkit of any Porsche tinkerer. The set contains a flat-head screwdriver with holding tool for a 356/912 belt pulley, plus small and medium flat-head screwdrivers, and small and large Phillips screwdrivers, all carrying the ‘PORSCHE’ script on plastic handles.
Porsche Classic 911 G-series (83-89) Tool Kit
£389.33 Part no.: PCG93072110 The perfect accompaniment to all G-series 911s from 1983 to 1989, containing everything you need to execute easy maintenance jobs and ensure many miles of happy Porsche motoring. The toolkit contains five double open-ended spanners, a wheel nut wrench and special size 24 wrench, a holding tool for the V-belt pulley, combination pliers, a V-belt, towing lug, hand crank, Phillips screwdriver, flat-head screwdriver, spark plug wrench, spark plug ratchet, hex spanner, test lamp, flat crank attachment and hexagon crank attachment, plus five fuses and a cleaning cloth. These trusty tools are neatly stored in a leather and pinstripe velour bag, a popular design choice among Porsche owners in the decade from which the G-bodied cars hail.
Porsche Classic 5-piece Spanner Set
£83.44 Part no.: PCG19501100 This five-piece spanner tool set has a classic design inspired by the 1960s. Stored in a painted tin container with easy-to-use locking clasp, the spanners within are forged and embossed with the PORSCHE logo. The spanners included in the set are open-end with 8mm/9mm, 10mm/11mm, 12mm/13mm, 14mm/15mm and 17mm/19mm sizing options.
Porsche Classic Battery Charger
£130.13 Part no.: PCG35661172 Ready to dig out your Porsche for the summer months, only to be presented with a flat battery? Keep your classic Porsche battery fully charged and maintained with this Porsche Classic Battery Charger. Presented in a neat box, the battery charger is small and nimble (weighing just 1.5 kilos) and features a handy LED charge level display. With automatic detection and change of operating voltage form 6 to 12V, the charger’s illuminated Porsche crest also pulses during charge and turns green once your battery has been fully charged. Suitable for use on all vehicles with a 6V or 12V battery (only available for Great Britain).
12 Guest column: Brian Redman
Brian Redman GUEST COLUMN
PART OF A SPECIAL MINI-SERIES
In his 17th and final column in what has been an extraordinary series, racing legend Brian Redman sits down with Tony McGuiness to reveal some additional details, anecdotes and thoughts on his time during one of the most dangerous eras in motor racing
A
s I mentioned last month, my first race back from my horrendous accident was incredible, as I won the 1978 12 Hours of Sebring in Dick Barbour’s number two Porsche 935. In 1979 I raced my final stint at Sebring, finishing by taking 2nd place also in a Porsche 935. I did four or five races a year which were mostly for Dick Barbour, until I had to make a decision in late 1979 as to what I was going to do. The last thing I wanted to do was sell the farm, the animals and all the equipment, but I didn’t have any means of earning a living. Without any racing contracts like those with Porsche and Ferrari, there was no way to sustain the farm. It was clear I needed a regular job. No racing meant no income. Carl Haas, the US importer of Lola racing cars and based in Chicago, suggested I join him in selling Lolas but continue racing when opportunities arose. I agreed to join him, so at the beginning of 1980, I uprooted the family and took them to Highland Park (just outside of Chicago) where I joined the Haas team. My racing in the USA picked up, with 12 events that year. All but one race was in Porsche 935s. My only non-Porsche race of 1980 was a good one, winning the Mid-Ohio 500 miles with David Hobbs (Hobbo) in a Lola T333. In 1980 I read the new IMSA GTP rules and suggested to Carl that Lola could build a car to the new rules that could win the championship, which it did, with five wins and five 2nds. I found racers, Ralph Kent-Cooke and Roy G. Woods Jr, who agreed to buy the first two cars. The new Lola T600 wasn’t ready until March of ’81 and for Daytona, Sebring and Riverside the team bought a used Porsche 935. At the Daytona 24 Hours I drove with Bobby Rahal and Bob Garretson. I had qualified 15th in the 935. Bobby wanted to move us higher, but I said, “leave it” knowing how unimportant qualifying was in that era of car fragility. If we circulated successfully for 24 hours, we could be assured of a top-ten finish and possibly a victory.
At 2:00am after one of Bobby’s stints he appeared in our motorhome to exclaim, “We are leading! I swear I didn’t pass a single car. Everyone broke down.” Our team went on to secure the overall victory. The 1981 win was my third and final victory at Daytona and extremely satisfying. Through 1984, ’85 and ’86 I drove for Bob Tullius’excellent Group 44 Jaguar team and my last season of professional racing took place in 1989. It yielded little in the way of glory, but it was a glorious experience. I enjoyed racing in the Aston Martin AMR1. It was a good car to drive even though it was uncompetitive. The team was composed of true racers. All in all, it was a nice way to end my career. Many people have asked me how I helped start Rennsport Reunion in the USA. Essentially, in 1998 Bob Carlson, who was PR for Porsche Cars North America, rang me and said, we’ve five cars coming from the Stuttgart Porsche Museum that are going to various events this year, including Monterey in August. Could you test them at Sebring in March and write an article for Road & Track? Afterwards, I said to Bob, “If I arrange an allPorsche meeting at Watkins in September, would you send those five cars from Monterey to Watkins Glen?” He said he would, and the all-Porsche Watkins 50/50 turned out to be a great meeting. About seven or eight months after that Bob said, “Let’s do another one at Lime Rock in 2001 and call it Rennsport 1.” That was the first dry weekend of the year. We had a great turnout. The public roads were blocked with cars. For Rennsport 1, Porsche did so much. They brought journalists in, more cars, more support and helped out with all sorts of organisational things. It was a terrific success, so after that, Bob said, “Let’s do another Rennsport II in 2004 at
Daytona!”, which was even bigger than the previous one at Lime Rock. We held Rennsport III again at Daytona in 2007 by which time Bob was dying from cancer, yet he put a tremendous effort into Rennsport. That year we had an incredible turnout of Porsche 917s. If I recall correctly, it was 16 or 17 of them in total. The following Rennsport Reunions were then held at Laguna Seca in 2011, 2015 and 2018. Each one became bigger and better than the previous. The popularity of the Rennsport Reunions shows the affection, admiration and respect the public has for Porsche. Discussions are being held regarding Rennsport Reunion VII. I have always been amazed by Porsche, but I never imagined it would become the incredible company it is now. When I went back to Weissach several years ago to test the IMSA-winning RS Spyder for a Road & Track article, I was amazed by the size of the place. I hadn’t been there since 1971. It was staggering to see the Porsche buildings, almost unbelievable. One of the characteristics of Porsche has always been their great reliability. It has always been a feature of Porsche even since the early days. They have somehow maintained that. Here we are decades later, and Porsche is even more of an incredible company and certainly will remain so into the future. I started racing 62 years ago. Those who are familiar with racing in the 1960s and 1970s know that we veterans are the fortunate survivors of that era’s terrible odds. Looking back, I remember how each time I stepped out of the car at the end of a race, especially at Le Mans, Spa and Monza, the grass was greener, the sky was more blue. I was happy I had survived. Better to be lucky than rich!
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The very best of your Porsche opinions E
C EN R D A SRRTESPON
CO
Auto aromatics Dear Sir, It’s a funny thing, memory. Time passes, and we often look back with fondness to a moment that will trigger a passing smile. It can be the smallest thing too, and different for all of us. For some reason, smells are powerful triggers for me. I had one hit me like a hammer some ten or twelve years ago, that reignited a passion, left dormant too long. Oil burning on a hot exhaust. Not an attractive smell, I know, but sometimes the most memorable are not the most pleasant! It is the smell of an air-cooled car. In reality, aircooled cars are actually oil cooled. But air is forced past an oil cooler and the engine heads in an early VW or Porsche to try, at times in futility, to keep the engine cool enough to keep powering away. There are no car enthusiasts that are ignorant of the air-cooled motors designed and developed by the Porsche Family. Sure, they are often ridiculed for their low power and endless oil leaks, but once their copious torque and charm is recognised, and they get their claws in, they are hard to not appreciate, for their ability to create memories. Ironically, about ten years ago, the humble little air-cooled powered cars became cool again. When you consider that one of the most produced cars of all time is air-cooled (the Beetle) it is hard to comprehend where this coolness came from. In any aspect of life being common is a death warrant to being cool. Somehow the Beetle has transcended this. Talk to anyone of a certain generation, yes I am showing my age, and they have either owned or regularly driven a Beetle. The real posh, or fringe, owners might have had a Type 3, and the real adventurous lived the life we all dreamt of, but lacked the courage to pursue, the life of a nomad
Picture courtesy Jack Major, from Majorly Media
in their Kombi. To this day, I still look wistfully at a passing Kombi.Just Google Westfalia. To the absolute joy of unending car lovers, Ferry Porsche decided it was time to not only build a sports car using everything learnt during the development of the People’s Car, but to make one of the best. Welcome, world, to the Porsche 356. In the right light, at the right angle, it is clearly the car that evolved into today’s iconic Porsche 911. But this story is not a history lesson in sports car evolution. It is about memories and triggers. There are real tragic enthusiasts, including me, that can hear or smell the difference between a four-cylinder VW motor, and a four-cylinder Porsche motor. That wasn’t me about ten years ago. I walked out of a service station after filling up my car – it was busy, there were cars everywhere, and as I walked out, I got a sniff. I stopped dead in my tracks, and almost got run over. The smell triggered a memory. There was no water or coolant mixed into that perfume (to me). I searched the bowsers, couldn’t find the source. Then a modern Range Rover Sport pulls out and there it is, looking like it could have fitted in the passenger seat of the Rangey. A 1963 Porsche 356 SC Sunroof Coupe in silver with red interior, and it was a traffic stopper. I’ll admit, I forgot. I’ve seen a lot of Porsche 356s, and driven a lot, but I forgot. I forgot how little they are. I forgot how pretty they are. I forgot that they look like something from the future, still, 60+ years later. I forgot that both men and women look at them with smiling eyes, and appreciation. I forgot how much I wanted one. I did NOT forget the smell. Oh, the smell. It could not have been six minutes later before the stunned reality that not everyone
16 Views else forgot. Google quickly revealed the appreciation for the car I HAD forgotten. The cars for sale in my budget were requiring an equal amount of investment in repair work. Through my experience with the cars, I knew exactly what I wanted. A 356 T5 Coupe, in a dark colour. The T5 body shape was the newer, more modern shape of 356 (in 1960) but still had that single rear grille, and small rear window. Details only a 356 nut appreciates, I am sure. A couple of years, a lot of phone calls, a zillion emails, and an unnerving amount of cursing later saw me on a red-eye flight from Perth to Brisbane, in the days following the birth of our daughter. My wife is not only beautiful, but understanding. It had been a long chase. After an hour or two of inspection I was heading back to the airport, financially a lot lighter, but heavy with smiles and enthusiasm. It took nearly a month to get it home. A very long month. The first journey in the car with a baby capsule with all three of us is very memorable, and there have been a lot since. No 60-year-old car is
WIN! perfect, and I did not want one that was, so the journey since, is a story unto itself. The reason I’ve written this story at all was hearing my now eight-year-old daughter, yelling to my wife that the little red car stinks, whilst walking into the garage, shortly after it returned from a run around the neighbourhood. Yes, it stinks, and I love that it stinks. With the inevitable demise of the internal combustion engine likely to occur in her lifetime, I suspect, and if I’m selfishly honest, hope, in years to come she might too. Marc Sherriff, from the Marc and Cars podcast
Traditional speedometer returns?
Email us with your Porsche opinions and the star correspondence will receive a unique face mask, inspired by iconic Porsche designs, thanks to our friends at Striipe Design. For more information visit striipedesign.com.
Ask the expert Got a question for our Porsche technician? Email us editorial@total911.com Scott Gardner
Dear Sir, Will there be a proper – although digital – speedometer for the 2022 MY 992? See attached photo from Porsche Configurator for the Carrera S. Viggo Jørn Dale
Job title Technical Director, Bahnsport Porsche experience 15 years
It’d certainly be a welcome addition! As you know, Porsche releases minor updates throughout the cycle of a generation. This comes into play every August, when the new Model Year (MY) of 911 production begins. You’re correct to spot the digital speedometer’s appearance has been modified to include retro-styled pointers. This would clearly hold great appeal among enthusiasts and would also enhance the optional Heritage interior pack, which features green dials and pointers as per the original cars.
T911 back issues
Dear Sir, I’m looking to buy the 150th issue of Total 911 magazine, but am unsure about how to go about purchasing a copy. When I Googled the issue, I found a link that had a security warning associated with it, which meant I wasn’t comfortable proceeding down that route. Can you please advise? Thanks for any help that you can provide. Peter Barrett Issue 150 is no longer available in paper form, however our entire back catalogue is available via our Apple Newstand app, or via Readly. If it's a paper copy you require, eBay or other online swap sites might be your best bet.
Dear Sir, I recently purchased a 2020 911 Carrera. It is a great car and I am truly fortunate to be an owner of one. However, is there a way to turn off the auto stop/start feature? It seems that each time you turn it off on the screen you have to turn it off again when you park and later restart the car. Someone told me that it is automatically kept off when you are in the SPORT mode. Since I don't usually drive in that mode I would like to know if there is another way to keep it permanently off when driving. Secondly, do you think the air con should be turned off completely each time you park or garage the car, or is it okay to keep it on so that it's in the 'on' position when you start the car? John Kochian Congratulations on the 992! Regarding the automotive stop/start feature, unfortunately it cannot be turned off by default. This was possible on 911s up to around 2016 with a bit of trickery with coding, however Porsche has since modified the software so it’s not possible. Unfortunately it links back to regulations and emissions, so you cannot have it off. As for A/C, it is completely fine to leave this on. These modern cars are so clever and monitor all systems. Leaving the system on will have no effect or negative consequence to the car. I hope that helps!
18 1970 v 2020 Porsche Targas
A Tale of Two
Written by Lee Sibley Photography by Daniel Pullen
Total 911 brings together two sun-seeking 911s exactly half a century apart as the new 992 Targa Heritage Edition seeks to pay homage to its roll-hooped forefathers
O
f all the things Porsche is universally revered for, perhaps the greatest success story for the company is the longevity of its engineering and designs. Porsche’s entire design philosophy is shaped around the 911 which, in particular, has triumphed over adversity for nearly 60 years with its engine in the back, its unique layout and design remaining staunchly loyal to Butzi’s original masterpiece. By way of enduring technology, we need only consider the likes of the ducktail as an aerodynamic aid, turbocharging (specifically VTG), or twin-clutch automatic gearboxes, all of which have, over the years,
19 become established ingredients of the Neunelfer’s repertoire. History tells us that once they are introduced onto the 911, Porsche’s new technologies and design principles tend to be everlasting. The only chapter of 911 narrative which seems to abandon that theory is the Targa. Revealed in 1966 as a ‘Safety Cabriolet’, the Targa was a revolutionary solution to a requirement for an open-topped 911, even if it was a compromise on grounds of structural rigidity and an anticipated legislation change over a conventional Cabriolet design. Nevertheless, the Targa would endure with its roll bar design from production in 1967 – even after the 911 Cabriolet was eventually sanctioned in SC form in 1983 – right through to the early
20 1970 v 2020 Porsche Targas 1990s, by which time it was firmly recognised as a 25-year-old mainstay of the 911 lineup. But then things changed: Porsche went back to the drawing board and completely redesigned its Targa for the 993. Only with the advent of the first water-cooled 996 generation has Porsche otherwise started afresh with the design of an established 911 model, in nearly 60 years of the car’s existence. A large, retractable glass roof allowed plenty of sunlight and fresh air motoring for the 993 Targa, all the while retaining a 911 silhouette which was vaguely similar to its Coupe sister. This logical approach to the 911 Targa would itself remain in production for nearly two decades, until the turn of the 991.1 Targa in 2014 – by which point, Porsche was once again looking backwards in order to go magnificently forwards. Porsche revived the Targa’s classic roll bar look to spectacular acclaim, a move which well and truly reignited the popularity of not just contemporary Targas but those of a classic variety too. The Targas both old and new have once again proved to be hot property among enthusiasts, with used examples comfortably fetching more than a Cabriolet equivalent. This is especially true of 991.1 and 991.2-generation Targas: you’ll pay top money for one, if indeed you can find one on the market which hangs around long enough to grab your interest. It came as no surprise when in 2020 Porsche announced it would bring forward the 991.2’s roof system with its show-stopping kinetics onto the 992 Targa. Perhaps the perfect blend of classic design beautifully instilled within a contemporary framework, the 992 Targa had it all – and that was
before Porsche announced the special edition resplendent in our pictures. We’ll admit to being more than a little dubious when Porsche unveiled the 992 Targa Heritage Design Edition in June 2020, given the Exclusive department’s recent form in turning out “special” new models. The likes of the Exclusive GB Edition 991.1 Turbo S are viewed as standard production cars with mere ‘trinkets’ added to them, which is a long way from the ground-up masterpieces of the department’s recent past such as the 997 Sport Classic and Speedster. However, the Targa Heritage Edition clearly represents something of a return to form, engineers having consulted the company’s history books to serve a respectful revival of past designs and trends for its modern 911. Cherry red paintwork is said to be akin to a 356 colour from the 1950s, and a ‘Heritage’ decklid badge evokes those given to Porsche 356s with engines that had covered more than 100,000 kilometres (perhaps the concept of this badge of honour should be revived for modern GT cars too?). Otherwise there’s plenty of historical 911 referencing via the early Porsche crest on the steering wheel, outside centre caps, and of course the Targa’s nose, while its interior has been expertly appointed with corduroy and perforated Alcantara alongside rich OLEA leather. Green numbering and a white pointer can be found on the tachometer, with green lettering across the 992’s two driver display screens, these harking back to the very earliest 911s; a gold plaque with retro ‘911’ lettering signifies its allocation number of the 992 units produced for worldwide
“To celebrate heritage, first you must have history, and Porsche has plenty of it”
BELOW An early 911 has plenty of charm through simplicity, with a larger diameter wheel and higher driving position. Targa top is stowed manually
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ABOVE Separated by fully half a century, the first and latest rollhooped 911s are unmistakeable in their Targa design philosophy
RIGHT Originally a 2.2E, this C-series Targa has been upgraded to 2.7-litres, retaining its Bosch MFI
22 1970 v 2020 Porsche Targas FAR RIGHT Dash-mounted model designation is another nod to the long-bonnet era, here displaying its limited production build number BELOW RIGHT 992’s green numbering with white pointer is a glorious throwback to the 356 and early 911 lineage
A 911 history of the Targa roof Since the inception of the iconic Porsche 911 in
1963, Zuffenhausen had been investigating ways of making an open-top version of their range-topping sports car. However, a lack of structural rigidity and changing US regulations had made finalising a conventional design nigh on impossible. Step forward the 911 Targa. Introduced in 1967, the Targa (so named to celebrate Porsche’s victories in the Targa Florio road race) utilised a unique full roll hoop, thus satisfying the everstricter roll protection legislation in America. The initial short-wheelbase car featured a full roll hoop, replacing the normal B-pillars. Finished in brushed aluminium (and without the three gills featured on later cars), the Targa also featured a fold-down rear screen, serving to provide a truly open-air experience. A year later, with the introduction of the long wheelbase platform, the Targa’s rear screen became a permanently fixed glass number, while the roll bar itself now bore three vertical gills. This design would live on through the impact bumper era, where the roll bar could be specified in either brushed aluminium or a satin black finish. The latter would become standard on the 964 (released in 1990), where the gills would once again be noticeable by their absence. For the 993 generation, the Targa would see its biggest revolution since the model’s inception, with the roll hoop being replaced with a panoramic glass roof running all the way down to the decklid. At the touch of a button this could slide back, effectively creating a giant sunroof. The design would carry on to the 996, the latest generation of 911 Targa to be available in two-wheel drive, where many customers praised the ability to open the rear screen like a hatchback, adding practicality to the everyday sports car. When the 997 was introduced, the Targa was again not far behind. However, the panoramicroofed car would only be available in ‘4’ and ‘4S’ guises, including the wider body shell utilised by these variants. In 2014, the Porsche 911 Targa went back to its roots, with the 991 seeing the return of the classic roll bar design. Finished in brushed aluminium (and including the three gills) the roof was no longer removed manually though. Instead, a complex electromechanical design stows the fabric top section away underneath the rear seats, in a complicated yet sensational system on the eye which Porsche has now rightly carried over for the current 992 generation.
23
markets. The whole package is expertly appointed overall, though the jury’s still out on the lollipop and spear exterior decals, which looks a little juvenile on an otherwise very grown-up car. One of four such projects to hail from the Exclusive department over the next four years (our money’s on a Sport Classic in 2021, a ‘50 years of RS’ special in 2022, and 60th Anniversary 911 in 2023), the Targa Heritage Edition has, on paper at least, got the concept off to an extremely positive start. But, to celebrate heritage, first you must have history, and Porsche has plenty of it – which is why we’ve arranged for a unique long-bonnet Targa to join our 992 HDE for a seaside cruise. Owned by Paragon Porsche’s Mark Sumpter, that it’s a 1970 year Targa means there are fully 50 years between these two open-topped 911s, though the lineage between them is clear. Silver roll bars and glass wraparound rear screens can be found aft of the front seats, plus there’s gold badging and ‘five leaf’ wheel designs from Fuchs shared between these two pretty Porsches. Roofs stowed, there’s blatant homogeny to their silhouettes, even if the 992’s has been gently massaged to offer a more streamlined and aerodynamically efficient solution. Yet somehow, it is the smaller, more dainty C-series Targa which arguably sits prettier from absolutely any angle you care to look at it, whereas the 992 can look lumpy and fussy from certain positions. As snapper Dan’s pictures will attest to, these two descendants of the Targa bloodline aren’t identical from the inside. As a 1970 911, Mark’s Targa came three years after Porsche switched its green dials and white pointers to white numbering with red pointers, while perforated Alcantara was also ditched by the turn of the C program. Corduroy seats were still present in the 911 lineup, but Mark has had the seats
swapped out for Recaro Sports items retrimmed with houndstooth centres. Lateral hold afforded from those tight-hugging seats will come in handy later. As the midday sun reaches its highest point in the sky, Dan packs his cameras away while Mark and I head out for a spirited coffee run, our destination a beachside cafe around 20 minutes away. The 992’s flat six bursts into life with almost clinical immediacy, whereas the long-bonnet Targa gives us a little more theatre first: chattering away as the engine cranks over, followed by a bassy thrum as the flat six catches, its pitch wavering as Mark adjusts the throttle lever between the front seats to get a nicerunning idle. The B-roads taking us to our café stop are bumpy and winding, though the 992 tackles the route without breaking a sweat. Enthusiasts may generally seek the nat-asp flat six of the 991.1 over a 991.2 or even 992, but there’s no question turbochargers suit the bulky Targa, making light work in propelling its 1,675kg mass along the asphalt. Its portly weight isn’t an issue when it comes to velocity (though this is a lifestyle rather than a performance 911), though I’m certain it affects its ride quality. That’s because over slow and medium-speed bumps, the 992 Targa is just too crashy, particularly for a lifestyle model that is designed for cruising about town. I found the current Turbo S Cabriolet had the same problem, this being another heavy, open-topped 992. Otherwise, the 992 is technically faultless. The directness of its turn-in is a particular highlight, and I’m adamant Porsche has tweaked its Porsche Exhaust offering for these latest 992s, as the 2020 Model Year 911s appear to carry a louder resonance in Sport mode than previous 992 model years – even with the roof up. Enshrined in a combination of corduroy and the finest quality leather, with iconic green dials ahead
24 1970 v 2020 Porsche Targas
of me, there’s no question this feels like a very special place to be, though the ‘Porsche Exclusiv Manufaktur’ logo on the central arm rest and brushed alloy door guards with ‘Targa 4S Heritage Design Edition’ will do justice to remind when needed. There’s a practical advantage to the corduroy seat centres too, as it means I won’t have to peel my sweaty back off a leather throne after an afternoon of top-down driving (if you’ve an open-topped 911, you’ll empathise!), though there are durability concerns for the material, which already appears to be wearing a blue colouring on the seat base, likely from jeans. Flicking between gears two, three and four of the eight-speed PDK gearbox, the 992 proves good fun for our run down to the sea, though I’m excited to drive Mark’s long bonnet on the other side of a coffee. Though it appears stock, sitting elegantly on six-inch wide Fuchs all round, a subtle drop in ride height by around 20 millimetres gives a subtle indication this C-series Targa has undergone some revisions. Originally a 2.2E, the flat six out back retains its factory green fan shroud – indicative of ‘E’ models in the long-bonnet era – but has been upgraded to RS-spec, albeit with 911S cams. The result is around 200bhp (up from 155bhp), which is ten less than a 2.7 RS, but Mark says it’ll deliver more torque. 911S-spec brakes have been fitted, and RS-spec anti-roll bars have been introduced along both axles, to help with fast cornering. A classic Q-car then,
and even better that it’s delivered with the appeal of fresh-air motoring, Mark having folded and stowed the Targa’s fabric roof under the front boot. Whereas the 992 is completely effortless to drive, this early Targa requires thought: it’s a 901 gearbox with dogleg first gear for a start, so I need to recalibrate the shift pattern in my head, and while it proves to be possibly the finest example of Porsche’s early five-speed transmission I’ve driven, it still requires a bit of technique to execute a clean shift through the gate each time. Then there’s turn-in: if the immediacy of the 992’s nose to respond to inputs at the wheel is akin to an email sent via fibre optic, the classic’s response time is comparable to receiving a letter in the post. The delay is huge! It means I have to turn the wheel much, much earlier than in the 992 to allow the early Targa’s nose to begin its slower directional changes. Indeed, the very beauty of piloting a classic 911 lies within the nuances of its drive. The Targa’s weight transfer almost feels exaggerated compared to the stiff 992, but it’s letting you know, letting you feel, intrinsically, where the grip is at all times. Throwing the Targa into a second gear corner at speed, there’s a good deal of body roll, and you can feel that weight transfer to the far side tyres, balancing the throttle and steering accordingly through the turn to maintain speed but keep grip. Then, with a gentle unwind of steering and gradual press of the gas pedal, the Targa
shoots forward with surprising gusto, particularly in its mid-range, that surge of torque Mark mentioned now very evident. third gear is called upon, and I look down at the speedo while swapping cogs. Nearly 50mph right after a corner! Who said these classic cars were slow?! The 992’s appeal lies in its detail, whereas the long bonnet’s charm is in its drive. We elect to go the very long way back to base from our beachside café, and the next hour is spent playing with the classic Targa’s breathy engine and altogether more simple chassis. Great fun is had weighting the nose up and dialing it into the apex, and then laughing hysterically on the other side of a corner as the Targa’s torque thrusts its nose skywards again under full chat. It has a standard exhaust fitted so there’s no ostentatious popping and banging, just the beautiful timbres of a flat six working hard behind me as I try, in vain, to keep pace with Mark, who’s putting some heat into the 992’s Pirellis. I’m content with not competing: at my own pace and under the warmth of that big fireball in the sky, this C-series Targa has to be close to classic 911 nirvana. And that’s where we’ll leave you: two stunning Porsche 911s, exactly half a century apart, bombing through the South Downs countryside, their silver roll hoops glistening in the summer sun while daylight fills each cabin, illuminating the grinning faces of each driver within. A tale of two Targas indeed.
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28 The RS hunter
RS Hunter The
Working with the 2.7 RS from new in 1973, Josh Sadler has forgotten more about the halo longbonnet 911 than the rest of us will ever hope to learn. Total 911 joins the fabled RS expert for an afternoon of Porsche chat surrounding the first 911 Rennsport Written by Kyle Fortune Photography by Daniel Pullen
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30 The RS hunter
“
It’s a turbo, right? They’re all turbocharged now. PDK? It’s not, really? There’s hope yet…” laughs Josh Sadler. He’s tickled that the 991 Carrera T I’ve just arrived in is a manual, and his natural inquisitiveness has him asking me to open the engine cover, such as it is on a 991. He laughs again when there’s nothing really to see, instead dropping to his knees like a man a quarter of his age to have a look underneath. Sadler’s curious, and he’s never happier than when in the company of 911s. His name is inextricably linked with one particular model, the 2.7 RS. Sadler jokes he’s an “expert on jubilee clips on '73 RS engines,” though states that given the market for them now, there are others who know more. That’s improbable. I’d suggest that Sadler’s forgotten more about 2.7 RSs than most people know, but it’s clear when talking to him that he’s never forgotten anything, particularly in relation to his specialist subject. I’ve been lucky enough to spend time with Sadler on several occasions, borrowing cars from his old firm, Autofarm, for stories in these pages and, indeed, having bought a 993 from Autofarm while he was still in charge. That car’s since been sold on to a good home, but discussing it, it’s Sadler who names its previous owner and the car’s specification, his recall being quite staggering. Photographer Pullen and I are at Sadler’s house, or more truthfully his workshops, the outbuildings having clearly been the motivation behind buying his home some 25 years ago. Not just for Sadler, but his wife Daisy too, who has some Belgian Draft and Clydesdale horses, which have hauled her the length and breadth of the UK with her wagon in tow. Sadler’s horsepower is mechanically produced, and not just from 911s. Indeed, his mix of machinery is certainly eclectic: there is an Austin 7, an Allard, a Land Rover Discovery, Jaguar X-Type estate and a Reliant Rialto van, of which Sadler says, “If you want a fun car then
ABOVE RIGHT Sadler shows Fortune the car known as the ‘Beirut RS’, while Sadler’s farm remains a treasure trove of spare 2.7 RS and other parts
get one of these, you cannot go out in one in a bad mood. They’re hilarious, but you need a passenger, as they’re very tricky on left handers without one.” Sadler is officially retired from his old business but still pops in occasionally, being inescapably linked with the firm, which he started back in '73 with business partner Steve Carr. The pair worked together at Glacier Bearings in Wembley, London; Sadler and Carr share a passion for motorsport, with Sadler racing a Clubman U2 and Carr rallying a Hillman Imp. Looking for ways to fund their exploits they started buying cars, repairing, and selling them. The one that was instrumental in the start of their business though was a '68 911L that was initially bought as a write-off. Parts were difficult to come by, Porsches being exotic things back then in the UK, Sadler describing comprehending the size of today’s Porsche marketplace like “trying to conceive the end of space”. In what was then infinitesimal by comparison, and far more difficult, rather than let the lack of parts beat them the duo made a trip to Germany in a Transit van to visit Porsche dealerships. Arriving in Duisburg at a Porsche main dealer, before they’d even managed to get to the parts department, the owner’s son had stopped them to practise his English on them. Upon hearing what they were after he sent them down the road to Tebernum Autoteile, a dealer in second-hand Porsche parts. “The business started standing in the doorway at Tebernum,” says Sadler, adding: “We got into 911s very quickly, and with it being 1973 when we got going we kind of grew up with RSs, just like if you’d started 10-15 years ago you might be a specialist in GT3s.” Even so, as Sadler admits, they were specialist cars back then, appealing to a particular, enthusiastic audience, not least because they cost about twice the price of an E-Type. As such, Sadler knew pretty much every RS in the UK, including the lightweights, and he kept records, knowing which cars had ‘colourful histories’
31
32 The RS hunter
“We had great fun in the late ’80s getting original engines back with the original cars… many Tourings had been converted, and the engines had been switched around, but they’d never gone very far”
33 RIGHT Sadler’s intent on driving and enjoying his own 2.7 RS as much as possible
or which were hardly used. His knowledge of parts is vast, pulling out an original twin plug Marelli distributor cap for a 2.8 RSR, explaining how it was much the same pattern as a V12 Jaguar and only used for one year on the RSR (first fitted to the 906 in '66) before a Bosch contactless one was fitted – the Bosch one being used right through to Porsche’s racing with the 935s. The RS’s roots in competition meant that Sadler witnessed many 2.7 RS head over to Ireland for rallying, Autofarm having a useful business in supplying parts for them. Years later Sadler helped re-unite the correct engines and chassis of all those Irish RSs as the values started rising, his near unique position in knowing everyone in what was a relatively small, enthusiastic community allowing him to do so. Their value, if not monetary at points in time, had always been appreciated by those who owned and drove them. As Sadler recalls, “We had great fun in the late ’80s, around ’87, getting the original engines back with the original cars, because in Irish rallying so many of the RHD lightweights had gone there. Many Tourings had been converted, and the engines had been switched around, but they’d never gone very far.” One car in particular had an interesting life, recalls Sadler: “There was a RHD Lightweight that had done 5,000 miles, but the engine had gone into rallying, so when we got around to re-building it we had a 5,000mile car and a completely knackered 100,000-mile engine, but we got the original engine back with the
original car. It wasn’t a particularly good commercial enterprise, but it was fun.” It’s not surprising then that among his cars he has a few 911s, the most modern being a 996.2 with Autofarm’s 3.9-litre conversion in it, which he describes as more than enough for the road: “I have absolutely no desire to update it to a more modern one, it’s an absolutely stonking car.” There’s a black and gold 3.5-litre RS 3.0-look car he uses to go hill climbing in, having driven it to and from an event only a few days previously, as well as a pair of 2.7 RSs. Of course Sadler has an RS, but two? He’s owned the orange RS for over five years, and he’s not precious about it, as he’s happily sitting in with his mucky feet while Pullen points his camera at him. “It’s only mud,” he laughs. He uses it regularly, too, but he admits he’s unsure whether he’ll keep it, having come about the second yellow RS in his workshop a little bit by accident. Only in Sadler’s world are RS purchases accidental, but don’t think that’s because he’s got the unlimited finances of most RS buyers these days, it being more a case of people coming to him with interesting cars. “I’m conflicted about the orange car, because I wasn’t intending on buying the yellow one, it just happened that way. The orange car has a proper value, it’s a car with an interesting history, and at a certain value that my pension fund needs as I slowly fall off my perch,” says Sadler. Given he’s just jogged back over to us having just parked it up, he’ll likely be safe on that perch for many, many years to come.
The backstory to the orange RS underlines Sadler’s status in the world of 2.7 RSs, and other rare Porsche models. He was one of several specialists involved in the estate sale of a collection of the one-time French Porsche Club President, Philippe Aunay, who died in December 2004. Sadler bid on a number of Aunay’s cars for Autofarm. He’d pretty much ignored the Gulf orange 2.7 RS, as being the first ‘nice’ 911 the previous owner had ever bought, the family had put too an ambitious reserve price on it. Aunay originally picked it up in 1986 when he was 50, and it had a huge mileage on it, over 200,000km, before he sent it to be rebuilt by Louis Meznarie. “Meznarie is a very well-known preparer in Porsche circles. He had Meznarie go right through it, its colour changed to Gulf orange – from Sepia brown – and has rebuilt the engine on a new crankcase, and it also had an exchange gearbox from the factory,” explains Sadler, adding that it “had bigger wheels on it, sports seats and a simple roll cage. With the owner it did a couple of Tour Autos and stuff like that, but it was mainly his weekend car as far as I can find out.” Sadler’s thoughts about it in that sale weren’t wrong, as while the rest of the collection, including cars like a 964 3.8 RSR, 993 GT2, an RS 3.0, among others, sold very well, the orange RS didn’t meet its lofty reserve. Sadler was contacted by them again, offered it at “the correct money” and came to what he describes as “a sensible agreement.” It’s been his ever since; but Sadler has also since procured the yellow car, one that, having a less
34 The RS hunter BELOW Sadler is happy to share some of his 2.7 RS insider knowledge
significant history and having been re-shelled in its lifetime, is a car that Sadler admits he’s likely to keep, and enjoy. He says: “It’s had a bit of a mercurial life bouncing about, it’s been re-shelled – but somebody, when they set about it, absolutely threw their wallet at it. The engine’s built on a new crankcase, it’s just an interesting car.” That re-shell is instrumental in the yellow RS’s position in the market, Sadler saying most buyers would “be scared rigid, and rightly so, if you are talking about half a million quid, but I can have huge fun with it. It’s got new HTP (Historical Technical Passport) papers on it and I picked it up at the right money, so it’s a no-worries car.” Sadler’s pragmatism about these cars is obvious, saying, “We are but custodians,” and it being likely that he’ll move the orange car on sometime – he says that the 2.7 RS models, not just his own, “have been good friends to me.” Their value he describes as a mixed blessing, because now you can buy any part you want for one thanks to the fact that a lot of them are in collections and the values are so high, and that means people can justify restoring them and parts become available. He has countless stories of cars he’s bought and sold, and he’s recognised globally for finding RSs, cars like the Trinidad RS and the Beirut RS being the stuff of legend among RS aficionados. The story behind the Beirut car, admits Sadler, he struggles to tell without getting a lump in his throat because its discovery and eventual sale paid for two ambulances for the Lebanese Red Cross. The genuine blue on white, non-ducktail RS was famously recovered from under rubble in the basement of a bombedout building of the original rally-driving owner who
was killed years previously, while volunteer driving an ambulance in one of the many wars out there. It speaks volumes to Sadler’s character and standing that his intervention stopped the family accepting a £15,000 offer for it – a buyer paid the right money for it, which the owner’s family subsequently donated to pay for those ambulances. Sadler has extensive files and photo libraries on his computer for all the cars he’s known and helped discover, the latest being a car that has been parked up in Munich since 1981. Bought in '75 by a couple who’d used it for a few years before having a small bump in it in 1981, it ended up being put in a lock-up. Their daughter Pamina was subsequently given ownership of the car and didn’t really know what she had, so made contact with Sadler after asking around. Sadler explains, “We suddenly had a situation where we ended up having a pen friend, conversing with a young lady in Canada (having subsequently moved there from Germany). She sent me a photograph of the chassis plate; the panel the chassis plate lives on at the front usually corrodes, the originals had a lip at the front that held the water, so it rusted out very quickly. So they modified it later in '73 with drain slots in it, well, she sent me these photographs and I spotted it had an original lip on it and it looks mint. That’s interesting I thought… the chassis number fitted, it was a first series car.” That car has disappeared to a private buyer in the USA, but Sadler’s still in contact with Pamina. There’s an image in his files on the car, a small faded print, that depicts a young Pamina sat on the RS’s ducktail. Sadler sent the print to a photographic restorer and had a large print made, which he framed and returned
to the mother, Sadler saying a couple of times when discussing his work that “it’s people, not cars, that matter,” and his connection with RSs has allowed him to meet some fascinating people. Sadler, too, more than any other, has witnessed the peaks and troughs of 2.7 RS values, saying: “There were several RSs racing in the early ’80s and the low point in values was the late ’70s early ’80s, when you could pick one up for five grand.” In 2003 Sadler bought a car (a white-with-blue Lightweight) at £60,000, though moved it on for £110,000 after working on it, steam cleaning the underside of its underseal by lifting it with a tractor and forklift. He says that some cars, the very best, matching numbers and with racing pedigree are “established investments,” though he does state that the market has currently gone a little soft, without actually falling. As such he says a car like his orange one would be in the £350,000 sphere, because it’s not really an investment car, having had a new crankcase put in it during its life, but one that, instead, is a car for using. Owners do use them too, admits Sadler, perhaps not with the frequency he does himself, though he says Silverstone Classic is always an event where there’s a large ‘Porsche carpark’, where you’ll usually find half a dozen or more RSs parked up. “Obviously they have their characteristics and idiosyncrasies compared to modern cars, but when you drive them and you think this is something that is nearly 50 years old, the performance envelope… you can still run rings around traffic if you’re that way inclined on these crowded roads, they were stonking cars in their day and remain so today,” says the RS Hunter.
36 Porsche Index: 991.1 GT3 RS
PORSCHE INDEX
991.1 GT3 RS
It’s the most populous Porsche Rennsport of all time, and for good reason. Total 911 presents the full dossier on the 991.1 GT3 RS, with technical and market insights from specialists Written by Kieron Fennelly Photography by Damian Blades
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T
H I S TO R Y A N D T E C H
he Rennsport moniker was first applied to the 1973 Carrera 2.7 RS, and ‘RS’ would become the epitome of the lightened and simplified competitionoriented 911. After a pause of 18 years, two more RS versions followed, the 964 and 993 RSs, before Porsche switched its 911 racing focus to GT3 competition for the advent of water-cooling. The production 996 GT3 in 1999 was initially a standalone model, but in 2003 an RS version was added. With harder suspension, Cup manifolds (raising power by about 15bhp) and optional Clubsport cabin, the 996 RS was almost too extreme for street use, but it established a template for the three subsequent versions of the 997 GT3 RS. The RS would be a dynamically enhanced GT3, not necessarily much lighter or more
powerful, but offering considerably more competition technology and aerodynamics. The final 997 RS 4.0 was a limited edition special with no GT3 equivalent. Porsche knew that expectations would be high for the 991.1 GT3 RS. The previous 4.0, ‘the last Mezger’, had left fans ecstatic. They would not be disappointed: with pressure release vents in its front wings, a competitionheight front spoiler and a spectacular fullwidth rear wing, the new 991 GT3 RS looked special indeed. Underneath that sensational exterior, topped by a magnesium roof with double-bubble profile, was an equally sensational engine: instead of sharing the GT3’s 3.8, an impressive unit in its own right, Andreas Preuninger’s engineers had increased the bore to 102mm to make a round 4.0 litres. Historically important because of the final hallowed 997 RS, this bespoke engine bore no relation to the revered ‘Mezger’, which in any case Porsche was no longer equipped to make in volume. Compared with the '9A1' 3.8 from which it was derived, its innards had been reworked with different camshafts, valve springs and pistons, and revised
oilways. Above all it used a crankshaft from the same heat-treatable steel alloy as the 919’s. An exotic brew of remelted steel with elements of vanadium, molybdenum, carbon and chrome, usually supplied by Böhler Edelstahl to jet-engine builders, this material was, as Preuninger put it, “a highly clean metal that is melted and solidified several times to get it as pure as possible and more durable. It makes it a horrendously expensive part, but it works.” Rated at 500PS (493bhp) Preuninger indicated that the real output was nearer 515PS. The 991.1 GT3 RS’s aerodynamics were a visible advance on those of the 997 GT3 RS 3.8, and they were effective too: intensive wind tunnel testing showed venting the front wings alone contributed massively to frontend downforce, balancing the rear downforce of the big spoiler. This overcame the previous tendency of the steering to lose precision because the spoiler was pressing the rear axle down so hard. At 150kph, the new RS generated half its possible downforce, which was already more than the RS 4.0 achieved at 300kph. A rear steering axle, an option on lesser 991s, was standard.
38 Porsche Index: 991.1 GT3 RS
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T H E V A L U E S STO R Y
he 991.1 GT3’s well-publicised connecting rod problem, graphically demonstrated by the fires that consumed two cars in early 2013, meant the launch of the RS version was delayed by nearly a year and the car was not finally shown until Geneva in March 2015. With the 991.2 range already on the horizon, this meant the 991.1 GT3 RS enjoyed a career of less than two years, but it proved popular: Porsche had intended to make about 2,000 units, but ended up delivering well over 4,500 and outselling the base GT3. An estimated 400 RSs were allocated to the UK with a base price of £131,296, while the Euro price was €181,960. Most UK cars ended up costing nearer £150,000 with common options. Demand for the 911 GT3 RS, absent from the market since the 997 RS 4.0 in 2011, pushed resale prices beyond £200,000, with some touching £300,000 in the height of 2015's flipper-fest madness. The advent of the 991.2 GT3 RS in summer 2018 brought them back down to around £140,000, and prices have held fairly firm in this bracket for the last year or so. RIGHT Compulsory PDKsport transmission brought lightning-quick shifts. Pit speed limiter button was a mere gimmick, however
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W H AT ’ S I T L I K E TO D R I V E ?
hose fortunate correspondents invited to try the new RS at Bilster Berg in summer 2015 anticipated they would need their full repertoire of superlatives. They had not underestimated. The acceleration was reported as “electrifying”, 100mph in 7.7 seconds and 160mph in 23 seconds, Autocar would later record, praising the Porsche’s “fluent, poised, gregarious, multi-faceted track handling.” Veteran Porsche observer Andrew Frankel went into more detail: “Grip levels are withering, the steering as good as anything with electric assistance, and traction from those sticky Michelins is simply superb. This is a car with a level beyond any 911 I have driven, and I don’t mean just grip. A level that lets you drive it in another way and reach an intensity of experience no GT3 has ever imagined let alone approached.” Frankel remarked though that the RS was “not an easy car to drive extremely fast, and if you’re not going to drive extremely fast, then there is little point in having one. The RS will challenge you as a driver and not be shy about punishing your mistakes.”
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MARKET RIVALS At £140,000, the buyer has an intriguing range of other 911 possibilities.
991.2 Turbo S 140k represents the very top
price: a tiny-mileage ‘S’ Cabrio is advertised at £139,995, a 12,000mile Coupé S comes in £15,000 below that: the Turbo S offers the same stupefying performance of the RS, serene where the RS is frenetic, and is the ultimate continent-crossing GT.
997.1 GT3 RS 996 GT3 RS 1971 2.2S £149,950 is Paragon’s asking price Ashgood has a 32,000-mile, fullThe classic choice at £140k is a for an exceptional 2007 22,000mile 3.6 from 2007; elsewhere 3.6s and 3.8s are on offer below this. The 997 is a simpler, more analogue RS with the sought-after six-speed manual.
history car at £139,995: unyielding suspension makes this less attractive than the 997 RS as a road car, but its rarity (682 built in total) make this an attractive price and potential investment.
Tuthill-fettled, but standard 2.2S Coupé offered by Julien Sumner. Early 911s offer immense driving satisfaction at legal speeds, yet are challenging enough, especially the almost competition-tuned 2.2 S, which develops its maximum torque at a heady 5,300rpm.
40 Porsche Index: 991.1 GT3 RS RIGHT The 991.1 RS was preWeissach Pack, but still came with a multi-material body including carbon front boot and magnesium roof
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BUYING ONE
91.1 GT3 RSs are now five-year-old cars. If there are fewer on the market than the later 991.2 version, this is because most of them are in the hands of their third owners, who tend to keep them longer. This is the view of Mark Sumpter of Paragon Porsche who had his own GT3 RS from 2016-18, during which he drove it 6,000 miles. Sumpter points out that with almost 500bhp, which equates to 120bhp/litre, this is extraordinary output for a naturally aspirated production engine. Its highly strung nature requires more consideration than other cars, but many owners fail to recognise this, especially when it comes to running in. “I went to the factory to collect mine,” he recounts. “I always enjoy doing that anyway, but bringing it back immediately puts a steady 1,000 miles on the clock. People no longer seem to realise the importance of running in, of increasing engine speeds gradually. You still need to do that – the engine has to bed in properly for long-term reliability. I also take issue with Porsche’s service schedule which leaves the first oil change until 20,000 miles or two years. I’ll drop the oil after the first thousand.” Sumpter also feels some drivers tend to over-rev cold engines, pointing out that Porsche now has a warning light not to exceed 3,000rpm until the oil has warmed up. The message for potential buyers is that evidence of careful treatment in the car’s early days is very valuable. Then, as many GT3 RSs of this generation have covered relatively few miles, a service record based on time rather than mileage is important, especially if the car has seen track activity, as the majority probably have. Here records of work done on wheel bearings or suspension will give clues as to the extent of any track history. Inspecting any GT3 usually involves looking for signs of damage as the result of a track 'off'. On older GT3s, Paragon does not hesitate to pull up carpets to check the quality of any possible welding. Accident damage to an RS of this vintage may involve its carbon fibre parts, and repairs will not have been cheap, and required considerable precision. Evidence of a Porscheapproved body shop is essential. A buyer should satisfy him or herself that options such as the front-lift work correctly, that ceramic discs (if fitted) show no sign of distress such as minute cracking; a four-wheel geometry test should be part of the sale. The plexiglass rear screen can deteriorate and windscreens should be examined too.
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ABOVE Carbon-backed folding bucket seats offer brilliant lateral hold, as do the optional 918 fixed buckets
DESIRABLE OPTIONS
The complete GT3 RS options list ran to 22 items, in total £26,000. The most important was undoubtedly the front axle lift (£2,700) which saves the imposing but vulnerable spoiler from premature demise. Porsche’s ceramic brakes, at £8,400, were the most expensive add-on and the air conditioning was an optional deletion. Any 911 gets hot inside so ‘aircon-delete’ is certainly worth avoiding. A roll cage is part of the standard specification, painted black or orange, as are orange seat belts. The ‘Lava orange’ colour scheme which features in many of the factory’s pictures of its new baby set its owners back over £2,000, and the striking leather/Alcantara upholstery for the whole cabin cost an equally striking £2,650. Elegant though they are, owner feedback suggests the orange seats become grubby very quickly. At £1,400, the Sport Chrono Pack is an option worth seeking out for track day users.
42 Porsche Index: 991.1 GT3 RS
ABOVE Turbo-wide body used its side intakes to feed air directly to the engine for the first time on a 911 Rennsport
“Built for driving, it is one of the best-value modern GT cars you can hope to buy”
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I N V E S T M E N T P OT E N T I A L
he 991.1 GT3 RS has already exhibited significant appreciation from new, with many owners nearly doubling their money when selling their delivery-miles RS in 2015. Those manic months are well behind us now, and many speculators late to the party have ended up ‘taking a bath’ on the 991.1 GT3 RS as values corrected and prices
TOTA L 9 1 1 V E R D I C T
plummeted to sensible levels. Though it has Rennsport in its name, the 991.1 GT3 RS is not considered a true investment piece, save for a delivery-miles car with PTS and a handsome spec, due to the significant numbers produced. Built for driving, instead it is one of the best-value modern GT cars you can hope to buy.
Andrew Frankel concluded that there was space at the top for “a crazy car, one that takes you to the edge where you feel most alive. That car is the 991.1 GT3 RS.” Mark Sumpter, who has raced Porsches for 30 years and knows his GT3s, would not demur, but observes that the RS is so resolutely driver-focused, that it is not entirely practical day to day. “Over 18 months, I never minded taking it to a racing circuit as I frequently did, but its dimensions are awkward in town and it can attract rather too much attention, and I don’t think all that aero has any effect at speeds we can drive here. Visibility through the back is compromised by the wing and the cabin is noisy: it’s not a sociable 911.” Essentially, the buyer has to be certain he or she really wants a Porsche as uncompromised as this. Many owners have tried it and quickly sold it on, which is why so many low-mileage cars – the phenomenon is now more apparent with the 991.2 RS – came on to the market in relatively short order. But if you can drive it extremely fast and bond with it as Frankel obviously could, the 991.1 GT3 RS experience is little short of sensational.
THANKS to First Choice Detailing for supplying the stellar example in our pictures. For more information on FCD's services contact 01202 096096
44 911 tech: the history of boosted 911s
Boost 911 TECH
HOW THE 911 CONTROLS FORCED AIR INTAK E
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Porsche has been boosting its 911 for nearly 50 years – here’s how the Turbo has evolved in that time Written by Kieron Fennelly Photography courtesy Porsche Archive
he superficial attraction of turbocharging is that in harnessing waste exhaust gas energy, turbo boost offers ‘something for nothing’. While broadly true, the reality is more complicated. In the early days of turbocharging big marine diesel engines, monitoring of boost was not considered because reciprocating parts were all revolving so slowly, additional forced air simply assisted the combustion process. With petrol engines operating potentially at five times higher RPM, the equation was quite different. Already generating up to 130bhp per litre from its competition flat six, Porsche had not given much thought to turbocharging in the 1960s. This position was soon reversed however when, having decided to race in the Can-Am series, the company realised the 917’s 300bhp deficit against the allconquering McLarens could be made up only by turbocharging. Two years in the Can-Am hothouse taught Porsche a great deal about this form of supercharging and would lead to the development of a turbocharged 911, fulfilling Ernst Fuhrmann’s aim of promoting Porsche again, as the 917s had, at the highest level in motorsport. Fuhrmann rightly saw that turbocharging the 911 could elevate it from class winner to overall victor. Homologation meant a road-going turbo would need to be built. Porsche now had the expertise and, in the new 3-litre flat six, the engine. It would be a
very cautious design: the 917 produced up to 1,100bhp: the production 930 would be restricted to a quarter of this in the interests of reliability and everyday driveability. Key to turbocharging is controlling boost level: on a racing engine, the wastegate opens when maximum boost is reached with turbine speed and manifold pressure maintained while the throttle is wide open, but the drawback is the abruptness of the boost effect, then lag, when the throttle is shut and reopened. If professional racing drivers quickly adjusted to this, the same could not be expected of owners of the new 930. Moreover, on production engines forced air to the turbines has to be cut before back-pressure to the cylinders causes overheating and eventually damages the engine. Porsche designed the 930 to develop its 260bhp at only 5,500rpm with ignition cut-off at 6,000rpm; compression was conservative at 6.5:1 and an overboost protection mechanism intervened as soon as boost pressure reached 1.0 bar by cutting fuel supply. To counter the sudden boost above 3,000rpm, Porsche modulated boost pressure for the production 930 by employing a spring-loaded relief valve: a piston mounted in a cylinder between intake and pressure sides, which diverted boost when the driver lifted off to the intake system rather than simply voiding it through the wastegate. This had the effect of stopping the turbine spinning completely so that when the throttle was reopened, delay was reduced. Compared with today’s slick turbo installations, the 930’s lag feels enormous, but Porsche’s system
was quite sophisticated in its day, better integrated than the turbocharger on BMW’s short-lived 2002, and it proved more reliable. But then development of the 911’s boost control went into almost stasis until the twin-turbo 993 of 1995, which was not to say Porsche had lost interest: developments were continuing elsewhere. The 1980s saw the widespread introduction of digital motor electronics (DME) and Porsche’s first application was to the 1986 944 Turbo. Although the 964 too graduated to the sophistication of DME, managing the turbocharger was basically unchanged on both 3.3 and 3.6 Turbo versions and boost management as developed for the 944 Turbo had to wait until the 993 Turbo. Besides being a masterpiece in packaging – the last air-cooled 911 Turbo incorporated not just allwheel-drive, but also two turbochargers – it featured fully adaptive boost pressure control integrated in the same DME control box. Each turbocharger had its own integral wastegate valve operating in response to boost pressure. Rather than pressure sensors, the 993 used a hot-film sensor to determine boost pressure. This measured throttle position, engine speed, and air-intake temperature. A solenoid valve regulated wastegate openings and the OBD 2 (the 993 Turbo was the first Porsche to feature advanced on-board diagnostics) could detect misfires or any air massmetering discrepancies that suggested boost leak or turbocharger malfunction. In this case it would permit only minimum boost level until the fault
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ABOVE Porsche’s Turbo engine developer Heinz Dorsch with the 993’s twin-turbo flat six BELOW Cutaways of early (930) and late (997.1) turbochargers, plus the 930 3.3 with its revolutionary intercooler on top of the flat six, which the 992 Carreras mimic today
46 911 tech: the history of boosted 911s was rectified. Fault codes were stored in the DME to localise subsequent repairs. The 996 Turbo and GT2 used an enhanced version of the 993 Turbo’s system. More accurate boost management was achieved by siting intake pressure and pressure sensors at the entry to the throttle body and as the 996 had the first 911 fly-by-wire throttle, its consequently far closer relationship with the DME allowed minute variation of the throttle position to be reflected in boost response. Besides a positive effect on consumption (and therefore emissions) a sudden lift of the accelerator diverted boost so that the turbine would maintain more of its momentum and reduce the delay in response to a reopened throttle. The basic principle of the 997 Turbo control unit was the same as on the 996, but with one major difference: the 997 used Porsche’s VTG (Variable Turbine Geometry). Well established in diesel applications, but hitherto not transferred to petrol designs – Porsche claimed this was a first – because of very high temperatures (1,000 degrees centigrade) involved. On a VTG turbine, the turbine wheel has adjustable vanes or flaps: commanded by the DME, positioning of these vanes alters according to load and exhibits either the quicker response of a small turbocharger or the volume of a larger unit. A useful comparison is with
the old fixed-blade engine cooling fan which runs at crank speed and the electrically operated fan all cars have had for years, which simply cuts in as mandated by a thermostat rather than churning away at fixed speed mostly unnecessarily. This capacity to control boost pressure within the turbo meant that the classic wastegate valve was no longer needed. Model year 2017 saw something of a sea change: all 911s were now turbocharged. The Carrera and Carrera S both used twin convention turbochargers with internal wastegates, their electronic operation ever more stringently controlled; the traditional 911 Turbo, the 991.2, carried on with the VTG system introduced in 2007, and with further detail electronic enhancements would continue on the 992 Turbo. By contrast the 992 Carrera retained established wastegate turbocharging, but with electrically driven solenoid control of the wastegates: Porsche claims that this allows faster warming up of the catalytic converters to ensure they are fully operational within ten seconds. Although manufacturers are increasingly having to devote resources to electric traction, in the few years remaining for the development of petrol engines, Porsche will no doubt extract further smart technology-driven refinements from its boost-control systems.
“Fuhrmann rightly saw that turbocharging the 911 could elevate it from class winner to overall victor”
TOP 993 Turbo was the first 911 to utilise DME boost pressure control ABOVE The 997’s adaptive VTG vanes in action LEFT Mid-1970s nat-asp and turbo’d 911 engines
48 Story of George Follmer
George Follmer THE STAND-IN CHAMPION
He was an underrated racer who played a significant role in Porsche’s US successes. Total 911 charts the incredible career of George Follmer
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Written by Kieron Fennelly Photography courtesy Porsche Archive
ollmer was born in Phoenix in 1934, though effectively he became a Californian as his family moved to Pasadena before he was two years old, and it was in this northern suburb of Los Angeles that he grew up and raised his own family. He was a reasonable high school pupil “when I concentrated,” he says. His studies were interrupted at 18 by the ‘draft,’ military service which saw him serving as an intelligence clerk for two years in Bavaria. Subsequently after three years at Pasadena college he emerged in 1957 with a business degree and at 23 he needed to start earning a living, becoming an accident and fire insurance salesman. His appetite for motorsport had already been whetted by car park slaloms in a VW Beetle and by 1959, he had saved enough to buy a used 356 Speedster. He joined the Porsche Club and quickly made a name for himself in local club competitions at the nearby Riverside track, which had opened in 1957. Fellow Club member Tom Nuckles, proprietor of VW Porsche dealer Trans Ocean Motors, took a shine to him. Follmer recalled in later years that “Tom was my benefactor. I owe everything to him.” Nuckles’ support was clearly effective, and by 1962 Follmer was winning championships in an RS 1500. And the Sixties were busy years: marriage, a son and two daughters as well as racing at weekends.
By 1964, he had moved up a division: contemporaries such as Chuck Parsons and Bobby Unser were building their own racers using Cosworth engines to compete in the US Road Racing Championship. Follmer acquired a year-old Lotus 23B, many of which were racing in the US using the Elan’s 1,500cc twin cam engine, but George Follmer had bigger ambitions: with the help of inspired former Shelby mechanic Bruce Burness, he made adjustments to the chassis to accommodate a larger engine. They contemplated the air-cooled Corvair unit, but concluded they would never get enough power from it. Instead, they installed a Porsche flat four from a 904. Tom Nuckles used his Porsche connections to obtain a brand-new 587/3 from Zuffenhausen, costing a reported $10,000, and he did not stop there, equipping his protégé with a Chevrolet pick-up with a camper body. Now Follmer really looked the part and he would let neither his trusty mechanic nor his willing sponsor down. The Porsche-engined 23B was both light and reliable and Follmer finished the 1965 season as American road-racing champion, ahead of Jim Hall’s V8 Chaparral. The Chaparrals were the cars to beat in the USRRC in the mid-Sixties and Hall was considerably put out that a car from the 2-litre class had defeated him. Although the Chaparral won the over 2,000cc class, Follmer had scored two points more, winning the sub 2-litre class and was thus
50 Story of George Follmer
“Follmer became the only driver to win both major US trophies in the same season” RIGHT The George Follmer / Willi Kauhsen Carrera RSR at the International ADAC Nürburgring 1,000km race, March 1973
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ABOVE Follmer winning overall in a 917/10 Spyder at Riverside in 1972 BELOW RIGHT Preparing to race in a 917/10 Spyder at the 1973 Can Am Championships
overall champion. Unmoved by Hall’s bluster, Follmer would go on to upset the established order again in his career. This victory, noted by Huschke von Hanstein amongst others, put Follmer on the map. The following year, he was invited to share Peter Gregg’s works-supported 904 GTS entry at Sebring and finished 7th. The North American Racing Team (Ferrari) entered him at Le Mans in a Dino 206, but the Ferrari expired after nine laps. At 33, Follmer was now an established professional racing driver. Roger Penske hired him to drive his second Lola T70 (Mark Donohue drove the other) in the 1967 Can-Am. The McLarens, the famous ‘Bruce and Denny show’, were dominating and Follmer’s 7th places in 1967 and ’68 were a measure of his consistency with the less competitive Lola. In 1969, a new entrant to the Can-Am series was the Shadow team owned by Don Nichols. Follmer readily undertook testing of the Shadow, notable for its diminutive size and very small Firestone tyres prior to the 1970 season. “Firestone loved using him,” said Trevor Harris, initial designer of the Shadow. “He was such a good test driver. He could identify tyres by feel.” Later, Briton Tony Southgate, already well known for his work at Lola and BRM, joined Shadow. His assessment of Follmer was “very laid back in that American way. Not a technical driver, but certainly a very brave one.” Follmer would pilot the Shadow in its first races in 1970, but compared to conventional sports racers the tiny Shadow proved extraordinarily difficult to drive, its extremely low sitting position and almost horizontal steering wheel requiring all sorts of contortions of its driver. The Shadow, a piece of technical wizardry in need of far more development
also proved hopelessly unreliable. Follmer quit the team mid-season, though not before securing Vic Elford to replace him, not wishing to leave Nichols in the lurch. “I was concerned about what these high-profile retirements would do to my career,” he said later. With Trans-Am and other commitments, Follmer would not return to the Can-Am series until 1972, this time in a Porsche 917. Although the 911 was prevalent in US club racing, by the late Sixties Porsches were notably absent, despite once being so numerous in the modified categories with RS 1500s, Elva Porsches and cars like Follmer’s Lotus-Porsche. Zuffenhausen was fully preoccupied with its assault on European sports car racing, but by 1969, in the 4.5-litre 917, Porsche had a potential contender for the Can-Am series. By coincidence, VW was seeking to launch Audi in the US through joint VW-Audi dealerships. At that time, the Audi brand was unknown in America (in fact it had little recognition outside Germany) but with 20 years’ experience in the US, it struck VW that the Can-Am series was as good a vehicle as any to promote the Audi name. With ten rounds including a couple in Canada, the series was one of North America’s most popular events. VW US contracted Porsche to run a 917 in the 1969 series; Jo Siffert was brought in to drive it. The 917 was reworked extensively for 1970, but clearly was still not fast enough to catch the 8-litre McLarens and by 1971 Porsche was experimenting with a 16-cylinder engine and considering forced induction. Alas in October Siffert was killed at Brands Hatch in an F1 race: for 1972 Porsche would need both a new team and a driver. They turned to Roger Penske: his perseverance in the Can-Am over several seasons
52 Story of George Follmer BELOW Follmer’s RSR at the start of the 1973 Nürburgring 1,000km RIGHT Follmer’s 917/10 Spyder at the Stateside Can Am Championship of the same year
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and the preparation of the Penske Ferrari 512, clearly quicker than Siffert’s 917, had impressed them. The astute Penske negotiated the commercial deal and during the winter and spring, his driver and chief engineer Mark Donohue worked tirelessly with Weissach’s Helmut Flegl to develop not just the 917’s chassis, but a turbocharged version of its flat 12. The Can-Am Porsche was just about ready by the start of the season, but during practice for the second race, at Road Atlanta, the 917’s bodywork came adrift and in a dramatic crash which destroyed the car, Donohue was fortunate to escape with a badly injured knee. As he had only one driver, Penske immediately needed a substitute: George Follmer. Now 38, the Californian hardly lacked experience, but even for him, this was a huge step into the unknown: “I hadn’t seen the course before and I didn’t know the 917 at all. It is quite a beast, not at all conventional. Shifting is extremely difficult, the throttle is very stiff, and the physical effort required is tremendous. Of course, I got used to it and things improved.” With little time to acclimatise himself to the car or to practice, Follmer’s 5th in the race, especially when he was handicapped by an unnecessarily slow pit stop, seems laudable. But that was not how Porsche saw it. Watched again by Huschke von Hanstein and this time by Ferry and a contingent of the German press, this was not the expected result and there were mutterings that Follmer should be replaced immediately by Ickx, Andretti or even Ronnie Peterson. Penske resisted however and on Donohue’s advice, retained Follmer. The decision paid off handsomely. Follmer would win five more rounds, taking the championship for Porsche. In fact, 1972 proved the high point of the Pasadena man’s career as he won the TransAm championship too, repeating his 1970 win,
and became the only driver to win both major US trophies in the same season. But it was a difficult, even at times bitter personal experience for both Follmer and Donohue. The latter had assumed that once his knee allowed him to race again, he would take over, and Follmer would be dispensed with. But Penske, always the businessman, decided it would be futile to waste the points accrued by Follmer, so he built a second car for Donohue. For his part, Follmer acknowledged that he had usurped Donohue: “Sure, that car was Mark’s baby. He’d been deep inside the programme since its inception. Everything good about that car was because Mark had re-engineered it that way to make it work. Yet here was another man driving it.” Donohue’s jealousy was almost too much for him, and although by the end of the season he had finished 4th in the standings, he could not get over losing a championship which he thought was his. Follmer did respect Donohue, as his comment reveals, and he was inwardly hurt by the team’s lack of recognition when it chose not to keep him for 1973. That year, Donohue won the championship outright and Follmer, now driving an ex-Penske 917 for the Rinzler team, came 2nd, giving Porsche an impressive one-two in the Can-Am. 1973 was also the year of the unprecedented victory of the 911 RSR in the Daytona 24 hours. Porsche supplied two cars, their final specification honed by Donohue, one to Penske, the other to Peter Gregg’s Brumos team. Follmer shared with Donohue and the pair led until a badly machined valve burnt through, leaving victory in a depleted field to the Brumos car. That year, Follmer fulfilled an ambition to race in F1. It was a demonstration of his tenacity and stamina, but nonetheless it proved an exhausting season. Besides driving the new Shadow F1 entry,
54 Story of George Follmer
“The man people once described as ‘ferocious’ behind the wheel was reflective, generous, still the easy-going George” Follmer was also commuting back to the US to drive the Rinzler 917 in the Can-Am. At 39, the lifestyle was starting to weigh on him. An unexpected 3rd place in the Spanish GP aside, a combination of the Shadow’s chronic unreliability and the cultural unfamiliarity of the F1 scene soon disillusioned him. “F1 is not for Americans,” he later remarked, “I warned Mark not to go.” Alas the restless Donohue would fail to heed Follmer’s advice. Something of a consolation prize, at the end of the year, he was one of the 12 drivers invited to take part in the IROC series, a made-for-television competition devised by Roger Penske and using identical 3.0 911 RSRs. Mark Donohue, who planned to retire after the championship, was determined to the point of obsession to win it and resorted to feints and other gamesmanship to throw off Follmer’s attentions in an exciting finale. Follmer later said he had settled for 2nd place (and $16,000) anyway. “I didn’t specialise in any one thing,” Follmer used to say. “I ran wherever I could race. I ran wherever I could get a good car to run.” At the age of 40, Follmer approached another season’s Can-Am. Once again, he was standing in: Peter Revson, who had taken over his F1 seat at Shadow, was killed at the South African GP and Follmer was hired to take his place beside Jackie Oliver in Shadow’s team for the Can-Am championship. He acknowledged that the Can-Am Shadow was at last a good car, faster than the 917 had been on some circuits, but if he respected
Donohue as team leader, he rapidly lost patience with Shadow’s number one, Jackie Oliver, especially when he believed he was quicker than the Briton. Once more the hired hand, the experienced Follmer was beginning to resent feeling like the outsider, much as he had in F1, yet here he was on his home turf and a previous champion to boot. Tensions between him and Oliver almost led to violence and they made for very close racing between the pair in this, the last proper Can-Am season, already bereft of works McLarens and Porsches. Follmer’s 2nd place in the championship though meant little to him. Grimly determined, he was driving for money. He felt if he was not racing, he was not earning, an attitude which took a toll on his family life and marriage. In 1976 he made a successful return to Porsches: Vasek Polak had five new 934s from Weissach and the Polak Porsches quickly dominated fields just as the Kremer 934s were in Europe. Sharing his 934 intermittently with Hurley Haywood and on familiar territory, the veteran Follmer won the 1976 Trans-Am championship outright, his third. Graduating to a Polak 935, the 1977 IMSA season brought him two victories and a 2nd place in the Watkins Glen 6 Hours, and 1978 began well with a win and a 3rd place. Then, a sticking throttle at Laguna Seca caused a huge crash which badly injured Follmer’s back and ankle. Although he resumed racing a year later, the ankle still in pain, at 45 something of the fire had gone. He persevered, winning his last
Trans-Am race in 1981, but retirement beckoned. In 1975 Follmer had gone into the garage business and in 1983 he opened a $1.5 million Porsche-Audi outlet in Orange County. He sold up in the 1990s. 20 years after his first attempt, in 1986 he went back to Le Mans where he shared a US-crewed Joest 956 which finished 3rd. Subsequently, Follmer confined his competitive appearances to outings on the increasingly popular classic racing scene, although in 1993 he was one of 12 finalists in the inaugural Fast Masters, a one-make race series using TWR Jaguar XJ220s for past champions aged over 50 and held over a kilometre oval at Indianapolis. Follmer demonstrated that at 59, he was as combative as ever, fighting Unser for the lead until his car was damaged in a contretemps with Parnelli Jones. Later he moved to Idaho where for a time he dealt in real estate. Today he remains a popular guest at classic and motorsport gatherings: the man people once described as “ferocious” behind the wheel was reflective, generous, still the easy-going George. When reminded about his famous temper, Follmer responds, “I guess you’d call sports writers critics. I didn’t care what they said, just as long as they spelt the name right. Isn’t that what AJ Foyt used to say?” Excellence magazine asked whether he was still a member of the Porsche Club, to which he replied that he wasn’t: “After all I’ve done for Porsche if they can’t offer me a free membership, then it doesn’t matter.” George Follmer – still underrated.
56 930 Outlaw
57
Custom Classic This 930 Outlaw started life as a Special Wishes Turbo, and has since enjoyed a further programme of unique customisation away from the Porsche factory…
Written by Wilhelm Lutjeharms Photography by Peet Mocke
58 930 Outlaw
RIGHT Though this 930 has been extensively modified, its flat nose was an option from factory FAR RIGHT Recaro Pole Position seats offer the ultimate hold for this turbocharged firebreather
T “Porsches have always been tuned, upgraded, raced and customised by their owners”
he description ‘Widowmaker’ is used far and wide these days, even for cars as modern as a rearwheel-drive 991 GT2 RS. But, as Porsche aficionados will know, the moniker came from the original 3.0-litre 930 Turbo, a hairy-chested machine that often surprised its pilots by having the rear axle overtake the front when the boost kicked in. Being the first turbocharged 911, it really brought a completely new dimension and driving experience to the 911 genre. Similarly, Outlaw cars have also evolved to mean a number of different things over the past decade. The basic idea of a car that is not standard, having been individualised by its owner, is only ever half the description. However, combine these two ominous terms – Widowmaker and Outlaw – and you pretty much have the car you see on these pages. Our 911 in question started life as a Special Wishes Department 930 ‘Flachbau’. This was in 1984. Robert Reister, a Porsche test driver and Special Wishes Department engineer, worked on the car. The next year he was sent to South Africa to become part of Porsche operations there as a workshop manager. It was then that he first noticed the car. By checking its VIN number (WP0222932E5000435), to Reister’s amazement, he realised it was the same 911. This time the 930 cast its spell more intensely and, although only a dream at that stage, Reister decided owning this car would be in his future. That day came in the late 1990s. At this stage he was a successful businessman and decided to improve its performance – not too difficult a task, given his background as engineer and test driver. 964 RS bumpers were fitted at the front and rear. A 993 RS rear wing was also fitted, and the 911 received
59 a host of mechanical upgrades. These include a 964 turbocharger and camshafts, 935 headers, and an uprated oil scavenge pump. Bilstein dampers in combination with three-piece BBS wheels were fitted, the same components found on Porsche 911 race cars. The massive rear intercooler is larger than standard, resulting in improved intake air cooling. Thankfully, the car was originally ordered with Option 220, a limited-slip differential, otherwise all of these upgrades would have been much less effective. Interestingly, this option seems to be rather rare among 930 Turbos. Lastly, completing the upgrades list is the same braking system that is found on the 993 Turbo. During Reister’s tenure with the car he had a few interesting episodes, chief among which was when it caught fire and ruined the dashboard as well as some other interior parts on the driver’s side. Fortunately he managed to get it all repaired. Reister never raced his 930, but attended club events and admits to scaring a number of passengers with the car, even enthusiasts who firstly could not believe how quick the car was and secondly, the limited amount of turbo lag he managed to achieve, taking the 911’s age into consideration. Reister then sold the 930 in 2010 to the its current custodian, who was happy for Reister to take a look around the car as part of our photoshoot today. Reister’s eyes got watery as he walked around the corner and saw the 930 for the first time in 11 years. He was quick to point out all the things that have remained in place, which include even the car’s key ring and the gold crested gearknob! Back to the car. An Outlaw car is not something that appeals to all 911 enthusiasts, and I include myself in that group. But, as the sun approaches the horizon and we start our photography session of this 930, slowly the car starts to make sense to
60 930 Outlaw
ABOVE LEFT 930’s factory 4-speed gearbox has been swapped out for a 5-speed by RUF
me, not so much because of the upgrades but more because of the man who made them. As a test driver and engineer at Porsche in the 80s, to me he has an unofficial licence to do such things and is thus somehow qualified to alter 1980s Porsches and add to their pedigree in the process. As I climb in, the first thing I notice is the full roll cage. Not ideal for road driving in this configuration, but clearly adding to the car’s rigidity. There are also full OMP racing harnesses for both the passenger and driver which, it quickly turns out, is not over the top at all, but very necessary. The seats are 964 RS Recaro carbon-fibre items, trimmed in leather, and they offer decent support and comfort. The driver’s seat is mounted a little high, the owner informing me that he will be lowering the seats in the near future, but in the longer term they will be perhaps replaced with period correct 930 Turbo seats. Modifications extend further into the interior, with carbon fibre door cards adding some weight-saving measures. Above the dials, a manual system is found to run the engine richer or leaner, connected to a MoTeC ECU. The owner says that this will be changed out along with other improvements he is planning shortly. The car runs a Patrick racing clutch in combination with a motorsport specification flywheel. On the suspension front we find upgraded three-way adjustable stabiliser bars. So, overall, very little has been left standard on this 930. However, even though the car has had a hard life and been modified to be a very focused machine, some creature comforts remain in the form of electric windows and, although the sunroof is disabled, it has
not been welded shut, so returning it to its original functionality can be done with relatively little effort. Even sitting marginally too high, I still can’t see the nose of the car, even at 6ft2! I need to crane my neck to see those beautiful louvers above the wheel arches. This makes you feel like you are in a mid-engined supercar as there is no sense of a nose in front of you – it feels like the car ends where your feet are. This highlights the driving experience even more as you only see the windscreen and the tarmac ahead of you. I select the dog-leg first gear on the special five-speed RUF gearbox that Reister procured in the ’90s and pull away. Into second and it is comforting to know that I can shift between second and third without going across the H-pattern ‘box. Even at part throttle there is already an ample amount of torque available. For all the additional performance on offer there is also a pleasing lack of turbo lag. I squeeze the throttle pedal, surge ahead and change gears. An intensely loud ‘wooooshhhhhh’ enters the cabin – without a doubt the loudest dump valve I’ve ever heard in any car! The left side ‘exhaust pipe’ is for exactly that, while the actual exhaust pipe from the engine is on the right. Get off the throttle pedal slower and the sound changes, all depending on your throttle application. It invites you to play around and create your own mechanical symphony. I press the throttle pedal again as a straight section of the road presents itself and as the rev needle climbs so does the boost from the engine. There is an abundance of torque and power on offer, much more than a standard 930. While one cannot call the power delivery instant, there is some
61
930 Flachbau
Model Year 1984
Engine
Capacity 3.3-litre Compression 7.4:1 ratio Maximum power 400bhp at 6,000rpm Maximum torque 427Nm at 4,000rpm Transmission 5-speed manual, RUF gearbox
Suspension
Front MacPherson struts, torsion bars, Bilstein absorbers, anti-roll bar Rear Semi-trailing arms, torsion bars, Bilstein absorbers, anti-roll bar
Wheels & tyres
Front Bridgestone Potenza RE002 265/35 R18 Rear Bridgestone Potenza RE050 295/35 ZR18
Dimensions
Length 4,291mm Width 1,775mm Weight 1,200kg (est)
Performance
0-62mph 5.0 seconds (est) Top speed 280km/h (est)
62 930 Outlaw
serious shove available from low down, allowing you to make rapid progress without always chasing past 6,000rpm. Under these conditions the car pulls hard, with zero sense of squatting at the rear. Select the next gear and the push from the engine continues with marginally less intensity than the previous gear. There are some creaks and sounds permeating from the cabin, but that is understandable considering the car’s colourful history. The car is also in need of some cosmetic touch-ups, inside and out, but the owner confirms these will be attended to in the very near future. Through the corners, the low centre of gravity combined with those wide tyres allow the Flachbau to grip well. It will take a while to really learn the limits of this car, but it can put its power down properly, no doubt helped by the fitment of the limited-slip differential. Tipping the scales at less than a standard 930 Turbo (1,300kg), the brakes do a good job of scrubbing speed, the pedal feeling firm and providing some welcome feedback. As can be expected, the
steering is another highlight. The aftermarket OMP, Alcantara-covered wheel delivers plenty of feel from the front of the car. Then the compact nature of these air-cooled 911s further engraves the driving experience in your mind, occupying such a small footprint on the road. Combine this with excellent visibility, it allows you to perfectly place them on the road and through a corner. It frees your mind to focus on the other elements of the driving experience, especially if it is a 911 as intense as this one. In its current state it is still a rough diamond, but after driving it and experiencing it I understand why the owner bought it after he drove it. In his own words: “I didn’t actually want to buy the car when the dealer first offered it to me, but then I drove it and it was a done deal, even though I don’t usually like Turbos, or flat noses!” As the owner of a specialist Porsche workshop and a number of non-standard Porsches, the car fits perfectly into his collection. Let’s not forget that Porsches have always been tuned, upgraded, raced and customised by their owners from day one. All
told, a 930 Outlaw is indeed an alluring concept. As Reister told me: “One friend who drove it said he had driven many 930 Turbos, but this car scared him. After all, when I had the car it pushed out up to 650bhp.” However, at that stage the car was running a higher compression ratio, different camshafts and was fitted with forged pistons. All these mods considered, I believe Reister’s claim of achieving an indicated 193mph top speed during one excursion, which means a true speed of at least 186mph! Back to the current owner: “I’ve never owned a turbocharged 911 before. However, I think this car has been done just right and is so exciting to pilot. The current setup is incredible and being such a light car it leads to a planted feel from behind the wheel. It is also more comfortable and easier to drive every day than you might think. You drive it for a day, and then that night you can’t stop thinking about it,” he says. And when you experience this, you know that a car is impressive, immersive and all-consuming. Three things that an Outlawed Widowmaker must surely be.
Living the Legend 66 Living the Legend – 911 owner reports
Anthony Coyne
Fort Lauderdale, FL @elferusa
Model 997.2 CARRERA S Year 2009 Acquired FEBRUARY 2021
Last month I wrote of buying a 997 in Miami, without a PPI or laying eyes on it in person, and collecting it while visiting our house in Florida. Buying used requires some diligence. I have plenty of experience under my belt, including five Porsches, three of them 911s. I’ve sold privately too, noticing when selling Porsches, potential buyers are more thorough than me. Once a man sat in my kitchen forensically examining a sixyear-old Boxster’s service stamps, quietly chuckling to myself as he rang dealers for opinions on work done years past. I’m at the other end of the scale; a casino owner’s dream. Instead, I smash the competition out of the way, transferring money while they email about option codes and over-revs. I then spend the first week of ownership fretting what I’ve possibly missed. This time I’d be doing the whole week in a single shot by driving 850 miles on day one.
Our contributing enthusiasts from around the world share their real-life experiences with their Porsche 911s
A big factor in choosing this car were its folding buckets. When these seats are in a Carrera rather than a GT car, they conjure ‘Club Sport’ in my mind – unassumingly special and just a little more focused. Renée complains about all Porsche seats; every variant from the 964 to present-day 992. I’ve tried reasoning that resting her feet on the glove box or being postured cross-legged in some yoga position isn’t helping, but this falls on deaf ears, sometimes even provoking a sulky response. I used this dissatisfaction as my reason to justify buckets, in that the other options, by Renée’s own admission, are uncomfortable. Subliminally I’ve translated “hip-alignment” into “let’s get buckets”. It’s judgement day; would Renée be whining like first gear on a 1980s Mini after 45 minutes? Worse, would I be feeling the negative effects of a hasty decision to buy this 911 – with buckets –in the first place? The seats are a gamble. We needed to be back in Tennessee so our dog, Alfred, could get his weekly immunotherapy treatment the next day
(for more information on him: elferUSA. com). With the 997 driving well, and our speed kept at levels State Troopers wouldn’t be interested in, we hoped to be in bed by midnight. That was until nightfall, somewhere across the Georgia state line, when we encountered an almighty storm. I’ve experienced weather like this before in Tornado Alley, but that was not on a busy Interstate. Or dark. We 911 owners know, these powerful machines can be lethal when wet. Wide 305 section rear tyres, a light front end, the engine weighing heavy at the stern means standing water becomes a major hazard. We slowed to 30mph like many of the vehicles around us, hazard flashers on to alert those approaching carrying more speed. Visibility was near zero, yet stopping deemed more dangerous as we feared being hit. Some had stopped and I toyed with the idea of parking in front of a stationary truck as a just-in-case buffer. We opted to continue to a rest area or exit. It was tense, some articulated trucks hung a few feet from our fog light, worse still
67
James McGrath
Minneapolis, MN @auto.amateur Auto Amateur autoamateur. buzzsprout.com
Model Year Acquired Model Year Acquired
others passed at over double our speed. Frightening. There was no way these guys could see much more than me, and no way they can stop in anything like the distance needed. Fools. It got worse. Many miles from our destination, at night, in a near biblical storm, driving a car I hadn’t bothered to PPI – the oil level warning came on. We pulled off the next exit and tried three gas stations looking for a litre bottle of Mobil 1. 30 minutes later we found some in Walmart, and took shelter in their loading bay as we topped up, taking extra time to inspect underneath for signs of trouble. Eventually the rain eased and we carried on, wondering if the engine was OK. Had I put over $50k on red and was now witnessing the ball land on oily black? Almost 15 hours after setting off we made it to our base just outside Knoxville, Renée taking over for the last couple of hours while I slept (in a folding bucket). I heard no complaints of discomfort while I dozed. And when I climbed out I was walking just fine.
991.1 CARRERA 2013 2019 996.2 CARRERA 2002 2020
I can’t start this month’s column without acknowledging the arrival of my daughter this week, Grace Lynne McGrath. Gracie is my wife Ruthie and I’s third child and what will most likely be our final addition to the family. Let’s face it, there’s no more room in the 911 for another one. By the time baby ‘911 Model G’ is old enough to ride in the back with our middle child Adam, my eldest son Luke will be riding shotgun with me up front. So that’s it. Unless the 992.2 comes with three seats across the rear end, we’re DONE! This month has been especially fun for me in the world of Porsche ownership. I think with the knowledge of Grace’s arrival, I have been trying to cram in as much Porsche-related activity as possible around my early mornings, evenings and weekends. Firstly my 996 project car was towed away to Eurocharged Minneapolis for the pros to take a look at it. I’ve made such little progress with it sitting sadly in my garage, with its broken transmission and cracked engine casing. AJ, Dave and
Eddie at Eurocharged will be diagnosing the root cause of the bell housing failure and helping my friend Patrick and I figure out where we go from here. As sad as all that sounds, there is always the silver lining… in this case, the lift in my garage is finally free for use again and as such, my 991 has been going up and down almost on a daily basis. The most satisfying job I’ve done on my 991 in a few months was painting the brake calipers. I have been thinking about this mod for a while now, but there were always two problems though – what colour should I go with and which product should I use? I decided to go with high gloss black for the colour and I used a brush-on product that seems to be well reviewed on the various Porsche forums and social media. The job itself was pretty straightforward. With the 991 up on the lift, I had all four wheels off and each caliper cleaned, taped and ready for painting in just over an hour. A good blast with a non-chlorine based brake cleaner got the majority of the brake dust and dirt off the calipers. A quick scrub with a wire brush around some of the joints between the bolts and the caliper body, followed by another blast with the brake cleaner and they were ready for the paint. There was enough paint to do three coats on each caliper with the brush provided with the kit. I let the paint sit for 15-20 mins between the second and third coats as directed and the finished product looked stunning. I let the paint cure for 24 hours before then applying some new decals and then a quick covering of heat-resistant clear-coat. Done! Like most owners of the base model 911, my car didn’t come with the lovely red ‘big’ brakes that come as standard on the S models, nor did it get optioned with the $8k ceramic brakes that come as standard in yellow, unless you opt for another colour. My base Carrera came with plain old steel brakes – no fancy finish, no definitive colour choice – just a basic metallic look with a ‘PORSCHE’ decal on the side. Pretty quickly they start to look as rough as old boots. Essentially, not something that goes with the concept of the 911 – perfection of styling, engineering and craftsmanship. These basic steel calipers should be retired by Porsche in my opinion. I chose black because they would contrast nicely with my Agate grey body colour and the red accents inside. I was considering blue, like Andrew from ‘NineElevenSouth’ (Instagram and YouTube) went with on his black 991, but still. The black looks great to my eye and that’s all that matters, right?! Here’s to colourful calipers – whichever colour you choose!
68 Living the Legend – 911 owner reports
Nick Jeffery
Surrey, UK @npjeffery @npjeffery
Model Year Acquired Model Year Acquired
997 CARRERA 4 GTS 2012 OCT 2018 997.1 GT3 2007 NOVEMBER 2019
Phil Farrell
Cheshire, UK @mllx8pjf Model 991.1 C2 GTS Year 2015 Acquired JUNE 2020
At the time of writing this month’s column I have been really enjoying the freedom granted by the easing of lockdown restrictions, which has meant more seat time in both the GT3 and my GTS! I have said it many times before but if you want the perfect naturally aspirated all-rounder, look no further than the GTS model of any 911 generation. They really are that good! A recent 242mile round trip ably demonstrated my 997.2 GTS’s ability to consume miles across country with consummate ease, leaving me feeling fighting fit and fully refreshed at each stop. The trip involved popping into The Classic Motor Hub in Bibury for coffee, something to eat and to ogle their latest stock. It really is the most welcoming and relaxed environment to catch up with friends old and new, talk cars and take in some serious metal! After that, we made the trip across country to a venue still very much in its infancy – CarNatter in Weedon Bec in Northamptonshire. The team there kindly agreed to give my pal and myself a preview of the venue and cars on display, many of which are for sale. They
are marketing themselves as “the car club for car clubs” and it is therefore a slightly different model to The Classic Motor Hub, Caffeine & Machine or Fuel Coffee House where you can just drop in. They occupy part of The Depot, originally known as The Royal Ordnance Depot which actually dates back to 1802, just prior to The Napoleonic Wars. It was built for the services of His Majesty’s Ordnance and was used to store and repair small arms and cannon. It therefore serves as a unique backdrop for any car club to pre-book a meet, especially as it is located by the side of a branch of the Grand Union Canal! I will certainly be back with a few of my guys later this year! Speaking of new venues, B Road Hunting Club has just opened its doors at the former Bentley Motor Museum near Lewes in East Sussex. They have a clubhouse and shop, a fully seated restaurant and literally acres of space in which to park your pride and joy and meet with like-minded enthusiasts. I attended my first Porsche Club GB track day of the year at the historic Goodwood Motor Circuit with fellow columnist Max Newman. Craig Varty and I organised a convoy of various Porsches down to the circuit from Cobham Services
on the M25. Craig is a real Porsche enthusiast with an enviable collection of 911s plus a 718 Spyder. Having set up ‘Craig’s Spyder Club’ he invited numerous Spyders from all three generations to attend and I offered to do the same for all other types of Porsches. 50 Spyders turned up on the day plus around 23 other Porsches in my group. It was quite a sight that morning on the M25! The Spyders stopped for breakfast at The Mulberry Inn and the other Porsches at The Badgers pub. We then all reconvened at Goodwood with the first paddock devoted to the PCGB track day participants, paddock two reserved for the Spyders, leaving paddock three for ourselves. It is this kind of pop-up style, relaxed event involving a meet and a drive that I am looking to generate more of within the Club. More news to follow!
This last month I made another impromptu appearance on the fast-growing Road to Redline podcast, which was fun. The subject was DIY disasters and it made for some very interesting stories indeed. Well worth a listen. Talking of car maintenance, I’ve really enjoyed watching online the birth of a new Porsche-related business. Readers will be familiar with Scott Gardner from the
‘ask the expert’ column in this very mag. Scott has been at our local OPC for a number of years but has taken the plunge and gone out on his own with business partner James Belbin to form Bahnsport (@bahnsportltd). Few people are lucky enough to enjoy what they do for a day job, but to be able to spend your working day fixing people’s Porsche pride and joy must be another level. A picture circulated on a local WhatsApp group, and it really struck me that here are two guys totally happy with what they do. I wish them both all the best with the new enterprise. Previously I wrote about being surprised by how much I liked the 991 Speedster once I’d actually been up close and seen it rolling. I think I’m going to need to spend more time looking at special Porsche models before making my mind up, because it happened again this morning. Out for breakfast with the usual crowd (because we can do that again now) our editor-in-chief had the Targa Heritage Edition sat in the car park. This was a car I’d prematurely boxed-off in my own mind as a bit of a marketing exercise. Again, I was wrong. Now I’m not saying for a second that I believe the current overs price for the few that are on the market represents good value, but in the candy
red colour with the Atacama beige interior it looked absolutely stunning. The little touches in the interior like the corduroy seat inserts (although already showing signs of wear on the press car) and the gold lettering really set the car off. Next month represents my one-year anniversary with the GTS. Those that know me will know that I chop and change cars quite regularly and so to have a car more than a year is a bit of a milestone. I was saying to the guys this morning that right now I just can’t think of anything for sensible money that I’d change the car for. It’s a nice place to be and is actually testament to how good the car is. The only slight downside to ‘long-term’ ownership of the GTS is that with one year of ownership comes the dreaded MOT (for readers not in the UK, that’s the test our cars must pass each year to prove their safety to be on the public highway). I have no doubt it will pass once I’ve fitted the wiper blades I picked up at the last service and have not gotten around to fitting yet. I suspect it’s because I don’t want to add the content to the next DIY blunders podcast. It’s a Porsche so it’s going to be complex and over-engineered, right? But if I want the car to pass I’d best get learning fast. Now where did I put that spanner?
69
Ron Lang
Ashland, Oregon @ronlangsport Model Year Acquired Model Year Acquired Model Year Acquired Model Year Acquired Model Year Acquired Model Year Acquired Model Year Acquired
911S 2.4-LITRE 1972 2018 930 3.3 1982 2020 964 CARRERA 2 REIMAGINED BY SINGER 1991 2016 993 TURBO 1997 2015 997.1 TURBO 2007 2020 997.2 GT3 RS 2011 2015 991.2 C4S 2017 2016
I’ve recently written about the lovely experience of driving the air-cooled 911s, so I thought for a change of pace I would dedicate this month’s words to the water-cooled cars. You all know how lovely the water-cooled generation is, and I’ve thought off and on about finding a 996 Gen2 GT3 to add to the garage. I remember driving the 996 GT3 when they were new cars – they were breathtaking then and remain so today. So small and nimble and athletic with 380 horsepower of free-revving Mezgerengined music. Just a lovely thing, I regret not getting one at the time, so maybe I can find the right car. I’ve never been particularly attracted to yellow cars, but I remember a drive back around 2003 when we were headed from the San Francisco Bay Area to the Sierra Nevada mountains and Lake Tahoe in particular. I still have burned into my retinas the view from my family SUV as a yellow 996.2 GT3 passed us on the road. So low, so small, so attractive. What do you all think? I’m feeling like reliving that almost 20-yearold memory by hunting for a yellow 996 GT3. There are no yellow 911s in the garage, no yellow cars at all. But maybe now is the time to taste some ‘yellow fever’, albeit in a good 911 way. Now to sing the praises, if you’ll permit me, of the three water-cooled 911s in our house. First, a Slate grey 997.1 Turbo, ceramic brakes, lowered
on H&R springs, and a six-speed stick. I wouldn’t have it any other way, though I’ve driven the Tiptronic 997.1 Turbos and they are amazing drives as well. This car has, to my eye, a perfect stance and the smaller size of the 997s compared to the later cars makes it so much easier to place on the road. It has a stock exhaust which is fairly muted, but that’s okay with me, the car is a blast in the twisties and a joy for a long road trip. Just writing about it makes me want to grab it for a drive tomorrow. Next is the 997.2 GT3 RS which I’ve had for going on seven years now and remains one of my favourite 911s of all time. The colour scheme is muted, white with gold graphics, which is okay by me. Many of those .2 RSs had red graphics and wheels which is great, but I enjoy the quieter appearance of my white version. The gold-painted wheels
have faded to a large degree and the vinyl GT3 RS graphics on the right front and left rear quarter panels are subdued along with the gold ‘racing flag’ stripes along the rockers. But enough of the looks, that lastof-the-breed Mezger 3.8-litre is a 450 horsepower monster. With the light flywheel and motorsport gearbox, the car is a challenge to drive well but the rewards for getting it right are always a thrill. The clutch pedal is very heavy, and it’s shockingly hard to operate when first getting in the car. But once I’ve gotten into a series of corners in the local mountains, all the pieces come together, the Michelin Sport Cup tyres warm up and this little sweetie attacks the apexes and straights with a vengeance. Last but not least is the 991.2 Carrera 4S. I’ve written about that car on several occasions and it continues to impress. A friend who has a 991.2 Carrera T recently joined me on a spirited drive in cold temps – both of us had a wonderful day chasing each other along the Rogue River canyon. My car is a 7 speed and I spec’d it gleefully, with Burmester sound, black over tan interior, ceramic brakes, rear wheel steer, Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) and more. Thus ends this month’s ode to my water-cooled 911s – now get out in yours or a friend’s and go and enjoy the summer weather!
70 Living the Legend – 911 owner reports
Tony McGuiness San Diego, USA
@tonymcguinessgt3rs Model 997.2 GT3 RS Year 2011 Acquired FEB 2011 Model 991.1 GT3 Year 2015 Acquired DEC 2014
For the past 17 months I have had the honour of interviewing former Porsche factory driver, Brian Redman. I can’t recall how many actual interviews we had; if I was to guess, probably somewhere around 26 or so. What started as a 25-minute interview between us, over time quickly grew to 1 hour and 15-minute sessions, sometimes longer. My first conversation with Brian took place only several days after I had finished 14 months of interviewing Porsche legend Vic Elford. That was way back in January 2020. Regular Total 911 readers will know this month’s edition of the magazine contains the 17th and final in my series of interviews with Brian. I am not sure I will ever find another person as humble as Brian. Born in Burnley, Lancashire in 1937, only 41 miles from my home city of Liverpool, Brian raced during a time when driver deaths were common. As he eloquently states in his book, “It was as if an unseen sniper haunted the tracks and picked off random victims without warning, unsparing of veterans and legends”. Between 1965 and 1975, one in three top-level drivers of world championship sports prototypes were killed. The odds
were worse for drivers like Brian who also drove in Formula 1. Safety simply was not a priority in those days. Race cars were built without driver protection nor were they equipped with radios. There was little in the way of protection for competitors and spectators. Track marshals support was woefully inadequate. Amazingly, there were no onsite medical support or capabilities. Brian shared with me that the night before races he would often have difficulty sleeping. Spa-Francorchamps was one of those races that affected his sleep. Drivers like Brian were racing on tracks like Spa that had been constructed decades earlier. Created in the 1920s for cars that were capable of less than 100mph, the 8.7-mile circuit was virtually unchanged; yet cars were now over 600hp and reaching speeds of over 200mph. When Brian first arrived at Spa he couldn’t believe how fast it was. Every time he ran at Spa he thought he would be killed. At the 1968 F1 race at Spa, he came very close and nearly lost his arm in an horrific accident when the suspension on his Cooper-BRM failed at 160mph. The car burst into flames and slid along the guardrail with Brian’s arm trapped between the rail and the car’s chassis. Three wheels had come off the car with one hitting a marshal. When the car came to a stop, a marshal appeared with a cigarette in his mouth, he tried to undo Brian’s belts, igniting the spilled fuel and causing the car to once again burst into flames. Counting the accident at Spa in 1968, Brian had three very serious accidents including the 1971 Targa Florio. He’d won the Targa in 1970 but unfortunately, in ‘71 the steering broke in his Porsche 908/03 causing his car to hit a stone marker, rupturing the fuel tank leading to the
Porsche exploding into flames. As Brian struggled to get out, he caught on fire. Brian had another encounter with death in Canada in 1977 when driving the Haas/Hall Lola T333. The front end of the car was caught by the wind causing it to backward somersault. After the terrible accident in Canada where the car was sliding upside down with his helmet scraping on the track, he astonished everyone by coming back into racing and taking the overall win at the 1978 12 Hours of Sebring in a Porsche 935. Brian’s stories have had a massive impact on me. I was very touched by his willingness to share his great memories of his victories as well as the difficult times he experienced. Times when he thought he might not race again but did. Apparently in the past some have said Brian is underrated. I have no idea why anyone would say that. It doesn’t make sense as he is unquestionably one of the greatest drivers of his generation. He won the Targa Florio, 24 Hours of Daytona (three times officially), Nürburgring 1,000km (twice), 12 Hours of Sebring (twice) and Spa a total of five times. Brian feared the 917, as did many other drivers. However, after the aerodynamics of the car were resolved, he came to grips with it and was fastest of all at Spa. To quote Brian from our final interview, “Looking back, I remember how each time I stepped out of the car at the end of a race, especially at Le Mans, Spa and Monza, the grass was greener, the sky was bluer. I was happy I had survived. Better to be lucky than rich! A massive ‘thank you’ to Brian Redman for being so extraordinarily generous with his time. They are memories I shall never forget. I share much more details about Brian’s life and career beginning in the April 2020 issue of Total 911.
71
Ian Harris
Shoreham, UK @harrisclassics
Model 3.2 CARRERA COMMEMORATIVE EDITION Year 1988 Acquired DEC 2020 Model 911 SC Year 1980 Acquired JUNE 2020 Model 964 RS Year 1993 Acquired AUGUST 2020 Model 991.2 GT3 Year 2019 Acquired MARCH 2021
Lee Sibley
Poole, UK @lee_sibs That Nine Eleven Guy Road to Redline
Model 996.1 CARRERA Year 1998 Acquired JAN 2019
I’ve been lucky enough this month to drive a few cars lent to me by some friends, and this has opened my eyes as to what we actually need and want from sports cars these days. It has made me realise what I want from my Porsches, and that is driver involvement and feel. With busier roads and stricter speed limits plus safety for myself and others, the latest and greatest cars are just wasted on UK roads for me. The other car I’ve been driving is a 991.1 GT3 RS, a car I thought I always wanted to own and I have to say for bumpy UK B roads it’s too rigid and ‘crashy’. Within the blink of an eye you are past the speed limit and with PDK it’s lighting fast, but again it’s really just a track car with number plates fitted, so I don’t see the point of owning something you can’t use for its intended purpose. This has made me think back at some enjoyable drives I’ve had and a few stick out. My little 987 Boxster Spyder, how can I compare a Boxster against a GT3 RS right? Well it’s easy, forget what they look like, the values and what others think, on a summer’s day and a winding Another month and another workshop visit that’s snowballed for project 996. I previously visited Wrightune to undertake some maintenance jobs on the 996 including replacing a split coolant expansion tank, but we ran out of time to fit new brake lines and COVID meant I couldn’t stay locally with the car, so I had to book in for another day in the month. Between my visits, I noticed some knocking over
country road the Spyder is light, nimble and fun, and that’s the key: fun! All the 964s I’ve owned over the years are a joy to drive and actually make me want to wake up early on a Sunday and go for a drive. 996 and 997 GT3s are both the sweet spot now, with an analogue driver experience and plenty of involvement with a few less driver aids. To add to this all the cars I’ve just mentioned are solid purchases at the moment, with
values proving to be very stable. My recently purchased 991.2 GT3 is by far the best Porsche I’ve driven, it’s the most complete car that can do anything, but I feel that’s the problem – it’s too good, does most of the work for me and makes me feel like a great driver when actually it’s the car doing all the work. I’m yet to drive a 997.2 GT3, so I think that could be the next step forward for me finding the perfect balance of a driver-focused car.
slow bumps at the nearside front. Further inspection found a failure of the MEYLE lower arm, one year and 10,000 miles after fitting. I contacted MEYLE and, to be fair to them, they kept to their end of the bargain when it comes to their two-year, unlimited mile warranty. A replacement arm was with me the very next day. Impressive. I dropped the car and new lower arm off with the guys at Wrightune for a few days, and they got to work renewing brake lines and fitting flexi brake hoses, bleeding the brake system and replenishing with performance brake fluid, replacing a crusty air con unit, shot blasting and powder-coating front and rear anti-roll bars and replacing their respective bushes, as well as fitting that new lower arm. As if that wasn’t enough, I then had a phone call to explain I needed a new offside rear caliper, as the thread had gone on mine (I was warned this could be likely to happen). Damn. Then I was informed I needed new tyres as my near side rear was on the cusp of the legal limit. Damn and blast! As I write I am collecting the car imminently and am grateful to Wrightune for their hard work and diligence on the 996, but I have now spent a couple
of thousand quid on maintenance this year – with tyres still to go – so I really am hoping this will be the last ‘boring’ expenditure on the 996 for the foreseeable future. Then again, I’m not getting my hopes up! While this sort of expenditure is necessary on a 23-yearold car from time to time (and all helps make it one of the best examples of 996 Carrera you’ll find) I prefer spending my money on ‘fun stuff’ when it comes to my 911, which begins next month with the purchase of a new gear shifter. More on that next issue!
72 Living the Legend – 911 owner reports
Max Newman
Aylesbury, UK @maxripcor Model Year Acquired Model Year Acquired
997.1 CARRERA 2004 APRIL 2012 991.1 CARRERA S 2013 SEPTEMBER 2020
As the 997 and I pass our ninth year together it almost passed me by that I’ve had the 991 for a full six months. This means that the excellent RPM six-month warranty has expired and I need to think about what to do going forward. I could have it assessed by an OPC for their approved used warranty, take one out through Paragon who I know well and trust, or I could ‘selfinsure’. You might also call this taking my chances! I called upon the RPM warranty and they looked after me, so you might question why I’m even knocking the idea about, I should get another one. I intend to supplement the Porsche maintenance plan by putting the 991 on an annual servicing regime, filters and fluids at least, as I have always done with the 997. It will therefore have expert eyes on it annually which may help to mitigate any potential problems. It’s a hard one to ask people’s advice on, it can often depend entirely on bitter or positive experience rather than objective reasoning – but I’d still be interested to know what you think. Let me know on my social media or here through T911. Work responsibilities have seen me on the road more recently, which brings
with it more opportunities to drive the car. One sunny Friday I was faced with a 330-mile round trip for two meetings, and I leapt out of bed at 05:30 excited to hit the road. I know some people prefer to go down the weekday workhorse and weekend toy route, and I respect that, but it’s not for me. I enjoyed every single mile that day and not one of them felt mundane. The 991 really makes every journey special. In fact – confession time – as I was heading for home with the sunroof open and a little BBC 6 Music competing with the flat six for my attention, cruising in traffic at 50mph, I almost welled up. Nearly got teary. You may recall from previous columns that back in the depths of winter and lockdown I’d questioned whether I had done the right thing buying my brown 991. It was quite a ballsy move, for me, to spend such a lot of money on a car. Should I have sat safely on the cash? And was I daft to trade an excellent Golf R in against a 991 as our second family car and my daily? I already had the 997, was I being greedy? But on that day and in that moment I had an overwhelming feeling of joy and satisfaction, perhaps some pride too, to be going about my business in such a wonderful Porsche 911. I definitely bought the right car for me. I believe strongly that cars benefit from regular use and I’m enjoying frequent journeys in the 997. I’m able to pick and choose my moments so that I never find myself in the wrong 911. I know that might sound like a slightly crazy notion, but you know what I mean. So I still love the 997 and haven’t sold it, although I know that would be a popular move at home.
I’m not sure I could sell the 997 even if I wanted to though, such is the hysteria still surrounding the motor and its potential foibles. Mine is a 54 registration 106k-mile example which hasn’t been apart since the clutch was replaced nine years ago at 48k miles. One marque specialist I chatted to referred to it as a ticking time bomb! In actuarial terms I don’t believe that having reached 106k miles makes it any more or indeed less likely to expire. More significant I hope is the care I take with it. And maybe a bit of luck? I don’t know. I certainly don’t feel inclined to take it apart unnecessarily. The 997, in Carrera form, will never be a valuable car, they simply made too many. But I do think it’s one of the finest examples, regardless of manufacturer, of the increasingly popular ‘modern classic’ genre, so good ones will always be desirable. It looks sometimes like the market has priced in the RMS/IMS/bore scoring and this keeps first-generation 997 prices depressed compared to Gen2 cars. But I think that a 997.1 with a surplus fund to make sure it’s perfect is a better buy than going all in on a 997.2. Tell me I’m wrong.
73
Joe Williams
Sandbanks, UK @joewilliamsuk Road to Redline Model Year Acquired Model Year Acquired
912 1967 APR 2017 964 CARRERA 1990 JANUARY 2021
Natalie Stratos London , UK
Model 911 SC TARGA Year 1982 Acquired NOV 1994
As the world seems to be reverting to a little bit of normality I’ve finally been putting events in the diary. Bicester Scramble, a track day, Silverstone Classic, The Red Carpet and even talk of a road trip or two! It’s amazing how something we’ve always taken for granted now seems so valuable. Being able to get out and drive our cars, interact with other like-minded Porsche folk and the general freedom our little community provides. That got me thinking about how our totally unnecessary, obsessive interest provides so much for so many people. There’s so many different weird and wonderful quirks to Porsche owners and ownership. If we’re all really honest, we know that none of us really need a Porsche. It’s a totally emotional purchase that we make with our heart not our heads! But that is what makes it such an interesting world to be in. The melting pot of Porsche attracts a bit of everything. The obvious one being the crowd that like to drive them, whether that be fast, slow, crazy
mountain passes or a pootle to the shops, these are the users. And these are my people! Buy it, appreciate it and get as much use out of it as you can. Then you have the garage queens, the cars that are so carefully cared for, ready for the next owner. Not something I fully understand but even so I can appreciate the joy of ownership even though it always seems like only half the experience. And then the categories split down so much further, you have track day cars, you have detailed cars, you have collectors cars. Old, new, pristine and barely road legal with a mix of backdates, customs and recreations. What else is there that can bring together so many people under one badge? Our little podcast Road to Redline has given such an insight into the diversity of owners and what fuels our addiction. We’ve made it all inclusive, so whether you’re planning to buy your first Porsche or have been a serial owner for years, we hope you feel welcome. So now that things allow, we are starting to unite our little virtual community in some real-world get togethers! We have two planned, and for
both of which, all are welcome. Our own cars and coffee on 3 July at CarNatter in Northampton – we’ve named it The Red Carpet ready to welcome all our listeners that have made the pod possible. Then to follow on we have a R2R club stand booked at Silverstone Classic on Saturday 31 July. If you fancy joining us for either or both of those events, then get in touch.
Let me introduce myself for my first article in Total 911 magazine. I read all the other contributors’ pieces and I cannot pretend to be such a knowledgeable Porsche owner. My love for my car is more an aesthetic obsession and appreciation for the visuals as well as the performance of the Targa. It began aged 18 whilst studying fashion at Kingston Polytechnic, when an ex-boyfriend took me to Beetle conventions in his convertible. I saw a Karmann Ghia and was blown away.
The lines, proportions and uniqueness fascinated me, so I kept going to more shows. I saw a 1982 Porsche Targa and that is when I fell truly, madly, deeply in love. When I started my own fashion label I decided to replace my black Mini 1275. I contacted the Porsche Club who introduced me to David Alston. He found her for me! She was divine. I had the engine cover replaced to keep her silhouette smooth and flow from head lights to back bumper. That was 1994 and we have been together ever since. I will never let her go. I joke I will be buried in her, much to the outrage from my grown sons. I cannot talk in depth about the technical side of Porsches but my articles will come from a different angle for the love of all things Porsche. As with my Minis (I had a green 850 City to start with) the raw simplicity of a 1982 Porsche Targa is its joy. There are no fancy gimmicks or dressings. Sure, I would love power steering sometimes, or windows that don’t blow a fuse every time I open one. I would like nice carpets, but they were ripped out years ago as they were always damp from the continuously-leaking Targa roof. But when I drive her I really feel the road, every bump. I am so close to the ground, I take curves and corners with speed and confidence as she holds the road
magnificently. The clutch is so hard that my left leg now has stronger muscles. But I still find it a thrill to drive her, every single time. It has never got boring. She is not a car to be precious with, she is out and about at all times in all weather, showing off in London. My Porsche Targa is raw and flawed but yet more beautiful. Her interior needs serious attention and the bodywork has started to bubble in the same old places, i.e. under her headlights, front badge and wing mirrors. I love her even more for that as she has character. She is not perfect by any means of the imagination, but still retains her beauty. I was a guest of a Cartier judge at Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2005 and we drove there in my car. She had not had her spray job by then and she had holes under the headlights as well as a dent in her wheel arch, not caused by me I must add, but that did not stop the adoration. I was inundated with people coming to admire her and take photos. She was way more popular than the shiny, newer, polished models. I think people like an underdog. I know I need to start the long project of repairs and maintenance so she is with me for another 27 years. Hopefully I can document the journey with you in Total 911 magazine.
75
PREMIERPORSCHE E V E R Y T H I N G Y O U N E E D F O R YO U R 9 1 1
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76 Data file in association with Beverly Hills Car Club (A series)
911R 1968
(0 series)
911 2.0-litre 1964-1967 The 911 that started it
Definitive facts and figures for every 911 model from 1964 to the present day
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.
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
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.
Production numbers 19 Issue featured 94 Engine capacity 1,991cc Compression ratio 10.5:1 Maximum power 210hp @ 8,000rpm 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 1970-1971
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 1970-1971 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-speedgearbox 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
(F series)
911T 1973 US-bound F series 911Ts
General valuations
This reflects the general market trend fora model’s used valuecompared to the previous financial quarter.The review for2021 Q3 will be July.The review for2021 Q2 was April.
Ratings
Each model is rated out of five in our half-star system according to theirperformance, handling, appearance anddesirability.
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
SC RS 1984
m
$ eveb ,94sllihyTlrEG 9 5 c 0 ulcraN TI b oc. WO
911s inthe data file are organised in rows according to release date, beginning with the veryfirst model in 1964. Manymodels wereavailable inCoupe, Targa and Cabriolet forms, with the option of automatic transmission. Here, data hasbeen provided from the Coupe variantsunless stated. All data here has been compiled, wherepossible, from Porsche’s own figures.
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
Updated version of the 1973 2.7 RS, complete with impact bumpers andTurbo-spec whaletail rear wing. Steel arches added by hand at the factory, with 917 brakes.
911 SC 1978-1983 From 1978, the SC
was the only normally aspirated 911.Developed from the Carrera 3.0, but producedless power. Upgraded Sport options.
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-litreenginehadits 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
77 (A series)
(A series)
(A series)
(B series)
(C & D series)
911S 1968
911L 1968
911T1968
911E 1969
911E 1969-1971
Porsche soon producedmore powerful variants. The first of these was the 911S – for Super – which had a higher compression engineandtwin Weber40IDS carburettors.
In 1967, the 911 was updated and therangeexpanded: the 911L (Lux) was standard and sat alongside the high-performance 911Sand 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).
Engine improvements included revisedcylinder heads, larger valves and stronger con rods. The 1970 ‘D’ series cars had hot-zinc coated undersides.
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
(E series)
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
(E series)
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
(E series)
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
(B series)
911S 1969 Like the E, the S gained
a fuel injection, boosting power to 170bhp. To help cope with the extra demands onthe engine, an additional oil cooler was fitted in the front right wing.
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
(F series)
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
(F series)
911E 1972
911T 1972
911S 1972
Carrera 2.7 RS 1973
911S 1973
2,341cc was achieved by increasingthe strokefrom 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-chokecarburettors led to the relatively lower power output of 130bhp despite the new 2,341cc engine size.
A 2.4-litre engine increased torque. Themostlychrome brightwork had a black decklid grille with a ‘2.4’ badge. External oil filler on right rear wing confused some.
The RS had a 2,687cc engine that developed 210bhp.The body waslightened and fitted with flared rear archesandan optional ducktail.Sportand Touring available.
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.
(G, H, I, J series)
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
(G, H, I, J series)
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
(G & H 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)
(F series)
911E 1973 After incidents of people
filling E series 911s with petrol via the external oilfiller, the filler returned to under theengine decklid. Fitted with the front spoiler of the 911S.
911 1974-1977
911S 1974-1977
911 Carrera 2.7 1974-1976
911 Carrera 3.0 1976-1977
930 3.0 1975-1977
‘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 cameas standard with ‘Cookie Cutter’ rims.
From 1974, Carrera name was given to range-topping911. Essentially the same engine as previous year’s RS for all marketsexcept USA.Whaletail available from 1975.
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.
Fitted with a KKK turbo, this was the world’s first production Porsche to be turbocharged. Flaredarches, whaletail rear wing andfour-speed gearbox were standard.
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
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
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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
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 Max power 300hp @ 5,500rpm Max 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
Carrera 3.2 1984-1989 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 fuelsystems.
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 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 1,075kg Weight Wheels & tyres F 6x15-inch; 185/70/R15 R 6x15-inch; 185/70/R15
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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 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
930 3.3 1978-1983 Larger engine resulted
930 SE 1986-1989
959 1986-1988
Speedster 1989
Slantnosed and basedon 935 race cars, with pop-up headlamps. Front spoiler made deeperto accommodate extra oil cooler, rear intakes fed air tobrakes.
Had tech later used on 911s including 4WD, ABS and twin turbos. A 959S was also available, featuringlighter cloth Sport seats, five-point harnesses and a roll cage.
Carrera 3.2 with a steeply raked windscreenandhoodand stripped interior. Porsche claim the hood wasnot designed to be 100 per cent watertight.
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
in extra 40bhp, and an intercooler on top of the engine ledto the adoption of a ‘teatray’. Brakes were upgraded from 917 racer.
Production numbers 337 Issue featured 142 Engine capacity 2,850cc Compression ratio 8.3:1 Max power 450hp @ 6,500rpm Max 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 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 160mph Top speed Length 4,291mm Width 1,775mm Weight 1,300kg Wheels & tyres F 7x16-inch; 205/55/VR16
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
78 Data file in association with Beverly Hills Car Club 930 LE 1989
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.
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
Essentially an SE but without a slantnose front, the LE had the same engine, frontspoiler, 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
964 Carrera 2 1990-1993 Rear-drive Carrera2
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
featured 964 Carrera 4 Issue Engine capacity Compression ratio 1989-1993 Maximum power Heavily revised bodywork,
964 RS America 1993 Offered in five colours,
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
964 C2 Speedster 93-94 Combined the 964
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
993 Carrera S 1997-1998 The features that come
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
offered an emphatically more traditional 911 experience, and was 100kg lighter, but looked identical to the Carrera 4. Tiptronic was a new option.
Production numbers
Maximum torque
13,353 (Coupe) 111 3,600cc 11.3:1 250hp @ 6,100rpm 310Nm @ 4,800rpm 5.7 sec 162mph 4,250mm 1,652mm 1,450kg
deformablebumpers over 0-62mph speed coil-spring suspension Top Length and four-wheel-drive Width Weight marked this radical & tyres overhaul of the ‘87 per Wheels F 6x16-inch; 205/55/ZR16 cent new’ 911. R 8x16-inch; 225/50/ZR16
964 Anniversary 1993-94
(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
’30 Jahre’ anniversary 964 utilised a ‘Turbo’widebody melded to the four-wheel-drive Carrerarunninggear.Available in Viola metallic, Polar silver or Amethyst.
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
fixed whaletail wing and two cloth sports seats, with just four options: aircon, sunroof, 90 per cent locking rear differential and stereo.
bodyshell with thehood and windscreen of the Carrera 3.2 Speedster, plus RS interior. It is thought Porsche planned to build 3,000, but demand fell.
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.
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
993 Carrera 4S 1995-1996 The 4S was effectively
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
993 Turbo 1996-1998 Fitted with two KKK
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
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
996 GT2 2001-2003
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
a Carrera 4 with a Turbo wide bodyshell, albeit lacking a fixed rear wing. Also boasted Turbo suspension, brakesand Turbo-look wheels.
turbochargers in order to reduce lag. Power went to all four wheels using the Carrera4’stransmission system. Brakeswere ‘Big Reds’.
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.
996 Turbo 2001-2005
Distinguished bywiderear arches,air intakesanddeep front wing, plus part-fixed, partretractable rear wing. Different engine to 3.6-litre 996 unit.
Production numbers 20,499 Issue featured 152 Engine capacity 3,600cc Compression ratio 9.4:1 Maximum power 420hp @ 6,000rpm Maximum torque 560Nm @ 2,7004,600rpm 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
Turbo bodyshell, without rear air intakes, but with a full-width rear reflector panel. Suspension and brakes were similar to the Turbo spec.
A lightweight, Turbobodied 996 withuprated turbocharged engine and suspension. PCCB was standard. Revised ECU later gave an extra 21bhp.
996.2 C2 2002-2004 Facelifted with Turbostyle headlamps and revised front and rear bumpers, fitted with more powerful 3.6-litre engine andVarioCam Plus. Manualand Tiptronic’boxes updated.
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
79 964 Turbo S 1992-1993
964 C4 Lightweight 1991
964 Turbo 1991-1992 This usedthe revised
964 bodyshell, extended arches and ‘teatray’ wing. The engine was essentially the 3.3-litre unit from the previous model, but updated.
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
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964 Leichtbau made use of surplus parts from 953 Paris-Dakar project. Highlights include four-way adjustable differential, short-ratio gearboxand stripped interior.
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 0-62mph 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
964 Turbo 3.6 1993-1994
Engine basedon modified 3.6-litre 964 unit. Distinctive18-inch split-rim Speedline wheels covered the Big Red brake calipers. Suspension lowered by 20mm.
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 0-62mph 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
993 Carrera 1993-1997
Restyled bodywork had swept-back headlamps, curvaceous wings and blended-inbumpers. The 3,600cc engine was revised, with VarioRam available from 1996.
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 0-62mph 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
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.
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
180kg lighter than Turbo. Intakesin 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
993 Carrera 4 1994-1997
As per the 993-model Carrera, but withfour-wheel-drive. Transmission was half the weight of theprevious Carrera 4, and was designed to give a more rear-drive feel. 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 0-62mph 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 911 Turbo, but with
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 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
996.1 GT3 1998-2000 Commonly called the
Production numbers 1,886 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 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
996 GT3RS 2004-2005 Same 3,600cc engine as
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
reducedequipment. Also included rear-wheel-drive, making it a better track car. Fitted with huge front and rear wingsand bolton arch extensions.
993 Turbo S 1998
The final hurrah for the last air-cooled 911. With 450bhp for UK models, it was the fastest and mostluxuriousroad-going model Stuttgart had ever produced.Manualonly.
Production numbers 346 Issue featured 115 Engine capacity 3,600cc Compression ratio 8.0:1 Maximum power 450hp @ 5,750rpm Maximum torque 585Nm @ 4,500rpm 0-62mph 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
996.1 Carrera 1998-2001 An all-new 911 with larger,
restyledbodywork and a water-cooled engine. Interiorwas redesigned in order to enable better ergonomic efficiency and more room.
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
996.1 C4 1998-2001
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.
Gen1 GT3, this was a lightweight 996with power driving the rear wheels. Suspension was lowered by 30mm and brakes were uprated.
996 Anniversary 03-04
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
Available in GT silver, and included a Turbo front bumper and chrome Carrerawheels. Powerkit, -10mm sports suspension and mechanical LSD standard.
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
996.2 GT3 2003-2005 Based onfacelifted
996 Carrera, but with new wings. Suspension loweredand uprated, PCCB optional. Full-spec interiorunlessClubsport option was ordered.
in GT3, but with weight saving, offering 280bhp per ton – an improvement of four per cent over the 996 GT3 Clubsport. PCCB optional.
80 Data file in association with Beverly Hills Car Club
Sales debate
Should you be worried about buying a 991.1 GT3? 996 Turbo S 2004-2005
A 911Turbo with the previously optional 30bhp power upgrade, with larger turbochargers, upratedintercoolersand a revised ECU. PCCB standard.
The 991.1 GT3 has certainly led an interesting life to date: unveiled to much animosity in spring 2013 due to its non-Mezger engine, electric-assisted steering and PDK-only transmission, by the autumn early cars were catching fire, which led to a worldwide recall and replacement engines. The saga rumbled on for months and proved costly for the company, yet unbelievably the 991.1 GT3’s stock remained high among enthusiasts, with used examples trading for well above list price. Then in 2017, owners on the US-based Rennlist forum began raising concerns around long-term reliability, which prompted Porsche to unveil a tenyear (or 120,000-mile) engine warranty, from date of manufacture, for all 991.1 GT3s. The warranty gave confidence to buyers, and the 991.1 GT3 has remained good news since, with examples still commanding around £90,000, nearly ten years after first release. But therein lies the issue: the expiration of Porsche’s ten-year warranty is on the horizon for the earliest vehicles, after which owners will be left vulnerable to the possibility of having to fork out for a new GT engine, at considerable cost, should any problems occur. And occur they do: our own ‘Living the Legend’ columnist, Tony McGuiness, recently documented his 991.1 GT3’s engine replacement after finding scored bores and excess oil in cylinder two. So, should a buyer be worried about buying a 991.1 GT3 right now? “I certainly would be,” says Jonathan Franklin, owner of the eponymous Porsche specialists. “I’m already nervous buying them now as a dealer, and there is still a couple of years to go on the warranty. The closer we get to that deadline, I think the more likely those cars are going to prove hard to shift.” Franklin’s industry colleague, Karl Meyer, is also urging caution. “I don’t think anybody really knows what’s going to happen with 991.1 GT3s,” he says. “People were paying big money for them before Porsche offered the ten-year warranty, so there’s that aspect, but as prices of the cars inevitably come down, it might make the prospect of a replacement engine – if it ever needs it – uneconomical in the grand scheme of things.” It seems the 991.1 GT3’s future is far from certain, and it could be in for a rocky time, values wise, over the next few years.
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 1,563 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 0-60mph 191mph Top speed 4,291mm Length 1,830mm Width 1,590kg Weight Wheels & tyres F 8x18-inch; 225/40/R18 R 11x18-inch; 295/30/R18
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 4,460mm Length 1,808mm Width 1,375kg Weight Wheels & tyres F 8.5x19-inch; 235/35/R19 R 12x19-inch; 305/30/R19
997.1 Carrera 2004-2008 Fullyrevised Porsche
Production numbers 25,788 Issue featured 112 Engine capacity 3,596cc 11.3:1 Compression ratio 325hp @ 6,800rpm Maximum power Maximum torque 370Nm @ 4,250rpm 5.0 sec 0-62mph 177mph Top speed 4,427mm Length Width 1,808mm Weight 1,395kg Wheels & tyres F 8x18-inch; 235/40/R18 R10x18-inch; 265/40/R18
997 GT2 2007-2009
Production numbers 1,242 Issue featured 127 Engine capacity 3,600cc Compression ratio 9.0:1 Maximum power 530hp @ 6,500rpm 680Nm @ 2,200Maximum torque 4,500rpm 3.7 sec 0-62mph 204mph Top speed 4,469mm Length 1,852mm Width 1,440kg Weight Wheels & tyres F 8.5x19-inch; 235/35/ZR19 R 12x19-inch; 325/30/ZR19
911 with 993-influenced bodywork and a new interior. Engine was like 996, but refined for more power. Five-speed Tiptronicoptionavailable.
Essentially a 997 Turbo but with rear-wheel drive only. Had a more trackorientatedsuspension and brake setup, with GT3-style interior and extra power.
997.2 GT3 RS 2009-2012
997 SportClassic 2010
Wider front arches and a larger wing. Dynamic enginemounts and PASMarestandard. Air-con is optional, with no door handles, wheel braceor sound proofing.
Based on 3.8-litre Powerkit, rear-wheel-driveCarrera S, but with 44mm wider rear arches. Retro styling including iconic ducktail and large Fuchs wheels.
1,500 Production numbers 125 Issue featured 3,800cc Engine capacity 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 1,370kg Weight 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-lockwheels, 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 3.3 sec 0-62mp 195mph Top speed 4,435mm Length 1,852mm Width 1,585kg Weight Wheels & tyres F 8.5x19-inch; 235/35/ ZR19 R 11x19-inch; 305/30/ZR19
356 Production numbers 128 Issue featured 3,800cc Engine capacity 12.5:1 Compression ratio 408hp @ 7,300rpm Maximum power 420Nm @ 4,400Maximum torque 5,600rpm 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
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 4.6 sec 0-62mph: 187mph Top speed: 4,435mm Length: 1,852mm Width: 1,425kg Weight: Wheels & tyres F 8.5x19-inch; 235/35/ZR19 R 11x19-inch; 305/30/ZR19
Production numbers
featured 991.1 Carrera Issue Engine capacity Compression ratio 2011-2015 The first of the newest and Maximum power
latestGen7 911, ittakes styling hues from the 993. A redesigned chassis with lengthened wheelbase reduces overhang of the engine.
Unknown 137 3,436cc 12.5:1 350hp @ 7,400rpm 390Nm @ 5,600rpm 4.8 sec 179.6mph 4,491mm 1,808mm 1,380kg
Maximum torque 0-62mph Top speed Length Width Weight Wheels & tyres F 8.5x19-inch; 235/40/ZR19 R 11x19-inch; 285/35/ZR19
81
997.1 Carrera S 2004-2008 As per the 997 Carrera,
but with more powerful 3.8-litre engine and PASM. 19-inch wheels as standard, with bigger ventilatedbrakes. Featured quad exhaust tailpipes.
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 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 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 4 2005-08
997.1 C4S 2005-2008
997.1 Turbo 2005-2008
Like the 997 Carrera, but with drive to all four wheels via a multi-discviscouscoupling, 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-drivesystem onC4. 44mm wider than Carrera S to accommodate for wider rear wheels and tyres.
Similar to 997 C4S body, but with extra intakes at the front and sides. Essentially the 996 Turbo engine, but withall-new twin turbos. VTG gave best of small/large turbos.
997.2 Carrera S 2008-12
997.2 GT3 2009-2012
997.2 Turbo 2009-2013
Altered aspertheCarrera, 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 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 @ 1,9505,000rpm 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 bodyandinterior, 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 withPorsche 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 Carreracounterpart.
997.1 GT3 2006-2007 Track focused, but
based on narrow-bodied Carrerawith reworked 996 GT3 engine. PASM standard,revs to 8,400rpm, 200 higher than the Gen2 996 GT3.
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
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
997.2 C4S 2008-2012 Body as per C4 but with
larger engine. Utilised 997 Turbo’s 4WD and PTM. Viscous coupling gives way to electromagnetically controlledmultiplate clutch.
Production numbers
121
featured 74 997 918 Edition Issue Engine capacity 3,800cc Compression ratio 9.8:1 2010 These exclusive 997 Turbo Maximum power 530hp @ 6,250-6,750rpm
S-spec 911s were only available to those who had paid a deposit for a 918 Spyder. Acid green badging and brake calipers.
Maximum torque
700Nm @ 2,1004,250rpm 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 8,533 Issue featured 3 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 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
Production numbers 500 Issue featured 155 Engine capacity 3,600cc Compression ratio 9.0:1 Maximum power 620hp @ 6,500rpm Maximum torque 700Nm @ 2,5005,500rpm 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 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
Production numbers Unknown Issue featured 157 Engine capacity 3,800cc Compression ratio 12.5:1 Maximum power 408hp @ 7,300rpm Maximum torque 420Nm @ 4,2005,600rpm 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 19,201 Issue featured 159 Engine capacity 3,600cc Compression ratio 9.8:1 Maximum power 480hp @ 6,000rpm Maximum torque 620Nm @ 1,9505,000rpm 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
Production numbers Unknown Issue featured 125 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 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
991.1 Carrera 4 2012-2015
991.1 Carrera S 2011-2015 Same as Carrera, with
seven-speed manual ’box but utilising bigger engine. Slightly larger front brakesthan 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
22mm wider body than C2, with 10mm wider tyres and connecting rear tail light as standard.Alsofeatures a torque distributionindicator on the digital dash clock.
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 previousGT3s replaced with revamped DFI version of Carrera S engine. PDKonly.
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
82 Data file in association with Beverly Hills Car Club
Technology explained
050
991.1 Turbo S 2013-2015
POWER STEERING PLUS
This optional assistance system helps make light work of tight manoeuvres in your Neunelfer – Total 911 takes a closer look…
Same dimensions as 991 Turbo, but with a tweaked map to provide extra 40bhp. Turbo options standard,including centre-lock wheelsand 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 Unknown Issue featured 115 Engine capacity 3,800cc Compression ratio 9.8:1 Maximum power 560hp @ 6,5006,750rpm Maximum torque 700Nm @ 2,100-4,250 0-62mph 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
SharesCarrera’s 3.0-litre turbocharged 9A2 engine, with revised turbos, exhaust and enginemanagement to produce extra 50hp.
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 fusedwith allwheel-driverunninggear, now electro-hydraulically controlled. Distinguishable by wider body and fullwidth rear brake light.
Production numbers Unknown Issue featured 133 Engine capacity 2,981cc Compression ratio 10.0:1 Maximum power 370hp @ 6,500rpm Maximum torque 450Nm @ 1,7005,000rpm 0-62mph 4.1 sec 181mph Top speed 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 controllingdrive betweenboth axles (rear always driven). Red connecting strip on rear.
This issue, our ‘technology explained’ column centres on Porsche Power Steering Plus, a software rather than a mechanical system on the Porsche 911. Introduced as an option for the 991 (and still available, again as an option, on the 992 generation), ‘PSP’ is a speed-sensitive power assistance steering system. At speeds below 31mph, the 911’s steering ratio is automatically adjusted to allow easy manoeuvring and parking, Porsche saying that at high speeds the system then firms up and responds with greater precision. In reality, you’ll be hard pressed to feel any significant difference when at speed between this and a 991 or 992 without PSP – which to our mind is entirely positive. However, for very low-speed, tight manoeuvres – for example, parallel parking – PSP comes into its own and allows you to rotate the steering wheel, lock to lock, without feeling like you’re in the middle of a workout. It’s extremely useful in these scenarios on the 991 and 992 generations with their larger wheelbase and additional mass, where models like the Turbo S can weigh in at 1,565kg. It’s a fairly divisive system among enthusiasts and one which purists tend to baulk at, but we at Total 911 appreciate the Neunelfer has to prove dextrous and practical enough for a variety of lifestyles, including for those who predominantly reside in cities and other built-up areas. As PSP is a software rather than mechanical upgrade, the system can be retrofitted, should your 911 not already come with PSP optioned from the factory.
991.2 C2 GTS 2017-2019 Similar specification and
‘black accent’ styling as per 991.1, available in both rear-wheel andall-wheel drive form. C4 GTS quicker than C2 GTS.
Production numbers Unknown Issue featured 150 Engine capacity 2,981cc Compression ratio 10.0:1 Maximum power 450hp @ 6,500rpm Maximum torque 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
991.2 GT3 RS 2018-19
991 Speedster2019
992 Carrera S 2019-
Latest GT3 RS gets GT3 facelift but with NACA ducts and suspension from GT2 RS. 20hp increase over Gen1, with chassis and aerodynamicrevisions.
Limited-edition special from Flacht to mark 70 years of Porsche. Engine taken directly from 991.2 GT3 with its sixspeed manual compulsory.
All-new eighth generationof 911 carries over 9A2 engine from 991.2, though all cars are now wide bodied with subtle visual tweaks.
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
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
83
991 Anniversary 2013-2014 Exuberantly styled
Carrera S with wide body and generous spec. Many styling cues inside andout taken from original 901. Powerkit only came as standardspec 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-litre9A2turbocharged engine. PASMnow 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 0-62mph 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-litreDFI 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 0-62mph 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 Unknown Issue featured 135 Engine capacity 3,800cc Compression ratio 9.8:1 Maximum power 540hp @ 6,400rpm Maximum torque 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 Unknown Issue featured 145 Engine capacity 3,800cc Compression ratio 9.8:1 Maximum power 580hp @ 6,750rpm Maximum torque 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
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
Production numbers
991 Carrera T 2018
Production numbers 5,000 Issue featured 162 Engine capacity 2,981cc Compression ratio 10.0:1 Maximum power 370hp @ 6,500rpm Maximum torque 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 GT3 2021-
Production numbers 1,000 (est, for 2021) Issue featured 199 Engine capacity 3,996cc Compression ratio 13.3:1 Maximum power 510hp @ 8,400rpm Maximum torque 470Nm @ 6,100rpm 0-62mph 3.4secs Top speed 199mph Length 4,573mm Width 1,852mm Weight 1,418kg (manual) Wheels & tyres F 9.5x20-inch; 255/35/ZR20 R 12x21-inch; 315/30/ZR21
to revised six-speed manual gearbox.Features Cabriolet active rear wing with diffuser aiding downforce. Lightweight flywheel optional.
991 GT2 RS 2017-2019
Fastest factory 911 of all time. Highly modified Turbo Sengine with sprayed intercoolers. Rear wheel drive, PDK only. New inlets on bonnet feeds air to brakes.
991.2 GT3 2017-2019 New 4.0-litreenginefrom 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
500 170 3,800cc 9.8:1 607hp Maximum torque 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
Issue featured 991 Turbo S Engine capacity ratio Exclusive Edition Compression Maximum power
The work of Porsche’s Exclusive department, with extensive use of carbon onthe bonnet, roof and side skirts. Power is hiked to 607hp, Turbo Aerokitstandard.
992 Carrera 4S 2019-
992 Carrera 2020-
992 Carrera 4 2020-
992 Turbo S 2020-
992 Targa HDE 2020-
As 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).
The base 992 was revealed some nine months after the S. Visually different to the C2S thanks to smaller wheels and two single-exit exhaust tips.
Same spec as the 992 Carrera, albeit with variable torque sent to the front wheels in an improved multi-plateclutch AWD PTM system over the 991.2.
3.8-litre version of 992 Carrera’s engine, with intercoolers now on top and air filters housed behind side air intakes. PSE and Sports chassis optional for first time.
First of four Heritage Design specials from Porsche Exclusive, inspired here by Porsche sports cars of the 1950s and 1960s.
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 189 Engine capacity 2,981cc Compression ratio 10.2:1 Maximum power 385hp @ 6,500rpm Maximum torque 450Nm @ 1,9005,000rpm 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 R 11.5x20-inch; 295/35/ZR20
Production numbers In production Issue featured N/A Engine capacity 2,981cc Compression ratio 10.5:1 Maximum power 385hp @ 6,500rpm Maximum torque 450Nm @ 1,9505,000rpm 0-62mph 4.0secs Top speed 180mph Length 4,519mm Width 1,852mm Weight 1,555kg Wheels & tyres F 8.5x19-inch; 235/40/ ZR19 R 11.5x20-inch; 295/35/ZR20
Production numbers In production Issue featured 190 Engine capacity 3,745cc Compression ratio 8.7:1 Maximum power 640hp @6,750rpm Maximum torque 800Nm @ 2,5004,000rpm 0-62mph 2.7 secs Top speed 205mph length 4,535mm Width 1,900mm weight 1,640kg Wheels & tyres F 8.5x20-inch; 255/35/ ZR20 R 11.5x21-inch; 315/30/ZR21
Production numbers 992 Issue featured 193 Engine capacity 2,981cc Compression ratio 10.5:1 Maximum power 450hp @ 6,500rpm Maximum torque 530Nm @ 2-5,000rpm 0-62mph 3.6secs Top speed 189mph Length 4,519mm Width 1,852mm Weight 1,675kg Wheels & tyres F 8.5x20-inch; 245/35/ZR20 R 11.5x21-inch; 305/30/ZR21
Purist take on the 991.2 Carrera with 20kg of weight saved and regearing ofseven-speed manual gearbox.Same 370hp engine as Carrera, PDK optional.
New swan neck wing design, double wishbone front axle and GT3 R diffuser. 50% more downforce over 991.2 GT3, sub 7-sec ‘Ring time.
NEXT ISSUE Issue 207 in shops and available for download from 20 July*
RACE TO THE CLOUDS
TOTAL 911 JOINS DAVID DONOHUE AND BBI AUTOSPORT ON THEIR QUEST TO CONQUER THE FAMOUS PIKES PEAK HILLCLIMB IN A 991 GT2 RS CLUBSPORT
TGE TALKS ROAD TRIP 964 RENNSPORTS: PORSCHE IN A 993 3.6 VS 3.8 YouTuber Tom Exton on the magic Exploring South Africa’s coastline in Wide-bodied unicorn takes on of the first water-cooled 911
a 993 4 Cabriolet
narrow-bodied 964 icon
*Contents may be subject to change
98 911 hero: Jeff Zwart
911 HERO
JEFF ZWART
Porsche’s undisputed ‘King of the Hill’ has showed the 911’s competitive prowess isn’t limited to circuits
W
hen it comes to hillclimbs, no venue is more iconic than Colorado’s Pikes Peak. The Race To The Clouds is to hillclimbing what Le Mans is to endurance racing, and once again the 911 has been well represented over the decades, thanks largely to Mr Jeff Zwart. Zwart’s affinity with the famous Colorado hillclimb began in the early 1980s, when Road & Track magazine sent him to photograph the event. “I was already attracted to rallying and when I got there, I just thought this was the ultimate rally. Especially bearing in mind at this point the mountain was completely dirt. It was hugely influential on me both as a motorsport event and visually the altitude, drop-offs and cliffs really ticked a lot of boxes as a photographer too,” he told Porsche Newsroom last year. Zwart though wasn’t just a keen spectator in rallying, he was also a bona fide competitor. His notable success in national rally championships at the wheel of the first AWD 911 in the 964 C4 in the late 1980s gave him his break with Porsche in an official capacity. Teaming up with Andial and Porsche Motorsport, Zwart won the 1994 Pikes Peak Open Class in a modified (and turbocharged) 964 C4. And so began a long and rich tradition of
Zwart entering a variety of 911s in various classes over the years at Pikes Peak, as gravel sections of the 12.42-mile course slowly began to be replaced in favour of tarmac. By 2010, Zwart abandoned his previous rally-oriented 911 ventures at Pikes Peak in favour of dedicated circuit cars, beating the class record by 38 seconds in a GT3 Cup car, then returning a year later to pedal a 997 GT2 RS press car, having first driven it some 1,600 kilometres from his California home. His most recent endeavour came last year in a 935 tribute, though he was pipped to success in the Time Attack 1 Class by a 991 GT2 RS Clubsport. Zwart has won Pikes Peak an incredible eight times, and has competed at the event 18 times – 12 of which have been in various 911s, putting Porsche’s prized sports car at the heart of yet another internationally renowned motorsport discipline. And when he’s not racing up Pikes Peak, Zwart dedicates most of his time to his Porsche passion, both for work in directing Porsche commercials for the North American market, as well as vocationally, where he’s involved with Patrick Long as part of the Luftgekühlt team. In addition, Zwart is also a regular contributor of Panorama, the Porsche Club of America’s official magazine, while to T911 he is a true hero of Porsche.